Strombus Grazers from BAR Swap

[kbecker]

I picked up some strombus grazers from the Bar swap and they do not seem to be multiplying like i've heard they would. Instead the seem to be slowly dwindling in number (I counted only 2 yesterday). I could have acclimated them too quickly.. I dont know.

I would like to get a hold of more and hopefully get them to breed.

If anyone has some they would like to give / sell, please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[crazzyreefer]

are those the fighting conchs?

 

[Sk8r]

Seven of them in my tank went through: transport in half-submerged live rock, in January ice and snow in the back of a pickup truck; setup in raw, sandy salt water, that had also ridden in via said truck [I didn't plan this: I was aghast]; and they rode through the cycle, admittedly a mild one. The point of which being---they're pretty tolerant, and if any snail can survive a curtailed acclimation, I'd bet on them.

They eat red algae, green algae, and general detritus: they do both glass and rocks.

I hope your remaining ones settle in and thrive.

Note: they're relatives of the fighting conch, but get about 1/3 inch long.

 

[kbecker]

No, they are little conch look alikes that stay around 1/2 inch in shell size.

 

[raddogz]

They usually come out at night. They like to hide out in the rocks during the day.

 

[Sparkss]

if they are dwindling, then do you have any hermits in the tank ? Or possibly a mythrax crab or other general predator ? Something may be eating your snails... are you finding empty shells ? If so, then do the shells have holes in them ? (other than the regular openeing, of course ).

 

[kbecker]

The hermits are in the main tank. The strombus are in the fuge, which is seperated from the main tank. The only thing I have added to the fuge is macro algeas. The inhabitants in the fuge that I can tell are pods and microstars (atsternia and brittle stars).

I do find an ocassional empty strombus shell, but I do not see any noticable holes in them.

 

[Sk8r]

Brittle stars have been known to enjoy a little protein.

 

[Kinetic]

my strombus came on a live rock that I left outdoors for 2 nights. I had a huge cycle in a tiny tank and it survived that. they're hard to see and hide a lot.

 

[Vincerama2]

Sign up in the bareefers.org website's "Don't break the chain" forum, and get on the Strombus chain. Someone will get some to you!

They breed readily and happily in my 10g nano. I'm guessing that in a 10g tank, they see each other more often (nudge nudge, wink wink!)
I actually just gave away a bunch of baby strombus that were embedded in a large clump of chaeto. (I couldn't be bothered to pick through the chaeto to retrieve them! The chaeto was going to feed someone's fish, rather than sit in a fuge, so I hope they survive...!)

V