[ INVERTEBRATES ] CLAMS - CORALS

Florida Fighting Conch - Strombus alatus

The Florida Fighting Conch (pronounced "konk") is one of the most significant new items to be cultured for marine aquariums in years. This is due to the nature of this mollusk. It lives in the coral sand beds and eats algae such as diatoms. This makes the Fighting Conch the best live sand bed stirrer and cleaner on the market today. Fighting Conch are bred exclusively at ORA™ and their culture techniques were developed here.

Fighting Conch do not fight with anything in the aquarium, so it's a bit of a misleading name. The name derives from the fact that they partake in a ritualistic mating fight between males to determine sexual dominance. They do not disturb any reef tank inhabitants such as corals, clams, or other invertebrates. S. alatus only grow to about 3 inch size, so they will not "out-grow" the tank. ORA™ sells Fighting Conch at 1-1 1/2 inches. At this size they are "hermit crab proof", so small hermits cannot eat them and steal their shells.

Fighting Conch are known as herbivorous detritivores because they will eat both live and decaying vegetable matter. They will eat all algae growing on the surface of the live sand bed, and other detritus on the bottom. They prefer to stay in the sand and will slightly burrow, although not deep enough to disturb anaerobic areas deep in the sand.

Fighting Conch are more active at night, so they are less visible during the daytime. They can be additionally fed any algae derived food such as algae tabs, Tang diet and even sinking Koi sticks. If they are observed climbing up the glass of aquariums, this usually means they are hungry and should be fed.

ORA™ recommends that Fighting Conch be kept at a density of no more than 1 or 2 animals per square foot of sand bed. Higher densities may result in the conch out-competing each other for available food and some may starve.

Queen Conch - Strombus gigas

Queen Conch are the commonly associated with Florida and the Caribbean. These animals have a pink color inside the large flared shell lip in adults. They are found in shallow water grass flats and are herbivorous. They are protected in the State of Florida and are listed as Appendix II protected species in the CITES treaty.

The scientists at Harbor Branch were the first to develop the means of culturing this conch. They became endangered through over-collecting for food and the efforts of aquaculture are helping to preserve this species.

In aquariums they are good algae grazers that will climb up onto the rock and glass to find algae to eat. They will help control macroalgae growth that can be problematic in well lit reef tanks. The growth rate is relatively slow, however Queen Conch do reach a size of about 12 inches and can out-grow an aquarium.

Queen Conch have been found to be very helpful in controlling algaes such as cyanobacteria (Blue-green algae). They can help fill an aquarium niche that very few other herbivorous mollusks will. ORA™ markets the Queen Conch at about 1 inch size, so they are perfectly suited to aquarium life.

Peppermint Shrimp - Lysmata rathbunae

The Peppermint Shrimp is found in the Caribbean. This attractive shrimp is named for the red stripes running the length of its cream-colored body. It grows to a maximum size of 2 inches.

The Peppermint shrimp serves two important functions in a reef system. It is a cleaner shrimp, meaning it cleans the parasites off its tankmates. The Peppermint Shrimp is a scavenger; sifting sand for food and promoting a healthier aquarium.

The Peppermint Shrimp is famous for eating the nuisance aptaisia anemone. In a reef system, the shrimp can control the spread of aptaisia by eating the small, developing anemones. This shrimp will not eat corals.

During the day the shrimp will generally hide in live rock and come out at night to forage for food. The Peppermint Shrimp is non-aggressive with fish and other invertebrates, and groups of them can cohabitate peacefully in the same reef aquarium.

It is not uncommon for peppermint shrimp to spawn when kept in groups of 2 or more. The newly hatched shrimp larvae are great food for corals and small fish.

Tropical Abalone - Haliotis fulgens

The Tropical Abalone, or Green Abalone, is a functional and unique addition to a salt water aquarium. This particular species is found off the coast of California and thrives in water temperatures from 65-78 degrees F. The abalone is classified as a Mollusk. It is known for its somewhat flat shell, which is spiraled in other Mollusks. This feature gave the abalone genus its name, Haliotis, which means "sea ear". The Tropical Abalone is characterized by its green shell.

By consuming algae, the abalone helps to maintain the appearance and health of the aquarium. It reaches a size of only 3 inches over a period of 2-3 years, making it ideal for any size aquarium.