Splitting Ricordia Mushrooms

[Brodie]

I've had a Ricordia Mushroom in my tank for almost three months, and it has yet to split. What am I not doing right?

Just this last week I finally got my tank under MH lighting, would this help my situation at all? Any input would be greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[Brisc0]

The ricordia follow the same rules that most corals do, 1st priority is to preserve itself, whatever strength is left after that goes to healing injuries, whats left over then goes to growth, and finally the excess goes to reproduction. I would probablly check to make sure that the ricordea is getting an ample amount of what it needs nutritionally be that light or water quality, etc. if you want to see it split.
The couple I keep in my tank split pretty frequently. If you get to that point you can start splitting them yourself if you want. I split a pink/purple/green colored ricordea every six weeks for aquaculture. Its really amazing how regenerative they are. Mine get indirect semi shaded light on the sandbed via 2X400W MH, about 26 inches down. They get a non laminar, medium fluxuating to strong current.

 

[Phyl]

Is your ricordia a Florida or a Yuma? If it is Yuma then you have a lesser likelihood that it will split. I find with my Fl Ric that they tend to add extra mouths before they do the split (unlike my hairy shroom that split into the mouth the way I would cut one). When I got my Fl rics I had one that I cut in half at a mouth. Both frags are doing very well today and the other rics each had additional mouths on them and have begun splitting.

My understanding is that Yuma rics (bumps on the mouth as well as the body v. the Fl ric that has a smooth mouth) are harder to prop, much more sensitive and not as likely to split (in captivity). Which kind do you have?

 

[gooyferret]

How do you prop or frag the ricordea's???