Are Dog Conchs reef safe?

wmv · Nov 25, 2023

Hi everyone, I saw today at my LFS that they were carrying “the dog conch”. The workers there didn’t know much about them but I decided to get one as I, as many of you also are I’m sure, love to try out new things and learn more about the hobby. What I didn’t anticipate is google having relatively no info about these creatures as well. So that brings me to my question if they are reef safe or does anyone have any other info they could share? I have a reef tank and a fowlr tank so I have a home for him either way. Just trying to decide where he should go. Thanks

ISpeakForTheSeas · Nov 25, 2023

If by Dog Conch you mean Laevistrombus canarium, then yes, they're reef safe. Like other true conchs (taxonomic family Strombidae), they feed on algae, seagrass, and detritus (though there's some speculation that "Diatoms and other biological detritus produced by feed may be their main source of nutrients."* rather than feed/pellets actually offered to them).

That said, for true conch feeding, you basically want lots of algae and a little bit of meat - you could try NLS Marine Fish Pellets for them (these are fairly similar to the Mazuri feed available, but with more algae and less vegetables/human food crops), or the quote below has some solid advice (as mentioned, the Mazuri Koi feed is tested and proven):

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
The successful broodstock (breeding pair/group) diets of various conchs that I've heard of all use some kind of pellet/gelatin feed that was supplemented by/mixed with algae (specifically algae like Ulva, Halymenia, and Spirulina).

So, I'd get some good pellets (I'm not sure what is best for conchs - I know Mazuri Koi Chow was used successfully with four conch species, so that would be a safe option, but personally I'd give Otohime or TDO pellets a try) and some good macroalgae (preferably red and/or green - again, I'm not sure which algae would be best, but I know Ulva and Halymenia have been used successfully, and I know some conch species eat Laurencia and Batophora in the wild; Ulva would probably be one of the easiest to get a hold of and grow out so you don't have keep buying more) and some Spirulina powder and blend these into one feed you can offer the conch.

Basically take some pellets, macro, and Spirulina and turn them into one pellet/gelatin (or possibly even frozen, though I've never seen frozen used) feed to offer the conch (you may need to get creative in how you offer the food to the conch so your fish don't eat the food before your conch does, but you might be able to bury the food in the sand for it or offer the food to the conch inside an isolation box or something).

*Source:

Polyculture of Juvenile Dog Conch Laevistrombus canarium Reveals High Potentiality in Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA)

Laevistrombus canarium, also known as dog conch, is a marine gastropod mollusk widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. It is an economically crucial species; however, its population has been declining due to overfishing and overexploitation. In this study, the suitable salinity for...

www.mdpi.com

markron · Feb 24, 2024

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
If by Dog Conch you mean Laevistrombus canarium, then yes, they're reef safe. Like other true conchs (taxonomic family Strombidae), they feed on algae, seagrass, and detritus (though there's some speculation that "Diatoms and other biological detritus produced by feed may be their main source of nutrients."* rather than feed/pellets actually offered to them).

That said, for true conch feeding, you basically want lots of algae and a little bit of meat - you could try NLS Marine Fish Pellets for them (these are fairly similar to the Mazuri feed available, but with more algae and less vegetables/human food crops), or the quote below has some solid advice (as mentioned, the Mazuri Koi feed is tested and proven):

*Source: https://shepskymix.com/