rics shrinking up

raymond · Feb 2, 2011

hey I have beautiful oarnge rics in my tank. started out as one and now its one huge one with 8 littler ones getting bigger every day. my question is the bigger one shrinks up alot and looks terrible, then 20 min latter looks great. now why is it just the big one doing this? what is he doing??

btkrausen · Feb 2, 2011

Interested in this as well, as I have a few in my tank, where the little ones shrink up and then back, yet the larger one stays huge.

raymond · Feb 2, 2011

its like opposite of my problem lol

btkrausen · Feb 2, 2011

Haha, thats funny. Maybe when I saw mine the other night something was bothering the little ones, cause they were all shrunk up, but the big one looked fine. They are brushing up against some zoas.

m and m · Feb 2, 2011

know mytye dye shrooms shrivle up every night. Unlie my other LPS that get bigger my shrooms get smaller. IS your parameters in line.

swannyson7 · Feb 2, 2011

Not sure whyit's doing that, but as long as the mouth isn't gaping, I wouldn't be too worried.

fsn77 · Feb 2, 2011

Is it closing up like it might be eating something?
Is there anything near that one ric that shrinks that might be agitating it every so often?
I know rics aren't the most responsive to being touched, but I could see something like a goby, blenny, or a shrimp potentially causing what you've described. Any chance of that, or is it just completely random with little rhyme or reason?

Kathleen · Feb 4, 2011

Could they be digesting or getting ready to expel waste like anemones do? Yours has little ones? Mine are big and have several mouths on one ric but never had any little ones.

skinz78 · Feb 5, 2011

Sounds strange to me, maybe a hermit or snail in there bugging them?

Can you post some pic's of them when they look normal and when they are irritated?

_Alex_ · Feb 5, 2011

i have one that gets about 2"-3" in diameter that has 3 little babies and it does the same thing. have never noticed anyhting wrong with them thouhg, my little clown gobies perch right on them and it doesnt bother them a bit unless he swims off real fast and hits them with his tail. like said above as long as there mouths are not gaping open and putruded out i wouldnt worry to much.