The Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea looks awesome in any reef tank. These corallimorphs are covered with short tentacles which are colored in different and beautiful streaks of color. The Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea is very easy to maintain and can grow and propagate very easily in an aquarium. They are available either in multiples or singly that are attached to very petite pieces of rocks. The Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea has short tentacles which are club or berry shaped. They are semi aggressive in nature as compared to other marine aquarium invertebrates. It is recommended to keep the Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea away from other corals just to avoid the aggression in the aquarium. They need low water flow and moderate illumination. The Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea can be placed anywhere in your marine aquarium. Often, you will find them closed when you introduce it into the tank. Once the Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea gets acclimated to the environment, it will open up within eight weeks? time. If there is bright light arrangement in the aquarium, the Rainbow Ricordea has to be kept at the bottom of the reef tank. It also shows symbiotic relationship with Zooxanthellae, which lives inside the tissue and provides nutrition to the coral. In return the corals provide shelter to these Zooxanthellae. Apart from the photosynthesis, it can also be fed with additional supplements of phytoplankton and shrimps for continued health growth. The Mushroom Polyp - Rainbow Ricordea shows the beautiful color effects in presence of actinic lighting.

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Multiple colorful variations within the polyp. Rare and unusual colors.Corals are part of a biological group known as Cnidaria. Most Cnidaria have a mouth, or mouths, that opens into one big body cavity. Due to the lack of a true digestive system, this cavity acts in its place and after the food is broken down the nutrients are then sent through the rest of the body as food. There is also no excretory system; therefore the waste is sent back through the mouth or secreted into the surrounding water.Tentacles of varying size will usually surround the mouth of Cnidaria. Most Cnidaria have tentacles with stinging cells that can shoot tiny poison darts into their prey or can even be used as a defense mechanism. Some corals lack tentacles and instead cover themselves with a thin layer of mucus and use that to collect bacteria and plankton as food. Some corals even use both of these methods. Cnidaria can either be an individual animal or members of a complex colony. These "Colony Corals" share the food and nutrients taken in by each individual.Corals have tiny living organisms that actually live in their tissue. These are called zooxanthellae and they are the reason why such strong lighting is needed in the saltwater aquarium. These algae-like creatures provide the coral with oxygen and other nutrients that are produced during photosynthesis. During this process, the zooxanthellae take up carbon dioxide and provide nutrients to the coral.Corals can use two different types of defense mechanisms. One of which is a sweeper tentacle wherein the coral reaches its tentacles out to try to damage another coral with nematocysts. The other is when the coral releases a minute amount of toxin into the water to poison another coral within certain proximity.

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