Splitting Rics...speeding it up?

[Logzor]

Some of my rics have multiple mouths. How do I get them to split faster?

One small ric has 3 mouths and looks like it is trying to morph into 3 new ones, as it is stretched out awkwardly.

Another one is very large, probably over 2" in diameter. This one just got a 3rd mouth and has no sign of splitting. What conditions encourage them to split and is there any way to speed it up?

 

[phathead]

I grow only ricordea. When I have them in my frag tank as soon as the ric has more than one mouth I use a special knife and slice it right between the mouths. If there is 3 mouths I would only slice it once. For some reason when I do 2 cuts to make three rics you end up killing one of them 9 times out of 10. Once they are cut in half keep them away from each other or else they will grow right back together. You can use Tech D as a dip to ensure there health through the trama. Also after they form into there own ricordea for some reason it sends it through a rapid growth spurt. At least with all mine they do. Each of my rics will split on there own about every 4-6 weeks but if I split one those rics will split about every 2-3 weeks. They will continue this rapid growth for about 6 months. If any one cares to explain why they would do this for me it would be appreciative. Hpope this helps you and makes sense if you have any question feel free to PM ME.

 

[Logzor]

What kind of knife do you use, some sort of razor blade?

 

[JMCAquarium]

Phathead it's the trauma it makes the ric feel as though something is trying to eat it so it goes into hyper drive to reproduce until the threat has gone.
If a critter out in the ocean has a taste for rics and takes a bite out of one then going into a super growth spurt is it's only defense healing it self and grow more clones around it's self in order to preserve the mother Ric. Now this not backed up by any studies or facts. I to have thought about this and after some research have come to this conclusion on my own merit. Until someone proves me incorrect that it what I'm going on . hope it helps to get the wheels turning.

 

[JMCAquarium]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12874203#post12874203 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Logzor
What kind of knife do you use, some sort of razor blade?

I always use a brand spanken new razor blade set the ric on a flat surface and cut down in solid fluid motion do no chop, hack, or saw into the shroom or it may scar or worse yet you'll kill it. IMO

 

[phathead]

I use a Brand new razor bladde but they are industrial grade. Cant find these bad boys at your local hardware store. JMCAquarium that does sound like a pretty good asumption. Id say you are right.

 

[Logzor]

What if I can not get my ric on a flat surface? I have some growing on live rock but it is an odd shape. The actual base that is attached is quite large.

Are you usually dealing with frags that are barely attached to rock? I am kind of afraid of cutting the ric completely in half...

 

[phathead]

You can slice the ric if there is a small piece of rock on it. Just use a good razor blade if the ric is smaller than the blade than do one single push through the ric and thhe rock in one motion. This is theway I cut ones on rocks but I use the better blades just means they are surgical grade sharp and extremely strong. As long as it is a new blade it should at least makes it through the ric nice and clean and then the rock just push harder doing all this in one motion is the important thing. If the rock is to big try using a chizle or a flatblade screw driver and try and get just a sliver if the rock. Hope this helps.

 

[Psionicdragon]

what if there is only one mouth? how would you split it then?

 

[JMCAquarium]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12882898#post12882898 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Psionicdragon
what if there is only one mouth? how would you split it then?

IMO -- You don't, the moulth on Ric is much smaller then a normal shroom and cutting it directly in half to ensure both sides live is very hard to do without the assitance of a magnyfying glass, dam steady hand, and experience. If your tank is happy and healthy sooner or later the ric will split on it''s own or it will form a second or third moulth then you can split it with ease.
If you have never done it and have no reason to do so then I'm leave it alone and let nature do it's own thing.
I have been dealing with shrooms for a couple years now and only last year started force splitting florida rics as they are growing so dam big they look like yumas.

 

[JMCAquarium]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12881103#post12881103 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phathead
You can slice the ric if there is a small piece of rock on it. Just use a good razor blade if the ric is smaller than the blade than do one single push through the ric and thhe rock in one motion. This is theway I cut ones on rocks but I use the better blades just means they are surgical grade sharp and extremely strong. As long as it is a new blade it should at least makes it through the ric nice and clean and then the rock just push harder doing all this in one motion is the important thing. If the rock is to big try using a chizle or a flatblade screw driver and try and get just a sliver if the rock. Hope this helps.

Just adding on to his part: if it's on a small peice of rock and you simple can't get the blade through the peice by hand I use a ball-peen hammer. Cut through the ric as deep as you can into the rock simply hold the blade on one end making sure you do not "re-cut" the ric and tap through the rock. You have aready cut the ric so you wil do no more harm to it. 99% of the time try doing it by hand though if the rock is to big using wire cutters to chip away peices until very small is alo another way.
:bum:

 

[ukguy]

after my recent disaster where I tried to frag one of these by cutting it off the rock, I'm going to leave mine alone.

What can I do to speed up their growth though? putting them highier in the tank? feeding them more (what and how often), dosing the tank with something?

 

[DesigDiver]

i just lost my pink yuma...i took the razor to it and it disintegrated a few days later..