Will Ricordea spread even if...

[Cassette87]

I wasn't sure exactly how to ask this, so I'm sorry if this is a bit confusing. As most of you know, I recently got a few Ricordea florida, and was trying to place them in my tank. My question is: if the tiny rock they are attached to is simply sitting on another rock in the tank, and not glued or attached in any way, will this make it more difficult for the Rics to multiply? In another sense, will the ric feel "constrained" to the tiny rock? and therefore not grow, or will it simply begin to divide, and attach to the next available hard surface? Thanks Everyone!

[Witfull]

they will spread eventually. rics are slower than shrooms, but if they can touch a rock, they can spread to it. target feed weekly with cyclopeeze or other fine food and they will be happy,,,,,but be patient.

[Reefstick]

Originally Posted by Witfull

they will spread eventually. rics are slower than shrooms, but if they can touch a rock, they can spread to it. target feed weekly with cyclopeeze or other fine food and they will be happy,,,,,but be patient.

I'll say, Maybe it is just my tank but I had several Rics in my 75 and in two years none of them multipied. I did not spot feed them and maybe that is why. But I did add Phyto like a crazy man. I grew it and there was always more than enough.

[Cassette87]

Originally Posted by Witfull

they will spread eventually. rics are slower than shrooms, but if they can touch a rock, they can spread to it. target feed weekly with cyclopeeze or other fine food and they will be happy,,,,,but be patient.

That's good to know, How do you target feed a shroom? I've never had any success doing so. Do you turn off power heads to do this? what form of cyclopeeze? I will check at my LFS for it, is there any preferred type of it? Is it safe in the reef? I read a couple of pages that said it's "bio-engineered" I wonder what that means... *thinks of fast food restaurants* Thanks guys!

[lcstorc]

I use the frozen cyclopeze to feed pretty much everything in my tank. Small as it is even the big fish go nuts for it. I understand there is a freezedried version but I have never used it.

[michael_cb_125]

I have several Rics in my SPS tank. I feed them with whole mysis shrimp. They eat them up just like lil' anemones. I try to feed them at least three or four times a week. I have even Gotten them to eat small pieces of silversides. Mine have not multiplied yet but they are growing quite large. Mine have not spread naturally but I have cut off a piece of one and glued it to another rock. The piece was about the size of one of the little "tenticles". Now it is the size of a quarter. It grew to this size in aboout a month.

[Cassette87]

how do you get them to "hold" the mysis? i try and it just floats away unless i keep my hand nearby to make sure they get it. Any other advice on target feeding?

Lynn ~ You've never had any problems due to the cyclopeeze? how long have you been using it?

Thanks!!

[Witfull]

ive been feeding cyclo-frozen for friggen yrs, i OD the tank and squirt with a small syringe to target feed. even my7 Tusk and Zebra eel come out to hunt for it.

[BigAl07]

Do yall just sprinkle it in the tank? I have both frozen and freeze dried.. haven't really figured out the freeze dried stuff yet...

Allen

[Witfull]

frozen is the only good stuff for reef critters,,,the FD flakes,,,,inhale....lol

[Cassette87]

WOW, i picked up some cyclopleeze (sp?) and tried it about 20 minutes ago, HOLY COW! I've never seen any of my coral react like this to anything else! wow! The rics loved it! except now they curled up and are being affected by the current more than open, and might start falling again... hah they're cyclopeeze-addicts~ my brain loved it! as did the cleaner shrimp! I know this thread went off topic So sorry about that!

On the topic, I ordered some underwater epoxy to try and fix them to their rock better, so they will more readily grow Thanks everyone!

P.S. Can you tell I'm excited??

[lcstorc]

I agree with witfull. I haven't used it as long but it has been a staple for well over a year. I've never seen any ill effects from it. The corals and fish all seem to love it. I usually add it at the same time as my homemade mush so the fish go after the bigger pieces leaving the cyclopeze to get to the corals hopefully. It is kind of messy to work with though since it comes in this tube or block depending on how much you buy. When you try to break or cut some off it gets all over your hands etc. I just make sure my hands are really clean to start with and then rinse them in the tank so the extra food goes in the tank instead of down the drain.
There was a thread a year or so ago about cyclopeze being crack for fish.

[Techno-Vicki]

I Have a rock with several Florida rics on it. I cut them off and the base grows again. They have also spread, but as was mentioned not as quickly. When I bought loose F. rics they had a tendency to 'float' around. You might consider gluing the small rock to a larger one that you want it attached to. I have lost many favorite corals because they got knocked off their resting place and fell into frogspown or a like deadly coral. Yep, me and my epoxy are the best of friends.

[1 Fish 2 Fish]

I purchased a ricordea awhile back and it since has split into two. One remained fixed on the plug it came on and the other floats around the tank. I try to perch it on a rock each day and hope it will "take root".

Is there a way to fix it to a rock? Would epoxy hurt its soft body?

[lcstorc]

I would fill a small container with rock rubble and put the ric in. Cover the container with some netting and be sure there is some flow. It should attach to one of the rocks shortly and then you can glue the rock to a bigger rock etc.