Yumas

[Bayinaung]

Hey guys,

where can I find the best discussion on yumas? what light they need, flow, water conditions, etc.

[philosophile]

typically they need low flow, med to low light. Depending on the variety, you want to acclimate very slowly.... and usually keep it under ZERO light and slowly let it photo acclimate over a week.

I also like to dose iodine and give it a good iodine dip before putting it in the tank.... all this because yumas that aren't aquacultured have an annoying habit of melting under anything but the most perfect conditions (replicating where it was harvested from).

[Bayinaung]

Yikes! now I understand why the importer who sold it to me had it in a mushroom tank with very low actinic light (a single actinic light for a shallow frag tank that looks to be about 5'x3'. I thought he was being cheap with electricity. there's the nearby tanks' light pollution of course).

ok i've put them on the sandbed now. I'll do the iodine dosing. The yuma I got was splitting in that low light tank, and a big piece was tearing itself away really, and in my tank left a small 2mm piece on the rock it was on. I don't know how long that guy had that yuma in that tank, and if it was splitting in that extreme low light conditions, or if he had received it unsplit. (I don't think I'd be able to get an answer as he's got thousands of corals and shipments are coming and going).

I had it up top in my nano. this is what it looked like day one:

http://i35.*******.com/qoag55.jpg

[philosophile]

It looks like a nice one! So the Yuma melting usually happens about a month of keeping them for me. So I never consider a Yuma mine until I've had it for more than a month. Before they start to melt thy usually look fine and healthy, then they take a nosedive fast.

Good luck! Keep us posted on how it goes.

[Haire]

Illumination: Blue / Green Ricordea Mushrooms are quite sensitive to light and require intense illumination. Metal Halide lighting is strongly recommended in your marine aquarium containing Ricordea yuma. Also, allow natural air and sunlight to reach your reef tank for catalyzing the growth, physical appearance and a quick environmental adaptation of Ricordea yuma therein. In case your marine aquarium having Blue / Green Ricordea Mushrooms gets ample sun light then, a deep blue 20k light is advisable, while 12k or 14k ones are fine if your reef tank does not get proper sun light. To begin with, in the first month, keep Ricordea yuma on the sides of the tank. Then, after the first four weeks, slowly start moving the Blue / Green Ricordea Mushrooms towards the center of your marine aquarium every week. After eight weeks of indirect light, you may notice that the Ricordea yuma opens up fully

[Bayinaung]

So I never consider a Yuma mine until I've had it for more than a month.

Nice philosophy. Very revealing about this coral. Very zen buddhist :) As I may have mentioned, I'm a nub when it comes to corals. learning fast though.

[Bayinaung]

Haire, GREAT advice! and thank you for it. I moved it to the darkest corner of the light. The nano in the living room does get some morning light so I hope it helps with the acclimatization. After moving the yuma to the bottom of the tank, the whole big piece tore away from the rock. So I put it on a flat piece of live rock in the dark corner of the tank. I have not glued it to the rock as I don't want to damage the flesh, just placing it on the rock and hoping it'll attach itself.
The burrowing snails did disturb it last night, but it's still on the rock. I hope it attaches itself soon. The flow is low in the corner so the yuma won't get carried away by it. keeping fingers crossed.

[Bayinaung]

Here's a pic of the yuma on a flat live rock on the sandbed. It does seem to be twisting on itself. Just an hour before this shot, it looked like three mushrooms with one that's upside down. then I came back an hour later and it looks like this - not as wide open (might be due to brighter lights) but you can stil make it how it's twisting on itself.

It looks like the yuma is trying to split into three. do I help it along (which is what fragging is right) or do I leave it alone and let it split by itself? I'm so tempted to help it split. It doesn't seem to have attached itself to any rock. What do I do?

http://i43.*******.com/2r3jc07.jpg

[philosophile]

Don't damage it any more than you can help. If you can take it out and do a quick iodine dip, then try it. Keep it in low flow, low light, and hope for the best, but expect the worst.

When yumas detatch for me in the past, they almost always melt. I've had two exceptions:
1. I put he Yuma in the DT surrounded by rubble in "bowl" to keep it protected.
2. I put the Yuma in a plastic container in my fuge for about a month for it to reattach and get happy before I transferred it into the DT.

Don't ask for long term results, as both of these cases have been last Feb... But they're both older than a month like this now, so I guess they're mine :)

[Bayinaung]

ok. I'm gonna try that cup method then. put a piece of rock in there with the yumas and cross me fingers.

I also read they like colder temps? i.e. below 80F? what temp do you keep yours?

[philosophile]

I keep my yumas at about 80ish. I have my heaters in the sump before it gets pumped up into the main display. I've never really tried playing around with the temperature much though.