Acclimating Ricordia Shrooms to increased light

[dansemacabre]

So, my MH hood took a bit longer than expected to be completed. Well, it's finally done but the Ricordia have been under 4 NO Flourescents for about 2 days now, and prior to that they were in a shipping bag for a night. So, wil they need acclimating to the MH (250w right over them) or should they be ok? If they do require acclimation, how should I go about it? Reduce MH periods to a few hours, and gradually increase it every day? I just don't want to kill them, they're awesome little critters. Thanks!

 

[flatzboy]

Yeah that is definately what I'd do. I would start with one metal halide bulb for 1-2 weeks then screw the other one in. But most pet stores have them on metal halide lighting anyways but I would do it for the other corals.

 

[dansemacabre]

These are my first corals, so there's nothing else to shock. I'll run them for an hour or so tonight, and then have them 3-4 tomorrow, and increase daily until I hit my full photo cycle.

 

[cj10488]

If they are your first and only corals in the tank then wha tI would personally do is set them on the bottom and run your lights your normal length of time... But keep an Eye on them... Ricordia are extremely hardy... If you are really worried about it I would take a few pieces of window screen.. Cover the top of the tank with a few pieces and remove a piece every couple days while running your lights the normal period... Its better for any sort of coral to be acclimated this way as it reduces the intensity but not the light... If your ricordia are going to be harmed I believe anything past the 2hr mark has already done damage... FWIW I wave ripped recordia off rocks.. Put them directly under Mh bulbs.. Forgot about them being out of the water for a while and they still havent died..

HTH<
James

 

[steve-s]

General rule of thumb when acclimating a tank to higher intensity is to shade the bulbs. Changing the photoperiod works best with PC or VHO, not MH. If you go to HD or other local hardware store you should be able to get screen door material fairly cheap. 3-4 pieces cut to the same shape as the tank top. Leaving your photoperiod as normal every 7-10 days later, remove one sheet. This will gradualy bring up the intensity over a months time and not shock anything in the tank.

With the ricordia in the mean time, it should have come on it's own rock? That should allow you to place it on the substrate hopefully shaded by an outcropping.


Cheers
Steve

 

[dansemacabre]

Well, I turned on the MH and the little one about mid-way up the tank is open. The larger one on the bottom has wrinkled his little bulbs a bit, but now he has 2 mouths. I'm gonna turn off the MH and pick up some screening material tomorrow...but, why the emergence of a second mouth? thanks for the tips guys!

 

[cj10488]

Usually when a Ricordia has 2 mouths It means its going to split... One of mine currently has 3 mouths.. Having more than 1 mouth is a very good sign..

HTH<
James

 

[dansemacabre]

That's what I figured it was, but then it did it when I turned on the MH, and that didn't make sense to me..but he's starting to look a bit moree oblong than round. How long does it take them to do this, because it didn't look like this earlier today. It all seems kinda fast to me.

 

[cj10488]

It can take a day or 2 or sometimes even longer.. Mine has had 3 mouths for about a week now and going... I actually havent seen a ricordia split but rather bud off from the foot... My best guess would like to say that when its ready to split it will happen very quickly... I wouldnt worry about it by any means...

HTH<
James

 

[dansemacabre]

Thanks. One last question (I think): Metal screen material or the flexible plastic-y kind?

 

[cj10488]

Me personally I have always used the Fiberglass regular window screen material... it works well and doesnt seem to rust or cause any problems if it gets wet..

HTH<
James