Rics in the Valley

[joyski58]

I was at Fuji's yesterday evening. He got an order of small ricordia in; about 20 of them. I don't know that I've seen any rics for sale in the valley in the last couple of years.

 

[firefish2020]

...I don't know that I've seen any rics for sale in the valley in the last couple of years.

Your right but not because they are hard to find. For some reason almost every Ricordia I got in last year (no matter where they were from or what tank they went into) died within a year.
Mine did great a few months almost half a year on some, but then just went down hill for no apparent reason? Those that got the killer color ones never told me if they were still alive or not though.

Also I think the Ricordeia fad is over now so we don't see to many colorful ones offered and no one wants a dull Ric IMO.

I gave away a lot to certain customers as rescue corals. Some are still alive but most are gone. I was building a huge Ricordia collection at home but I decided to not got that route and gave away or sold them all.

I think the key is to find healthy aquacultured Rics in other words (trade around), of all the ones I still have left, and yes my orange and blue Ricordia did survive the tank wipeout somehow, only those that I could guarantee were tank raised 2nd gen frags (by me and others I know) survived. I believe a few members managed to get some of my Blue rics but I can't remember who, I wonder if they are still doing well?

I do plan on propping out some healthy Rics, but that is another project for another day.

 

[grendl]

Thats discouraging.. I really wanted to try to grow a healthy crop of different colored rics in my tank bed. Has everyone had this same level of bad luck with their rics?

 

[firefish2020]

Ehhh it's prob just me LOL

Anyway if you want to try with healthy rics look for tank raised ones just like xenias and SPS and well just about anything we keep long term. If you can't find tank raised, get a few from where ever and learn to frag them out, chances are you will have a few great surviving frags that will lead you to some great 2nd gen colonies in time.

 

[coralreefer]

For some reason almost every Ricordia I got in last year (no matter where they were from or what tank they went into) died within a year.
Mine did great a few months almost half a year on some, but then just went down hill for no apparent reason? Those that got the killer color ones never told me if they were still alive or not though.

Not just you Ron. Remember the kick arse orange rics I got from you a while back. Did great for several months then gradually withered away over the next 6 months or so. At one time I fragged them into three different tanks with the same result. A wild purple colony from Barry is about 3 years old and is fine.

Also I think the Ricordeia fad is over now so we don't see to many colorful ones offered and no one wants a dull Ric IMO.

Actually the "fad" being over is one reason we're finally seeing them around here IMO. Since they aren't being shopped as designer the cherry pickers are leaving them alone. I know a/the major ricordia wholesaler is importing some killer stuff from Haiti.
We've never really had rics in any quantity down here until the last few months. I keep missing out on them when the shipment is new but I picked up a lime green one at Christmas that's already morphed a second mouth.

 

[grendl]

I am really jonesing to get my tank up... But the talk of Master Phil having cyano probs & now Master Ron cant keep rics alive!!!! I am frightened!!!! I really need to get a 20 long & a couple of chunks of acrylic.

 

[mcox33]

Travis

I have quiet a bit of acrylic. As soon as I can catch up with Jason to get my sump planned, I will definately have extra.

 

[grendl]

Thanks Mary, I am just going to make a couple of partitions in a 20 long... its going to be a pretty low tech sump!

 

[LtPiper]

I had a couple of white and purple ones that only last about 4 months too.

 

[mcox33]

I have a light green and pink one that has been in the tank at least a year, and a bright orange one as well that has been there at least a year.

here is a pic of the orange one

It looks even better now, this pictures was taken around April or May

 

[firefish2020]

Travis I am far from worthy of the "Master" title. There are others that I defer that title too willingly. As for being afraid, don't be. Everything we take into our care is a risk. We are emulating nature and that's a hard thing to do correctly long term.

However if you do it right, you have a greater chance to pull it off. Every animal I keep alive long term and even the ones that I fail with teach me something about how to care for another of it's kind. My failure with Rics may have been due to not providing an adequate food source? Or it could have been a weak strain who knows. Personally I won't do anymore unless I get a real good deal on them. \

Actually I won't do anymore anything for a while.

 

[MattG]

Here is one from Jomar's from maybe 4 months ago?? It hasnt shown much growth though.

 

[mcox33]

nice color Matt

 

[coralreefer]

Sweet yuma Matt

 

[1package]

Ricordia

Ricordia

The orange came from Jomars a year or so ago.

The purple came from Bruce about a year and a half ago.

 

[firefish2020]

Glad to see that ones doing good Matt.