Fighting Conch-Queen Conch

[celacanthr]

Actually the jumping is pretty cool, especially in queen conchs. Conchs will actually use this jumping (I think lurching is a better word after I saw a queen do it in the ocean) as a main form of locomotion. Pretty neat

 

[dea_mt]

Originally Posted by Hurt
Now I am completely lost on your reasoning? You have SIX queen conches in your 75G? WOW! :scared: I thought you were just scolding celacanthr's friend for have one fighting conch in a 20g? I'm pretty sure an aquacultured queen conch will get much larger than 4-5 inches. But, I seriously doubt a fighting conch will actually be able to move a 5lb peice of LR. I'm not too concerned with them destroying my reef, for they stay on the bottom. Thanks for the insight though, I do appreciate your responses. From what I've learned they can "jump" when threatened, and that is probably what you saw with the hermit. Again, I'm not trying to argue, I'm just trying to understand your reasoning. :thinking:
i know but they are all at an inch at the moment. by the time they get too big i will have upgraded. i also have a sailfin tang which i know will also need a bigger tank in time.

 

[dea_mt]

"In the wild over many years time, Queen Conches can grow over a foot in length. However, in captivity they are very slow growing and will typically never attain half of their potential size." the doctors that hug a lot on their websites said it. :thinking:

 

[celacanthr]

I would assume they don't attain half their potential size is because of
a)poor environment
b)they die before they reach their full length
Can you find the same info somewhere else, that isn't a commercial site?

 

[wax32]

I would assume they don't attain half their potential size is because of
a)poor environment
b)they die before they reach their full length
Exactly.
The queens are going to get bigger than the fighting conchs is the main thing. All conchs need a lot of sand. Once they are a little bigger they spend all of their time on the sand bed. My little queen conch actually roamed the glass and rocks and eventually got wedged between the rock and glass and died. Bottom line is: they both need a lot of room to move since their natural habitat isn't the reef proper but the sand areas near the reef, like a grassbed.

 

[celacanthr]

Originally Posted by Wax32
their natural habitat isn't the reef proper but the sand areas near the reef, like a grassbed.
Yep!

I love watching the conchs when I'm in the keys...they are really interesting...especially the adults when they lurch.

 

[wax32]

My little baby one lurched too. It was cool. I still have the reminder in my tank of why I won't buy another one. I can see the shell still wedged there under the rocks.

 

[celacanthr]

Ye, I have seen baby ones do it, but when the adults do it, it is sooooo awesome.
At least the queen conchs sold in the US are CB. Thank you CITES! (LOL)

 

[wax32]

Ayup. I've never been snorkling in the keys, maybe I need to do that next August when I am on vacation. If hurricane season takes it easy on us this year.

 

[celacanthr]

What time in August?

 

[wax32]

The week of August 7th (I think that is the Sunday).