please help with my new Rics

[goldmaniac]

Hello all -

I bought a bunch of zoa's from fellow RC'er and he was kind enough to toss in a couple rics with all the zoas for me. I said "Sure" but I've never kept any 'shrooms or rics of any kind.

How do I "dip" or sanitize rics before introducing to my tank? I'm going to run all the zoas thru a freshwater dip, but I'm betting that would destroy any rics.

What should I look for on these samples when they come in (hopefully) today? i.e. pests, bugs, damage, etc.

The more I check out all the Ric info and pics on RC, the more interested I am in getting these guys. But i didn't see any guidelines on QT of rics before introducing them to a display tank.

I'm getting a yellow/green ric, and the shipper tossed in a blue/lavendar ric just to be Awesome.

Also, Lighting - I have a 2'x2'x4' 120 gallon tank, with dual 150 w metal halides (Phoenix 14k's) and dual 96w PC acitinics. I'm thinking that, with this light and bulbs, I should keep them on the sand. Am I correct?

Yes, I am getting addicted to corals. Wife being good sport about it.

G.

[Koralfisken]

Well, this is maybe a stupid question, but why give the corals a freshwaterdip? Personally, I would never dare to take the chance.

[goldmaniac]

zoa's are tough little guys. you do a 5-minute freshwater dip and shake to get any zoa predator hitchhikers off there. It doesn't hurt the zoa's.

well documented here:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=451720

G.

[Azurel]

The ricordea I wouldn't dip at all.....FW dip will kill them shortly after they get in your tank. You will be fine with just temp acclimating them and the placing them where you want them.

[geoxman]

agreed with Azurel's comments

[goldmaniac]

ok, so no pest control measures (other than visual check) before putting into the system. gotcha. thank you.

[timrandlerv10]

i would imagine they could be rinsed. you dont qt?

[Azurel]

THere are very few peat that will come in on ricordea unless it is a large colony and a large rock there might be some % chance. BUut is you really wanted to dip them then I would use Coral dip by Seachem I think.....It is safe and will not adversly effect the corals. Personally the only thing I QT is fish, but I am at my max on fish so that is not a worry. I do dip all zoas and palys though...

[goldmaniac]

I'll QT fish, this is my first big coral shipment (8+ animals), and I'm not going to QT.

I'll look into the SeaChem Coral Dip, thanks...

G.

[DrBegalke]

i dip mine in a lugol's dip.

10 drops in a quart of tank water (i acclimate them first), then a quick rinse in tank water that i throw out, then into the tank...

[currentking]

listen to big daddy AZ, he knows what he is talking about. I have never dipped a ricordea and I have had well into the hundreds...

[zotzer]

I float them in the tank for half an hour or so (acclimate to temp), and then dip in lugol's solution for 15 minutes. I have lots of rics....so far, so good.

Enjoy them...they are among my favorite corals!
Tracy

[goldmaniac]

cool, Lugol's or Seachem's Coral dip. I'll remember that for now on. Thanks!
G.

[SAPseven]

i noticed when you don't do anything .. they are the best

i've tried SW dip
SW + lugols

theres really no pooint of that .. esp if the polyps are loose or on a frag disk .. if they have LR thats really porous or has spaces that critters can get on .. then i say just examine the rock out of water with a bright light for a min .. and then yur good to go.

[goldmaniac]

sounds good - thanks. I don't want to stress 'em too much, I just didn't have any before and wanted to know S.O.P.

thanks.