Advice for ricordeas?

[Derry]

I bought some really pretty rics from RC about a year ago. They're orange with purple rims and a bright green mouth. However, in all this time, two have been come just four. Borneman's book suggests putting them on the sand bed, so that's where mine are. It's a 30" tank with two 250 MH and four T5 actinics.

Anybody out there who's had good results with rics and can offer any advice?

[+dapettit]

Following along.

[Laura]

Hey Derry!! I hope all is well with your ponies...

I have had ricordea since day 1 and have not seen much growth at ALL and it's been 2 years!! The oldest ones have just gotten BIGGER and may have split from 1 to no more than 3-4. Some of my older ones are 3 inches across. I read that they do like to be target fed, but sometimes they will close for me, sometimes not, and mostly the food just goes everywhere but in its mouth. Even the ones I get in from my friend in Florida are still so small. I know they hate to be moved or re-arranged. They really love nutrient rich water, which is what I have in the seahorse tank. Not much flow.

I hope this helps!!

[chrisfowler99]

I've got two types that are about halfway up my tank. One of them is like what you're describing.

They started as one of each and they are now about 3-4 each.

I've got another one that's lower in the tank. It split once because half of it pretty much fell and pulled it apart, but otherwise it hasn't had much growth.

I don't feed them directly. They're under T5s.

[FarmerTy]

I target feed mine but different species take it and different one's will not accept the food. They have not split once for me but I solved that by putting a really sharp blade right down the middle of them. That'll show you who's boss!

-Ty

[doktorstick]

I bought one that was starting to split from Mama.  This was in early December.  The second head finally formed its green mouth, but they are still one big mass (I don't know if they actually split into two individuals or not).

My placement is slight shade and low water movement at the bottom of my tank.  However, I think placing it in the shade might have been too restrictive on lighting.  About a week or so ago, I started leaving my blinds open that hits the side of my tank that the ricordea florida is on and it has opened much larger (at least 50%).

It could all be a crazy random happenstance.  It may have been building energy to pop out the second mouth and the act of me letting natural light hit the tank actually, truly means diddley and squat.

I do not target feed it.  I do use Coral Frenzy every 2-3 days.

[acropoorer]

Derry,

Sand placement may be ok for florida's but not for Yuma's. The Yuma doesn't split, it moves slowly across a rock or hard surface and leaves stringers of it's foot that morph into babies. I've attached a pic of a pink yuma with a baby. The baby is the small green crescent spot right of the mama. It has since grown and turned pink. Florida's split, but mine are all attached to rocks and split fine on rock. If you are in a hurry and brave you can cut them into pieces, but in general they are all slow at growing and reproducing. I've heard of people cutting both types into quarters with a razor for fast reproduction (keep part of the mouth on each cut). They generally like a fair amount of light.

Not sure which type you have but sounds like a florida

[caferacermike]

I've had better luck keeping mine in a bright area, but not direct light. Some shade seems to make them swell up larger. I spot feed mine with rotifers, mysis, oyster eggs or cyclopeeze. I tend to not wait for them to split. Instead I will pull them from the water and use an exacto, or scalpel, to make cuts on them. If you cut them in half, right through the mouth, they will quickly heal into 2 pieces. I've grown more fond of nicking them from the mouth out, but not in half. They quickly heal and separate on their own. Other methods include placing loose rock in such a way that it pinches them or pushes them in an awkward position, they quickly attach to the rock and will begin to split as mentioned in the above post.

[Derry]

Derry,

Sand placement may be ok for florida's but not for Yuma's.

<snip>

Not sure which type you have but sounds like a florida

Yep, they're floridas.

[dav_nolen]

I tend to not wait for them to split. Instead I will pull them from the water and use an exacto, or scalpel, to make cuts on them. If you cut them in half, right through the mouth, they will quickly heal into 2 pieces.

+1

[achen]

I read a post by someone awhile back (on another site) that they placed theirs on a rock at an angle. He got great results from them splitting naturally that way. I have one that is mounted with a 45 degress slant when it had two mouths. Now (2 months later) it is looking it like it is ready to be completely separated. I don't know if the mounting angle helped or not but just thought it may be worth trying.