Chiton behavior/acclimation

[NanoNana]

I know a few ppl here have/have had chitins.
I ordered one for my tank that arrived yesterday. The vendor’s site specified that chitons required overnight shipping. The vendor didn’t label the box as live fish/animal and because I’m so rural, if it’s not labeled as something that might die, shipping usually takes at least 48 hours so my shipment was delayed a day.
I’ve done my due diligence as far as researching their care but don’t know what to expect for normal acclimation behavior.
It was shipped on a clam shell so it would have something to attach to. I know that the move very slowly when eating and hunker down tight. What I don’t know is how long it should normally take the little guy to crawl off of the shell onto the rock to start searching for food. There isn’t any noticeable algae in the shell.

After acclimating, it went in the DT and has been in the dish of the clam shell exactly as it arrived for about 32 hours now. I know they don’t like soft surfaces so I sat the shell on the base rock. Does anyone know if this is normal behavior or should it have moved some by now? (I moved it to the sand for pic. She’ll is on the rock)

 

[Malum Argenteum]

FWIW, I had poor survival on a batch of chitons I received recently (same source as yours, I presume -- my first time ordering from them). Out of a dozen, five looked pretty dead out of the box and never recovered, and I found the shell segments of a few more over the next couple days. Yeah, I wasn't impressed by the packaging either.

 

[NanoNana]

FWIW, I had poor survival on a batch of chitons I received recently (same source as yours, I presume -- my first time ordering from them). Out of a dozen, five looked pretty dead out of the box and never recovered, and I found the shell segments of a few more over the next couple days. Yeah, I wasn't impressed by the packaging either.

That’s not good news. Not sure if it’s the same source. They get great reviews here and elsewhere. I reached out to them and they asked for a pic. I explained that it was attached to the shell and asked if that was an indication that it was viable. He somehow took that to mean that I thought the clam shell was actually part of the chiton and asked for a pic. I sent the picture and asked the question another way basically asked how to determine if it was alive. Was told again the clam shell isnt part of the animal. I got a little snippy in my final email and was like “I KNOW what a chiton looks like. I just want to know how to tell if it’s alive or dead! And by the way, also for the 3 rd time, you sent me hermit crabs instead of dwarf ceriths. Thats a pretty glaring error.” All I got back was “it’s alive”. Everything except possibly the chiton made it here alive including hermits that are so young they are transparent. (I didn’t want and don’t want hermits in my tank but I wouldn’t just discard them so I have them now)
But honestly, I feel like the Chiton should have moved by now. Idk if they stay attached when they die or if it would float.

 

[Jmp998]

Mine did not move the first couple of days. All 3 still alive a year later. Only problem is trying to move them to a new tank, other than that a nice addition.

I would try picking it up, if it is still hanging onto the shell it was shipped with I think it is still alive. If it is not hanging on, I think it is dead.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Place the shell vertical next to some GHA.
If it was dead, it would not be able to stick to the shell. You’ll kill it if you try to remove it. As it dies, the plates will come apart and then fall off.

 

[NanoNana]

Place the shell vertical next to some GHA.
If it was dead, it would not be able to stick to the shell. You’ll kill it if you try to remove it. As it dies, the plates will come apart and then fall off.

Thank you. I’ll do that.

 

[NanoNana]

Mine did not move the first couple of days. All 3 still alive a year later. Only problem is trying to move them to a new tank, other than that a nice addition.

I would try picking it up, if it is still hanging onto the shell it was shipped with I think it is still alive. If it is not hanging on, I think it is dead.

Good to know it is likely still hanging in there. Thank you

 

[Malum Argenteum]

That’s not good news. Not sure if it’s the same source. They get great reviews here and elsewhere.

Yep, I ordered because of reviews here.

Anyway, my intent was to mean that if yours didn't make it, you shouldn't necessarily think it was your fault or your situation was unique. Yours does sound OK at this point, though.

 

[NanoNana]

Yep, I ordered because of reviews here.

Anyway, my intent was to mean that if yours didn't make it, you shouldn't necessarily think it was your fault or your situation was unique. Yours does sound OK at this point, though.

Hopefully it makes it. I still have hermit crabs I dont want and they never even responded to that mistake. It was my first and last order from them. It’s good to know I’m not the only person who has had issues with them.

 

[OrionN]

So did it move to your rock?

 

[NanoNana]

It did! I never see it move but it obviously does. Lol. Kirby the conch has vacuumed a good bit of the algae off the chitin. They are very slow but thorough. I know that in the wild they tend to clean in a circular area and it’s cool seeing that take place in the tank as my scape isn’t really conducive to that. I’ll probably get a second and do a more strategic placement to the other tower.