Ricordia: Rare, or just expensive?

[Cassette87]

Hey guys, I'm wondering... Are ricordia truly rare? or are they simply overpriced mushrooms? It seems to me that each time I go to the LFS, they have at least a few polyps, but they're always at least $30 a polyp. It seems as though there is no shortage of them, yet they are extremely expensive. I ask because I would like to begin adding more life to my display, but I would like to add some things that will make others say wow.. where did you get that? At any rate I may go to the LFS and pick up one of the polyps based on some of the feedback i get from you guys, and if anyone knows a few others that are hard to come by, feel free to shoot off some names! thanks guys! Oh, also, will ricordia frag as quickly as my plain purple mushrooms? I started with 3 polyps 3 1/2 months ago, now i'm up to 9 with 2 more about to frag! they sure grow fast! Thanks everyone!

[lcstorc]

$30 per polyp is too much for most rics IMO. There are some that are very rare and/or beautiful that may cost that much, but most I see are more like $15 or so. They do split like mushrooms but IME they do it more slowly. There are some very vibrant and beautiful colors out there that will definitely make people go Wow!. Or you can be like flricordia with lots and lots of them. That is a truly spectacular all ric tank.

[Cassette87]

Originally Posted by lcstorc

$30 per polyp is too much for most rics IMO. There are some that are very rare and/or beautiful that may cost that much, but most I see are more like $15 or so. They do split like mushrooms but IME they do it more slowly. There are some very vibrant and beautiful colors out there that will definitely make people go Wow!. Or you can be like flricordia with lots and lots of them. That is a truly spectacular all ric tank.

Hmm, I live southwest of chicago, and I honestly can not find a LFS with Rics for less than that. Another LFS i visited had a piece of LR with 2 baby... and i mean BABY polyps for $50, which also seems high.. and their live rock tends to have a lot of apstaisia(sp?)/pests which is not cool.

I've seen flricordia's tank, and all I can say is wow I'll try to find a picture of what the ric looked like, maybe get some insight on it

[SZHTTM]

Andy;

Have you tried searching the internet of even some of this web site's sponsors to see if they are selling similar looking corals? If not, give it a try. At least just to see what they are selling the similar corals for. I use this trick to see if they are selling them at a fair price or not. Just keep in mind that with an online store, you also have to consider the shipping expense too.

There is also the issue of "supply and demand". Even though there may be a surplus of these corals, the demand is so great that the stores raise the price.

Color is another factor. The color will also impact the price.
Usually, the orange or red ones are more expensive than the green and blue one.

Thank You And Have Fun!!!;

[Cassette87]

Originally Posted by SZHTTM

Andy;

Have you tried searching the internet of even some of this web site's sponsors to see if they are selling similar looking corals? If not, give it a try. At least just to see what they are selling the similar corals for. I use this trick to see if they are selling them at a fair price or not. Just keep in mind that with an online store, you also have to consider the shipping expense too.

There is also the issue of "supply and demand". Even though there may be a surplus of these corals, the demand is so great that the stores raise the price.

Color is another factor. The color will also impact the price.
Usually, the orange or red ones are more expensive than the green and blue one.

Thank You And Have Fun!!!;

I will give that a shot I'm sure I'll learn a bit more about them in the process as well. Only think I don't like much from what I've seen with online stores is that the shipping is almost as much as the piece you're buying! But I suppose if you're buying a lot at once, it's not so bad...

[lcstorc]

Quantity is definitely the key. Also many of them will do free or reduced shipping if you spend a certain amount.

[cheeks69]

Florida Ricordeas/Yumas in particular have increased in price because of government control. There are Rics coming from other areas in the Caribbean that are much cheaper.

[Cassette87]

Guess what?!......


I got Rics! the guy at my LFS who usually hooks me up did it again! I got two pieces of live rock, branch type, with a total of probably 8 ric.s all green, and i also got a pulsing xenia for $20. a decent size branch at that :-) I'll have pics of the rics up asap, and i'll post additional pics in my tank thread. Thanks for the info everyone! For those of you that were curious, I picked up both pieces of LR w/ rics, and i believe some hitch hikers.. for $60. each piece was marked originally for $50... $40 aint a bad price cut to me :-)

[flricordia]

Depends on the colors and whether they are wild or aquacultured. The rics I sell are aquacultured so they cost more than what you would find wild collected. Aquacultured are also hardier, though even wild Fl ricordias are quite hardy. Yumas on the other hand are very tempermental. I have found that exposing wild yumas to air may eventually bring about their demise. They are a deeper water species, unlike Fl ricordias that at times are exposed during low tide, so this may have something to do with it.
Price depends on the person buying. Some will pay upto $200 and even more for a hot pink yuma and some wouldn't give $50.
I spent almost a weeks pay on these purple yumas.

[lcstorc]

Beautiful rics but a weeks pay. Way to much for me to spend on anything in my reef.
Guess I am not as much of an addict as I thought.

[Longinus]

Check with your local reef club, theres a guy selling some colorfull, nice big ricordia polyps for 10$ a peice.

[DrHank]

Very nice looking rics Mike!

[iamkellogg]

I'm with you Lynn. Love the coral but not gonna spend a weeks pay on it.

I wish there was a local coral club around here so I could find people to hook me up.

Kelly

[zoomer]

I wouldn't say Ricordia florida are rare. I remember years ago when I first got into reef keeping you could get common colored Ricordias for about $1.50 a polyp wholesale and more rare colors for about $3.00 a polyp Wholesale. That was long before the ban on the taking of rock from Florida waters, after that I noticed an immediate jump in the price of the polyps. You can still buy wild collected polyps that are unattached from dealers, but you never know what you're going to get as far as color. I think the main cause of the price increase is because it's much harder to collect them now and also because of the growing demand of these corals. But I would recommend buying aquacultured ones because they'll aclimate easier and you won't have to go through the trouble of trying to get them to attach to rock.

[AQTCJAK]

From what I understand all ricordia is cultivated even on site @ the collection points no wild caught ricordia has been allowed in years do to the strip farming that was taking place. Cost on all coral seems to be based solely on popularity. A few years back I remember which a acan lord was selling for $1500.00 per polyp retail wholesale if you could find them was around $750.00 & up. I think it is crazy & I am in the industry but as well all now to well if someone can capitalize on another because of their want & need there is money to be made. This is not my philosophy just must business practices.