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Mobile Inverts Discuss mobile invertebrates including crabs, starfish, snails, etc.

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Old 11-12-2007, 10:42 PM   #1 (permalink)
CATALYST
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Conchs

Tell me about these. Are they good sand cleaners or is there something better?
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Old 11-12-2007, 10:46 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

What kind of sand cleaning?
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Old 11-12-2007, 10:47 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

My Queen is an algae hound! She pretty much stays on the sand but i find her on the rocks occasionally. I think the one thing i like most about her are her eyes. reminds me of Gary from sponge bob.
My best sand sifter is my Sand Sifting Starfish. He is all over the sand bed and only sifts the top layer.
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Old 11-12-2007, 11:38 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

I had two, can't find the one. The one left is the type that's smoother, not with the points on the shell... I had gotten a fighting and a queen and I forget which is which, but they both seemed to eat cyano. One liked algae too. Fun to watch, kinda alien lookin. I am a newbie but am now a big fan as far as them and cyano. Look on pacificeast aquaculture's site, it's the one labeled "cyano grazing conch."
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Old 11-12-2007, 11:58 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

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Originally Posted by CATALYST View Post
Tell me about these. Are they good sand cleaners or is there something better?
What little I understand ,certain conchs are great for the sb. They are hardy & interesting to watch. They are omnivores & will sift thru the sb for algae& such.I also understand certain others ( conchs or whelks maybe)are predatory & it can be hard to tell them apart. They can grow fast & need enough open Sb to range for food. I aquired a fighting conch( I hope) today for sandbed duty. If mine stays on the sb like Frankie's, it will have plenty to eat for some time!
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Old 11-13-2007, 12:12 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

They are great sand sifters, but the queen (up to 16") and fighting conch (up to 4")are herbivorous and may not survive if there are other sand dwelling herbivors. They need LOTS of food, and will accept herbivor pellets if you don't have enough algae growth. Each animal needs 2 sq. ft. open sand for sifting. As for something "better", that's a matter of opinion. There's probably not something better and as COOL as a conch. Cerith snails may be more effective, but... not as cool!
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Old 11-13-2007, 01:50 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

i have 2 queens they are like 4 to 5 inchs and knock over everything but they are cool to watch
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Old 11-13-2007, 02:35 AM   #8 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

We just got a conch about a week ago. Then about 2 days later our tank decided to cycle and and our serpent star didn't like the water conditions and dropped all but on leg...Our conch (don't know if it's queen or fighting) ate the starfish body....or at least tried too. The next day I got the starfish body out of the tank but left the legs in there because they we're still moving and I really just wanted to observe them. But last night I got the flashlight and checked out the night life of the tank and there was my conch devouring the legs. It ate every single leg that fell off of the star.

R.I.P pat.

But my point....I thought they we're just algae eaters I would have never expected they would be meat eaters. I guess it's time for some research and maybe consider taking him back.
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Old 11-13-2007, 03:44 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

Wow. They get that big? I think I'll look at the snails.
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Old 11-13-2007, 04:37 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

fighting conchs and sand conchs are great they stir the sand to about 1" deep.
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Old 11-13-2007, 07:23 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

my fighting conch has been on the rocks the whole time doesn't get on my sandbed....
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Old 11-13-2007, 08:22 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

I have 4 Queen conchs in my 100 gallon. They do a great job at cleaning my sand bed, rocks, and glass. They go everywhere. But they LOVE Cyano, and red slime. I accredit my clean tank to my conchs. They are my favorite snails. Plus when they get big you can just make fritters>
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Old 11-13-2007, 09:00 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

I love my conchs. I have both fighting and queen and they do a great job.
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Old 11-13-2007, 10:00 AM   #14 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

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Wow. They get that big?
It takes YEARS to get that big, something like 20, they grow slowly.

Ash, I don't know what to think about yours. Maybe it's not a fighter or a queen. There are meat eating conchs. Those two really are herbivorous and eat grasses, algae and other green stuff. Maybe you got a FREAK!
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Old 11-13-2007, 10:18 AM   #15 (permalink)
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Re: Conchs

Here is an article by Dr Ron Shimek on predatory whelks. He makes some fairly cut & dry distinctions between the whelks & conchs.
Whelks by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com
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