Are Ricordia Supposed to Change Color?

[LeslieS]

Just wanted to share my strange ricordia.

Notice the lovely dirt color that most of them have. Just 10 minutes ago, the mint greenish one was also dirt colored. I can't figure out what triggers it, but every once in a while one or two of them will change color. The babies are dirt color/mauve around the outside and green in the middle.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

hi leslie.

light can be one of the factors. i bought two rocks of these guys in brooklyn for dirt cheap and they turned out very nice in my tank. one rock turned out to be purple rics the other rock are a mix of greenish, red, purple combined.

time will tell. btw they look like yuma rics. these guys don't like too much light. my first one bleached under MH.

good luck
jon-

 

[ming]

With too intense lighting, they will also shrivel up more

 

[LeslieS]

I should have been more clear. They change to mint green and then change back to dirt color.

I have been experimenting with different light levels. So far, the middle of the tank seems best.

 

[ezee]

Leslie,

Check the expansion of the polyp. Contraction will concentrate the pigment and affect the coloration, with the key visual queue being the "inflated" vs "deflated" look.

I have quite a few rics and they are very subject to changing color according to light, shading, etc. but just not that quick.

E

 

[herman]

All of the above and then there is always this: Maybe they are "dirt" colored to begin with

 

[LeslieS]

Check the expansion of the polyp. Contraction will concentrate the pigment and affect the coloration, with the key visual queue being the "inflated" vs "deflated" look.

good point! I will pay more attention to the size.