Conch (Sand Tiger) No longer burying itself in the sand

[TG17]

I have a small sand tiger (I think that is whaat it is called) in my Nano tank 13.7 Fluval tank.
I wonder if I have some parameter issue as I have recently lost a few crabs that I cannot explain and my conch is not mostly on top of the sand bed and not burying itself like it did historically.

My PH has typically been a bit low, so I have been slowly raising it to around 7.8 - 8.1 (morning to afternoon numbers here). Otherwise alkalinity is around 9.5 - 10. Phosphates and Nitrates are low, salinity is 1.025 - 1.026.

Other then the slow raise in PH the tank has been pretty stable and fish and corals are all looking good. Any suggestions on why a conch may be changing its behavior?

 

[Cthulukelele]

How long have you had your tiger conch? The ones I've had over the years usually go through periods that seem almost hibernatey where they bury, but then most of the time they active for multi-day periods above the sand

 

[TG17]

Thank you for the reply. It is pretty new, less then a month. So maybe just a unique period of odd behavior. Thanks again for the reply.

 

[get-salty]

i have 2. one is over a year and one is 4 months. the older one stays above sand 80% of the time vs the newer one stays under sand 80%.

curious why you keep your alk on the higher end ?
how are you raising ph ? id like to know this one personally ; )

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

How old is the tank? Thats a small tank, seems like conchs and crabs competing for small amount of food. I don't know what your tank is like but they might be starving to death.

 

[TG17]

i have 2. one is over a year and one is 4 months. the older one stays above sand 80% of the time vs the newer one stays under sand 80%.

curious why you keep your alk on the higher end ?
how are you raising ph ? id like to know this one personally ; )

Great question on the Alk, I am battling PH a bit and have tried a few items: I was using Seachem Reef Buffer, but that seemed (to me as a novice) to be pushing the DKH high, so I have recently (last 2 weeks) been using Britewell BoostPH+. It seems to be helping to keep the PH closer to 7.8 (which is so far as high as I have been able to get it consistently) and not causing large swings in DHK. Again, I am a novice so trying to read a lot, and slowly test a few things to get a good balance that works. I think the BoostPH+ seems to be working well for my environment. Also tank is small 13 gallons so I do regular 3 gallon water changes 1 -2 times a week.

 

[TG17]

How old is the tank? Thats a small tank, seems like conchs and crabs competing for small amount of food. I don't know what your tank is like but they might be starving to death.

This is a great question, tank is 13 gallons. It was setup for about a year, then I purchased in 2 months ago, and kept all the sand, rock, etc.. So technically in its current state is 2 months old, but biologically I think/hope a little over a year old. So far nitrates have been low and phosphates are low so I think the biological is doing its job.

I am wondering how to test if the inverts are getting enough food. I am cautious not to overfeed the fish with such a small tank. As reference there are two small clown fist (less then 2" each) and a tailspot blenny in the tank. If you have any recommendations on testing your theory on not enough food vs overfeeding I would really like to hear it. I am working hard to educate myself and want to provide a good environment for the animals.

 

[Tamberav]

I think you are headed down the road to do more harm than good dosing that pH buffer, especially with low nutrients.

Chasing pH with a buffer in a small tank is womp womp in my opinion. As you have found out, it will push alk up every time you add it or precipitate. And stony corals + low nutrients can struggle with alk burn.

You want stability and you won’t find it with pH buffer.

PH naturally fluctuates through day and night cycles and 7.8 isn’t an issue.

There are many safe ways to increase pH but most people wouldn’t bother doing on a small AIO.

I can’t say it is the cause of your snail problem, they do need a good amount of food and you can offer him nori and algae wafers to supplement.

 

[rhitee93]

I have a few conchs in my setup. Sometimes they are on top of the sand for days. I even saw one climbing the rockwork once. Other times they will disappear under the sand for a week or two.