Invert Spotlight: Conch

dkfrosty1 · May 12, 2021

okay just got a couple conchs and I also have a Halloween hermit. I bought extra shells for the hermit but hadn’t gotten them in yet. They fought and the conch spewed sticky yuck all ovreally the place. Is that normal? i had separated the two and the conch then FLEW across the sand at the crab! With the spewing....I separated them again, at which point the crab retreated to the safety of the rocks and I strategically placed some empty shells. Such drama!

Micro-Reefs Aquarium · Jul 27, 2021

Found this thread on conchs, I have a question and am a bit concerned for my conch. In my 30 gallon which I thought had diatoms but my LFS said after seeing the video that it looks like dinos because of air bubbles, my conch ate all that algae cleared it out and happy.

So, I identified my 12 gallon with Dinos with the coffee filter test. I drop in the tiger conch into the 12 gallon on top of the Dinos. He stirs around in it and then moves away like he doesn't like it but not too far and buries himself in the sand half way. He never did that in my 30 gallon tank.

Did he get a taste of the Dinos and then get sick and say, I need to sleep and rest up or does that kill them? Dinos are very toxic and poisonous for fish and other inverts to eat.

Been looking on Reef2Reef about dinos and conchs, I know there is a thread started about that but I couldn't find it.

Any insight?

Here is the video where my LFS says it's dinos that he is eating, but I later read that diatoms can also have bubbles trapped due to photosynthesis, is that correct?

Philler · Sep 3, 2021

40B Knasty said:
I totally agree with you on this one! I never knew or heard of them for over a year. I happened to be going through new tank syndrome and was looking to up the cleanup crew from 3 astreas to 8. Going from a 20g to now a 40B. I was recommended the fighting conch. The tank looked like a coating of rust from diatoms. One week later what a difference. 1 conch and a red tuxedo urchin. Ya honestly don't need much more for a nano tank. The only thing that worries me is now that the diatoms are gone and the sand bed is buffed clean. I respect what it did and feel like it is not getting the nutrition it needs. I see it climbing the glass now. I don't know if it has exhausted its food option.

My Conch!! It is awesome, but has hidden underground for 3 weeks at a time at least 3 different times now. Then he comes back out like nothing ever happened.
Also I created a switchback of rocks and he DOES CLIMB THEM!!!

this is the path it climbs

Coolest friend ever, especially to my big Hermit!!!

Micro-Reefs Aquarium · Sep 3, 2021

Love my tiger conch!

dkfrosty1 · Sep 6, 2021

Philler said:
My Conch!! It is awesome, but has hidden underground for 3 weeks at a time at least 3 different times now. Then he comes back out like nothing ever happened.
Also I created a switchback of rocks and he DOES CLIMB THEM!!!

this is the path it climbs

Coolest friend ever, especially to my big Hermit!!!

Mine climbs all the time too. Maybe I should build him a route that doesn’t destroy things lol.