Yuma Research Help Needed

S

saturnkk

New member
There seems to be a real lack of consistent dependable info regarding the safe keeping of this incredible species. While the Florida Rics are hardy and fairly inexpensive, the Yumas are top dollar and seem to "melt down" frequently in hobby systems.

So, let's see if the Interwebs can help us isolate some variables to make us all more successful...

Let's only get feedback from those who have successfully kept a Yuma for at least 12 months in their system.


1. How long has your Ric been alive in you system?
2. What are your parameters (avg) for: Temperature, Salinity, Ph, Calcium, Hardness, Nitrate, Phosphate and Strontium? (Provide what you can)
3. What kind of lighting do you use and what is the depth (inches from light, not top of tank) of the successful Yumas? (Any lumens measurements are helpful as well)
4. What other species, including their own, are they in contact with?
5. What is your tank size and filtration type?
6. What type of current/flow do they receive (0-3 0=none)? Does the flow change (e.g. a wave maker)?
7. What kind of salt (brand) do you use? What, if anything do you dose (e.g. Kalk, Iodine, Strontium, etc...)?
8. Do you direct feed it? If so, with what and how often?
9. Have you had failures along side success (meaning very similar parameters and one or more lived while others did not)? If so, what if anything was unique about the failures and successes (e.g. color, size, etc...)
10. What is the successful Yuma mounted to (e.g. rock, gravel, etc...)

I know that this is a lot to think about but these are a beautiful and difficult species that I think we can become much more successful with a bit of understanding...

THANKS!
 
My oldest one, about two years. It's currently spitting up small round purple eggs.
Average temp 76-77,
Salinity 1.023-1.024,
PH 8.1
Calcium 455
Hardness haven't tested in a while, don't have a kit for it currently.
Nitrate the kit is testing 0ppm. Probably a trace.
Phosphate .5ppm, low but not out.
Strontium, have no idea.

Lighting is 250 watt metal halide with 14k bulbs, distance from light fixture to yumas is at least 28 inches. Partial shade is available for those that show sensitivity or for acclimation purposes.

They are in contact with many fellow yuma's and floridas. Also various clove polyps.

Tank size is 125 gallons, two protein skimmers currently running for filtration, turbofloater multi 1000 hang on type. I have an EV 180 in a custom built sump that I'm slowly building to bring online as well.

Current flow is probably about a 1. I have great surface movement but low flow across the bottom.

Salt I use is instant ocean reef crystals or their regular. Whatever is in stock with the local LFS.

I direct feed at least twice a week, sometimes more with sickly or recovering yumas. I use mysis shrimp mostly but I mix it up with krill that I slice with a knife to custom size for the bigger yuma's. I also use silversides in the same way for the bigger ones. I've been using rods reef coral formula for the very tiny Yumas.

I have had no failures after about a month of captivity so far. I lost a couple of big teal yumas that I purhcased online. Their bags stank to high heaven and they probably ammonia burned during acclimation. I have a fix for that now. Umm lets see I lost half a colony after about two weeks. They were doing great but rapidly turned south and had some kind of infection inside where all their tentacles turned black and popped leaking fluids. I was merciless to any that showed any signs and saved about a third of them. Other than that things have been going very well. *knock on wood, lord watch my back* Currently have 23 various yumas in all shapes and sizes. Alot of them orange. Plenty of room for more.

All yumas are mounted to some form of rubble or a plug. I have switched from sand to crushed coral substrate to help with biological filtration and to get rid of the irritation they experience whenever sand gets on them.
 
Thanks Tallinu!

The more like your response that we can get the more we can isolate commonalities for what works vs. what might not.
 
good thread saturnkk,

i would like to reply but only had yumas for 10 months, but have successfully brought back bleached/melting yumas to life which is rare from what i hear. i am propagating them also so i'm regurlarly putting extra stress on them than the regular hobbiest.

as always learning every day and enjoying it.

as you do, i also have a fascination with these creatures and its saddening to see them perish, i'll go through your questions and reply tonight.

i believe the the biggest factor in their demise is the initial collection/transport/acclimation to tank life. i'll delve a bit more into it later.
 
I have a Few Yumas that have been in the tank for about 1 1/2 years one maybe longer. Most under 6 months.....

Parameters are:

Ca 450+/-
Alk 9-10
Temp- 79/80
I dose aminos and iodide, haven't tested in awhile for Nitrates or Phosphates.

Lighting is 1 250wSE 14k Hamilton supplemented with 2x 24w UVI Super actinic T-5. The T-5s are on for 12hrs and the MH is on for about 9hrs.

The tank is a 60g cube with a 10g sump, I have a AquaEuro USA 135 classic skimmer. For flow beside the return I have a Vortech MP20. Most flow is constant but flow from the vortec is on the pulse mode to create some wave type action. Most Yumas are in a bit of flow not low or no flow but more towards the high end of low to med flow.

I use Red Sea Pro salt and feed once in awhile with mysis, cyclop-eeze, Reef plankton, Daphna.

I have had many losses with yumas, in fact for about 5 years I quit collecting them after 9 hot pink yumas melted. It wasn't till I found some really sweet ones at a LFS that I had to have. I changed to Red Sea Pro from Reef Crystals and figured I would give it a shot. Since then I have bought about 30 yumas and have only lost about 5. Most I think from shipping stress and possible stress at the LFS or online shop. I now always ask if I can get an updated pic of the yumas before I buy them. If they can't provide the pic I don't buy......I honestly think Red Sea Pro is one of the reasons I have had really good luck to date with yumas....
 
I have long had a suspicion that the yuma melt may be caused by salt type...

What colors have been most successful and which least?
 
Pinks, metallic pinks and reds the least although I have had some what good luck with the last 2. The browns, drabs, rainbows I have had good luck with as well as greens. I do have a couple that are the high end rare type that are doing great. But all but one of those came from the same place over a fe months so this vendor must keep his yumas healthy. I honestly think the Red Sea Pro has had soemthing to do with it.....Now I use it exclusively also a LFS here in Kalamazoo sells it and they use it as well.
 
Yea I do most of my business as far as local stuff with Lynn and Jerry.....Where is Berkley? I assume you been to Mothers?
 
1. How long has your Ric been alive in you system?
2. What are your parameters (avg) for: Temperature, Salinity, Ph, Calcium, Hardness, Nitrate, Phosphate and Strontium? (Provide what you can)
3. What kind of lighting do you use and what is the depth (inches from light, not top of tank) of the successful Yumas? (Any lumens measurements are helpful as well)
4. What other species, including their own, are they in contact with?
5. What is your tank size and filtration type?
6. What type of current/flow do they receive (0-3 0=none)? Does the flow change (e.g. a wave maker)?
7. What kind of salt (brand) do you use? What, if anything do you dose (e.g. Kalk, Iodine, Strontium, etc...)?
8. Do you direct feed it? If so, with what and how often?
9. Have you had failures along side success (meaning very similar parameters and one or more lived while others did not)? If so, what if anything was unique about the failures and successes (e.g. color, size, etc...)
10. What is the successful Yuma mounted to (e.g. rock, gravel, etc...)

1. 10 months for the oldest colony

2. temp 26.0-28.3 celcius(min/max in 10 months)teco chiller heat and cool, salinity constant 1.026(ATO), RO water for top off. alk 8, calc 430, no3 0.5, po4 0.015

3. 8xt5 24 in from yumas, 14in water 10 in light to water. PAR 20-86

4. yuma only tank

5. 24x28x18in tank, 2 x12 gal refugiums gravity feeding tank with 35lb of live rock in each. small amount of miracle mud, caulerpa. 700l rated pin wheel skimmer pulling 300l/hr air. carbon and rowaphos in bag in front of pump outlet. fbf for each on order

6. flow 1. some get blown around a bit though. no wavemaker but plan on it.

7. red sea pro salt(RO) and occasional NSW. not dosing iodine/amino at the moment, was but no noticable difference

8. was direct feeding frozen mysids, now direct feed marine green frozen, they love it. twice a week. auto feed new life spectrum marine formula pellets daily not direct feed.

9. killed a couple of purple rics that had been cut in half for a week, added too much evap top off water in one go directly over the top of them. bought ATO after that. had a red start to melt slowly after cutting in half, moved it to a high flow tank and it healed. had a pink start to melt on me the other day, freshly acquired of one week, two and a half weeks from collection to melt. pulled remnants out and put in high flow tank to hopefully rectify the same as last time.

10. most mounted to gravel but some seem to move around until they find some rock to attach to
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14972372#post14972372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sbcaes
i've had my collection of yumas for about 3 yrs. all doing well. some get big some spit out babies.
Click to expand...

we would appreciate any feed back you can offer.:)
 
Re: Yuma Research Help Needed

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14946131#post14946131 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saturnkk
There seems to be a real lack of consistent dependable info regarding the safe keeping of this incredible species. While the Florida Rics are hardy and fairly inexpensive, the Yumas are top dollar and seem to "melt down" frequently in hobby systems.

So, let's see if the Interwebs can help us isolate some variables to make us all more successful...

Let's only get feedback from those who have successfully kept a Yuma for at least 12 months in their system.


1. How long has your Ric been alive in you system?
2. What are your parameters (avg) for: Temperature, Salinity, Ph, Calcium, Hardness, Nitrate, Phosphate and Strontium? (Provide what you can)
3. What kind of lighting do you use and what is the depth (inches from light, not top of tank) of the successful Yumas? (Any lumens measurements are helpful as well)
4. What other species, including their own, are they in contact with?
5. What is your tank size and filtration type?
6. What type of current/flow do they receive (0-3 0=none)? Does the flow change (e.g. a wave maker)?
7. What kind of salt (brand) do you use? What, if anything do you dose (e.g. Kalk, Iodine, Strontium, etc...)?
8. Do you direct feed it? If so, with what and how often?
9. Have you had failures along side success (meaning very similar parameters and one or more lived while others did not)? If so, what if anything was unique about the failures and successes (e.g. color, size, etc...)
10. What is the successful Yuma mounted to (e.g. rock, gravel, etc...)

I know that this is a lot to think about but these are a beautiful and difficult species that I think we can become much more successful with a bit of understanding...

THANKS!
Click to expand...

hey saturnn, can you also answer your own questions? i find it harsh you critisizing others for not replying to your questions but you have failed to answer them yourself. i'm all for sharing the info and will do always, it encourages all of us to do the same...
 
Well, I'll have to think back... I haven't kept yumas for some time now. When I did, I had very few that met my criteria of living 12 months.
 
Okay, I'll preface by saying that none of my red or hot pink yumas have made it looking healthy past 8 months. A few bright orange have made it about a year and the greens and more drab ones several years.

Answers:
1. My last longest yuma was alive until I had a crazy slime jelly crash that took out nearly 70% of my corals including all yumas (2 FLA rics lived). The longest living were the greens and they were around about 2 years.

2. Temp (75-78 winter 76-82 summer), salinity 1.025, 8.0-8.4 ph, calc 375-425, Oxygen 7-8, Nitrate 0-.3, Magnesium 1230-1350, Phosphate 0.1, KH 8

3. Compact Flourecent, rics about a foot away not shaded.

4. Yumas frequently were in contact with each other, FLA rics and occasionally mushrooms and/or zoos.

5. Tank size 20gal, Algae scrubber (refugium with cheato and live sand), Whisper power filter w/carbon.

6. Current would rank about 2 on my scale alternating (wave maker) power heads.

7. Instant Ocean salt. Only dosed kalkwasser in top offs.

8. Direct fed twice a week or so. Brine shrimp, mysis, silver sides, krill.

9. Yes, pinks and reds died next to greens and browns that lived.

10. Successful yumas were mounted to small rocks prior to placement in the tank. I can't think of any that were not attached prior to placement that did well.

The 2 working theories that I have for yumas (Red and Pink) are:

1. Atmospheres. What depth are the more spectacular colored yumas collected from? Do they not do well at shallow depths or are they not decompressed properly...?!? I have noticed when snorkling/diving in Florida that the ricodia closest to the surface (in protected areas of course) are nearly always brown or dull green. Maybe the brighter colors are created at lower depths?

2. Salt. Salt trace elements vary widely from company to company and even at times within a brand. I wonder if there is a correlation between the level of a certain trace element in the salt (or complete lack of) and the success of the yumas.
 
Re: Re: Yuma Research Help Needed

Re: Re: Yuma Research Help Needed

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14973834#post14973834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spanishmack
hey saturnn, can you also answer your own questions? i find it harsh you critisizing others for not replying to your questions but you have failed to answer them yourself. i'm all for sharing the info and will do always, it encourages all of us to do the same...
Click to expand...

Sorry, I never meant to come across as critical! That's the last thing I wanted to convey.

I just haven't kept them in awhile and thought that my answers wouldn't be as relevent...
 
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