Fighting conch question...

B

buyitjody

[Ok Marc (or anyone else who wants to participate), I ordered a fighting conch from saltwaterfish and got it today since you (and others) suggested one to keep my top layer of sand clean in my 55 gallon tank. I want to know just how big your fighting conch is since you also have the same size of tank as myself. When I ordered it, I thought I was ordering the smaller one but accidentally got the bigger one. I am nervous that he may be too big. I already love the thing, he's so cool looking, but I don't want his life to be in danger. How big is the one in your tank?

If anyone has a SMALLER fighting conch in a larger tank, I would love to trade with you. This guy is about 3 inches. Or if someone wants to buy him from me for what I paid ($10)....that would be fine too.

I am so mad at myself for ordering the wrong one...

:very sad:]
 
[I would be glad to give your too large conch a good home. I have a small one you can have, if I can catch it. :D]
 
[Jodi, mine is at least 4" in size, and still doesn't process all the surface sand of my 55g.

Enjoy your creature, and worry not. He'll only eat what he can find, not what you feed. I dropped in a bunch of Formula One pellets to target my ricordias, and he came lumbering over to do his nightly inspection. Much to my surprise, he pushed the pellets aside to check the sand beneath them.

Also, it will definitely park at for as long as two weeks, and then come out again. I used to 'rescue' him and put him where I needed him, but finally realized this is what they apparently do normally. I never bother it now, and it comes out when it is ready. My guess is that they grow when they submerge in the sand, but I have zero proof. That is just an assumption on my part.]
 
[Glenn,

After reading that Marc's is 4" and seems to be happy, I will keep mine for a while and see how it fairs. I will keep you in mind though if I start feeling really uneasy and want to exchange with you. Thank you so very much for the offer.

Marc,

Is there a way to tell if a conch is "not doing well" or if it is just parking for a while? Also, what got me concerned is that their website said that it should be in at least a 100 gallon tank. I never want to be the guilty party knowingly of killing a creature just because I like it. We've already made a few bad mistakes in the past with things we should not have put in our tank because we did not have the proper set up (newbie mistakes, not researching enough, etc.). Anyway, let me know all you know about these creatures so that I can take care of it the best way possible.


Thanks All!!!! :grinning:]
 
[What I know about them thus far:

Fighting Conchs don't grow to be as large as Queen Conchs.
(Crown Conchs melt away... mine vanished from a sealed refugium!)

Each Conch needs two square feet of sandy surface area to have enough to eat.

They will park in a spot and seemingly stay there. Mine parks in a spot behind a piece of LR, and I always refer to it as The Batcave, because it is hidden by a large mushroom that covers the opening all day.

They bury themselves, to the point where you only see a solitary eye poking out of the sand.

They jump when I use my cleaning magnet, but I have a Piranha that is very powerful and causes a sound effect when being used, I assume.

They can get caught in the rockwork and need to be rescued, or get into a spot that they can't get back out of. Handling mine has never caused any problems, but I only get it to move it and keep my hands off of it the rest of the time.

They love to pose for the camera. :D]
 
[I had a Fighting conch disappear for six months, then one day just come out of the sand. I have both the Fighting and the Queen conches. The Queen has grown bigger about 3", but it seems to be a more consistant cleaner. Either one though are very good at cleaning the sandbed.]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top