Why is my Tiger Conch buried in the sand?

It is completely normal for them to bury themselves when resting, feeling threatened, or digesting a meal. They will typically resurface on their own once they become hungry again.

Can I keep a Tiger Conch in a bare-bottom tank?

No. They strictly require a mature sand bed to forage for food and to exhibit their natural burrowing behaviours. Without sand, they will become stressed and likely starve.

Will a Tiger Conch eat my corals or other snails?

Not at all. They are completely reef-safe herbivores and detritivores that focus entirely on algae and organic waste in the sand bed, ignoring sessile invertebrates.

How many Tiger Conchs should I keep in my aquarium?

A general rule is one conch per 75 to 100 litres of established sand bed. Overstocking them can quickly lead to starvation once the substrate is depleted of algae.

What should I feed my conch if the sand bed is completely clean?

You can supplement their diet by dropping sinking algae wafers, spirulina pellets, or small pieces of dried seaweed (nori) directly onto the sand bed near them.

MarineMarineBeginner

Tiger Conch

Conomurex luhuanus

The Tiger Conch is a highly beneficial marine snail, renowned for its distinctive stalked eyes, leaping movement, and tireless sand-sifting abilities.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 23 – 28 °C
pH range: 8.1 – 8.4
Salinity: 1.023 – 1.026 SG
Adult size: 5 – 7 cm
Minimum recommended volume per adult to ensure an adequate foraging footprint.: 75 litres+
Lifespan: 3 – 5 years
Diet: Herbivore/Detritivore
Water flow: Moderate
Preferred setup: Requires an established, mature sand bed for burrowing and foraging. Bare-bottom tanks are entirely unsuitable.

About the Tiger Conch

Widely known in the hobby as both the Tiger Conch and the Strawberry Conch, Conomurex luhuanus is an invaluable addition to any marine clean-up crew. Sporting a thick, conical shell with an eye-catching orange-red aperture, this gastropod is easily recognised by its long, cartoonish eye stalks. It spends its days vacuuming the substrate, efficiently turning over the sand bed and keeping it free from detritus, diatoms, and film algae.

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Where Tiger Conch comes from

Native range

Indo-West Pacific

Countries / regions

Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Papua New Guinea

Habitat

Sandy reef flats, shallow lagoons, and seagrass beds.

Commonly found in large aggregations on shallow sandy substrates across the Indo-Pacific.

Similar species

Fighting Conch
Strombus alatus
Queen Conch
Lobatus gigas

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Ocellaris Clownfish
Amphiprion ocellaris
A peaceful mid-water fish that completely ignores bottom-dwelling snails.
Great
Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
A highly compatible invertebrate that will not harass or compete with the conch.
Great
Nassarius Snail
Nassarius vibex
Coexists peacefully in the sand bed, focusing on meaty detritus rather than competing for algae.
Great
Blue Leg Hermit Crab
Clibanarius tricolor
Generally peaceful, but may opportunistically attack a snail to steal its shell if not provided with empty alternatives.
Compatible with caution
Yellow Wrasse
Halichoeres chrysus
While often reef-safe, curious wrasses may occasionally nip at the conch's long, exposed eye stalks.
Compatible with caution
Picasso Triggerfish
Rhinecanthus aculeatus
A predatory fish equipped with powerful jaws specifically designed to crush and eat hard-shelled invertebrates.
Not recommended
Valentin's Sharpnose Puffer
Canthigaster valentini
Will actively hunt down and predate upon snails and other members of the clean-up crew.
Not recommended

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