Fighting Conch info needed

AdamNC · Jul 22, 2018

Just picked up one yesterday. He was very active in the bag and after acclimation I placed him on the sand bed. Didn't move all night that I saw. I drip acclimated him for a little over an hour. Today I find him 3/4 buried under the substrate but hasn't moved since this morning. When is a good time to pick him out to see if he is still alive?

Temperature - 77.3 f.

pH - 7.96

Salinity - 1.026SG

Alkalinity - 9.0dKH

Calcium - 430ppm

Magnesium - 1380ppm

Nitrate - 2.0ppm

Phosphate - 0.01ppm

I was also told this was a Florida Fighting Conch, yet I can't find pics of the shell anywhere. Right now it's about 2 inches.

WV Reefer · Jul 22, 2018

AdamNC said:
Just picked up one yesterday. He was very active in the bag and after acclimation I placed him on the sand bed. Didn't move all night that I saw. I drip acclimated him for a little over an hour. Today I find him 3/4 buried under the substrate but hasn't moved since this morning. When is a good time to pick him out to see if he is still alive?

Temperature - 77.3 f.

pH - 7.96

Salinity - 1.026SG

Alkalinity - 9.0dKH

Calcium - 430ppm

Magnesium - 1380ppm

Nitrate - 2.0ppm

Phosphate - 0.01ppm

I was also told this was a Florida Fighting Conch, yet I can't find pics of the shell anywhere. Right now it's about 2 inches.

Sounds normal.

Every few months I dig mine up to see if he’s still alive.

that’s how they roll.

recess62 · Jul 22, 2018

They come out at night to feed. Check at 1am and you will find him foraging on the sand

watdachuck · Jul 22, 2018

I have 2 that is definitely how they roll.

Krzydmnd · Jul 22, 2018

Yeah mine will not seemingly move from the same spot for days sometimes. He also buried himself and was gone for over a month!

TheSchwenkster · Jul 22, 2018

Same with mine. Think he is pretty normal.

Uhohhotdog · Jul 22, 2018

Since were on the subject:

How much space do you need for one of these? I have a 32biocube but it’s half covered in rock. Is that too little space?

AdamNC · Jul 22, 2018

Some say about 50gal. This is a 40br with the same foot print as a 57 gallon. You can see my new friend almost dead center up front near the green acro on the sand. I would say what I have is about minimum as I have a good amount of open space in the front that is not going to get used up. No LPS other than the Duncan frags I have or Zoas are going in this tank. As soon as I get a chance that acro is going to get mounted to a rock.

garrettm21 · Jul 22, 2018

watdachuck said:
I have 2 that is definitely how they roll.

Awesome pic!

These guys are really cool and sounds like normal behavior.

Kamden Uelton · Jul 23, 2018

That's a Strawberry Conch, Also known as a Tiger Conch... Florida Fighting Conch have more interesting shells and get WAAAAY longer.

Swoody · Jul 23, 2018

I have 2 in my 255g and they are fun to watch....seen mine up on rocks and wondred " how the heck did he get up there?"...

jd371 · Jul 23, 2018

I have two in my tank and that is normal. Some days they are very active and other days just chill out in the sand.

AdamNC · Jul 23, 2018

Kamden Uelton said:
That's a Strawberry Conch, Also known as a Tiger Conch... Florida Fighting Conch have more interesting shells and get WAAAAY longer.

Yea I looked into a bit more and found them named as Tiger Sand Conch.

cmoore1167 · Jul 24, 2018

Mine disappeared for around 2 months and then we one day I noticed his little trunk skimming the surface of the sand. Some days hes all over the place and others you never see him. I have a 45 gal with a lot of rock and he does fine

Krzydmnd · Jul 24, 2018

Uhohhotdog said:
Since were on the subject:

How much space do you need for one of these? I have a 32biocube but it’s half covered in rock. Is that too little space?

I started with same tank and he was first in and did just fine.

SashimiTurtle · Jul 24, 2018

I had my Florida fighting conch in a 35 cube for months and he did fine. AWESOME sand cleaners. He's in a 10g bare bottom kind of holding tank right now, but gets fed heavily. I'm contemplating putting him in my new 90g reef, or trading him for credit at the LFS. I'm leaning keeping him, but afraid of bashing into my scape and knocking it over. It's stable, but all branch. It's glued at the top but the bottom is sitting on the glass. Completely fish and flow safe, not sure how conch safe it is.