Florida ricordea
Ricordea florida
Ricordea florida is a soft coral of the family Ricordeidae, reaching up to 5 cm in diameter per polyp. Its oral disc is covered with short, bulbous tentacles often arranged in concentric rows. Coloration is highly variable: green, blue, orange, pink, or multicolored with contrasting patterns. It occasionally forms small colonies through budding. No obvious sexual dimorphism, but asexual reproduction by fragmentation is common.
Recommended parameters
| Parameter | Recommended range |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 24–28 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 |
| KH | 8–12 |
| Salinity | 1.023–1.025 |
| NO₃ | ≤ 10 |
| PO₄ | ≤ 0.1 |
Care
Care notes
A tank of at least 20 liters is sufficient for a single polyp, but 40 liters is recommended for a small group. Temperature should be kept between 24–28 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, and salinity 1.023–1.025. Moderate lighting and low to moderate flow are ideal. Ricordea florida is photosynthetic but will accept fine foods such as phytoplankton or micro-particles. It is compatible with most reef fish and invertebrates, but sensitive to high nitrate and phosphate levels.