Looking for Info on my Conch

[Lowefx]

Any info on which type of conch this is and also what it may eat? I have seen other posts of conch's eating store clams, muscles, and wondering if mine should also. I have never fed it anything, it just grazes on anything on the bottom. He doesn't try to eat my Croeca clam (thank god). Ive had him for over a year now. He moves around once a week maybe... Thank for any help!

 

[Lowefx]

I guess a picture would help...

His shell is now covered in corline, anything i can do to remove it?
It is about the size of a tennis ball.

 

[cloak]

Queen conch? Perhaps a fighting conch? If so, they always been harmless grazers as far as I know. A great part of your CUC.

 

[Lowefx]

Yes, i feel like it has not moved a lot lately, and want to give it a "Birthday" meal. Maybe that will put some more pep in its step/slide. Ill give it algae tonight, what about a store bought dinner clam?

 

[pagojoe]

It's Strombus alatus, the Florida fighting conch. It eats macro- and microalgae, and might enjoy tugging on some seaweed like nori. Won't eat the meaty stuff.

Cheers,



Don

 

[Lowefx]

Tried giving him seaweed last night. I set him on top of a sheet, all he did was move it as it floated away. Ill try another trick next time. Thank you pagojoe!

 

[Monkeyfish]

Wrap the seaweed/nori to a rock with a rubber band so he can take his time.

 

[Lowefx]

Well i moved it the other day because i though it was dead. It has not moved in 2 weeks, well its still alive, it almost feel out of its shell, then sucked back in. Im worried....

 

[Lowefx]

Anyone have ANY experience with this? Anyone......

 

[Lowefx]

Current photo. Only the PC's are on, but there is corline all ofer the shell, and looks like something may be eating the shell (The bright white area's) Im thinking it could be a smaller snail doing that. Any help would be nice. He use to cruse all over the tank, now not an inch in weeks.
<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2u40twg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/2u40twg.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

 

[Monkeyfish]

Pick up the shell.
Smell it.
If it smells like $%^& then its dead.

 

[Lowefx]

i did pick it up. As soon as air broke the suction, it almost fell out. I pinched its "Foot" and tried to pull it out of the shell, but it still felt locked in there. But then again, it didnt move or try to hide from me....I think its a loss....sucks, he was a good size and always kept the sand cleaned.

 

[Lowefx]

Yup, dead. Im not sure why, params are good, if not great. maybe it was at its life expectancy. Anyone know how long that is? Plus ive never seen another one like the size of mine.

 

[pagojoe]

That species lives in a little more temperate water than the ones I am most familiar with, but some of their tropical relatives are becoming gerontic by four years of age and are mostly dead by five years. The larger species may live seven or eight years in the tropics. Yours may very well have been old, although the shell doesn't really show obvious signs of old age (algae under the glaze of the aperture, worm holes in the final whorl, etc.).

Cheers,


Don