Ricordia light or flow issue

wherenext · Feb 18, 2017

Ok, so my Florida ricordia has been going into a cone shape a lot lately. It has been like this at least 75% of the time today. Is this a light or a flow issue? It's currently under a dual bulb t5-ho light fixture with 1 31w actinic bulb and 1 31w 10k bulb.

Triggreef · Feb 19, 2017

My best guess would be that it's looking for a little more light. But i also consider these a fairly low light coral.

wherenext · Feb 19, 2017

It would do this some before, but was spread out more.often than not. During the past week it has been doing this more and more upto yesterday when it was like that almost the entire day. Nothing has been changed as far as my lighting or flow.

Sm51498 · Feb 20, 2017

Usually, this is associated with feeding behavior in my experience. It's weird to see this all day as you said. It could be searching for more light but I doubt that. Ricordea can move on their own and if conditions weren't ok it would detach or walk away from what I've observed.

TheEngineer · Feb 20, 2017

I have my rics in very little light and very little flow. I've noticed them do that when they were budding. Have you seen any bumps like a baby is forming?

jeremybrown92283 · Feb 20, 2017

The budding may be correct and i have also seen mine do this when i feed them but they usually close all the way up and then open back up shortly after. I did have a mushroom do this when i was starting to get some dino on the sand the mushroom starting doing this about a week or 2 before it started showing on the sand. I would test water quality as i am sure you have done. If no issues in water quality maybe its budding!!!

wherenext · Feb 20, 2017

Yeah, water parameters are all normal. I haven't noticed any bumps, but I will try and take a closer look for some tonight after work. I guess it's possible it could have a bump on the backside that doesn't face the glass where it would be harder for me to see. The only other thing I have done to the tank recently was remove fish to have it run fallow as ich had gotten into the tank. Well I also added a new frag of hammer coral friday, which led to me also removing my peppermint shrimp when I saw them starting to eat the new hammer frag. Otherwise everything is the same as it had been since I added the ricordea a month ago.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Cal 420
Salinity 1.025
PH 8.0
Dkh 9
Phosphate 0

But I can't test my mag at the moment due to an accident with the test kit, I need to get a new one.

I have my test parameter written down at home, this is the best I can remember what the parameters are off the top of my head.

wherenext · Feb 20, 2017

I am wondering...if I don't see any evidence of budding...if my peppermint shrimp attacking my hammer coral could of had an effect on it. When the peppermint shrimp attacked my hammer coral, it did send tentacles out In to the water. Now I did remove all of them I could, but I also didn't catch my shrimp attacking it right away. Still gonna be another 4 hours until I get home to get a look at it.

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wherenext · Feb 21, 2017

Well, I see no evidence of budding. But it flattened out real fast once I started blowing detritus off the rocks. I also went and moved it to a lower corner In the tank, and it has been flattened out ever since.