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FAQs about Abalone Selection
Related Articles: Abalones, Gastropods,
Mollusks, Related FAQs:
Abalones, Abalone
Identification, Abalone Behavior,
Abalone Compatibility, Abalone Systems,
Abalone Feeding, Abalone Disease,
Abalone Reproduction, Gastropods in General:
Gastropods/Snails, Snail ID 1,
Snail ID 2, Snail Behavior,
Snail Selection, Snail Compatibility,
Snail Systems, Snail Feeding,
Snail Disease, Snail Reproduction,
Mollusks, Sea Slugs, |
Match... tropical species for warm-water systems... Coldwater ones
for such... Be aware they need to be fed... not really "algae
eaters" as a clean-up crew addn. |
Question about Abalone... beh., sel. 11/26/08
Hi
there,
<Hello Luis!>
I really appreciate your site. It is a great
source of information.
<Ah, good. Glad you find it useful>
I have
a question about my abalone. I bought it just over two weeks ago from my
LFS. I had done some research and I was positive that it was a tropical
abalone. The LFS confirmed this, but of course, they're trying to sell
it to me so I took their confirmation with a grain of salt.
<Always
a good idea... to be a bit speculative, tentative...>
After
acclimating it to my tank I set it in the rock and he attached himself
nicely. The lights turned off and the next day I noticed it was gone
from the spot, which was expected. It took me several days to find it
but I was finally able to spot him on the underside of a plate-shaped
rock near the bottom of the tank. I was happy to see that it was still
attached to the rock, with it's 'eyes' and antennae fully deployed. It
was also encouraging to see it react as expected to stimulus from my
flashlight by retracting whenever I'd shine the light on him. So far so
good. My question is, he has not moved from that spot since he got
there. I have checked on my tank at several intervals over a period of
several nights (when they're supposed to be active) and he's always at
the same spot, looking very much alive (fully extended eyes/antennae)
and reacting to light stimulus each time. Is it normal for it to just
sit there for so long? a few days I would understand, but it's been well
over two weeks now and I'm beginning to worry. Any advise would be
greatly appreciated.
Regards, Luis.
<Mmm, well, both tropical to
cooler water species of Haliotids "don't do much" moving about really...
that yours is situated, reacting to the light as you state, is very good
news. A common misunderstanding is that these Archeogastropods "do"
cruise about, somehow munching on a wide variety of small algae, of a
wide mix of Thallophytes, even BGA... This is not the case. Most are
macrophagous herbivores, consuming larger thalli of Red and Brown algae,
a good deal of which "happens by" that they "trap" and "grind" to feed
on, w/o moving much at all... I would look to other species of animals
for such actual "active" algal control... and more to the point, review
what can/should be done to avoid noisome algal proliferation period.
Otherwise, keep checking on your Ab... it's likely fine as/where it is.
Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: Question about Abalone 12/2/08
Many thanks for the
reply Bob. I am happy to report that my abalone has finally
moved...yeay! I took a look at the tank last night (or should I say
very, very, very early in the morning, in complete darkness...) and
imagine my excitement when I saw my ab vigorously traveling down the
back pane of the tank! upon closer inspection, that back pane is now
squeaky clean (it had a hard-to-reach thin algae film before). So I feel
much better now knowing that he is indeed the tropical ab type and very
much the voracious algae consumer I had hoped for.
<Yay!>
Anyways,
thanks for your advice and keep up the excellent work!
Best Regards,
Luis.
<Thank you Luis... am endeavouring to do so my friend. BobF>
Re: Clowns dying, & Haliotid sel., 4/15/07
Good Morning
Crew:
<Fites>
One week ago I received a shipment of snails,
a small green abalone, some red Gracilaria macro algae and a pair of
clowns. The Gracilaria was placed in a quarantine tank with good
seasoned (1 week) water with water parameters in order (pH 8.1, Alk
160ppm, Ca 350ppm, Temperature 77.4 degrees F, Nitrites, Nitrates
and Ammonia all zero).
The animals were drip acclimated and then
placed in the same tank with the algae (photo attached).
<I see
them/these>
The next day, the abalone had not moved and was
pronounced dead and decomposing.
<Very typical... haliotids are
not easily kept in captivity... and many/most of the species sold
are unsuitable (not-tropical)>
No Ammonia was measured, but
Nitrite was measured at .1ppm. A water change was immediately done,
and the bottom of the glass tank was vacuumed of any detritus from
the abalone. The fish have had white mucus on their bodies since
the first day and have progressed downhill in health since then
(based on slowing of movement and not eating).
<Mmm, and maybe
more than just mucus>
I have performed several freshwater dips
(temperature adjusted, and pH adjusted RO water) per Aquacon because
they hold the 30 day guarantee on these little guys.
<Wow, a
very long warranty>
The dips remove the white mucus, but now
there is pink mucus emerging from the top of the large clown's gill
plate. Two colors of Gracilaria were shipped to me, one red and the
other dark brown. The dark brown has been slowly disintegrating.
From reading on the WWM, I suspect that the decomposition of the
macroalgae may be giving off some sort of toxin.
<Could be...>
I have just removed the algae and most of the snails from this
quarantine tank, and am vacuuming the bottom for the 10th time. I
will do a water change shortly, even though the water parameters all
measure within normal limits still, so I am wondering if you think
the idea of Algae toxins has merit.
<Does>
At this point, I
welcome any advice you can give from afar. We have never faced
death and disease like this before and are needless to say,
discouraged by the events.
Thanks for the help,
Brad in
Basalt
<Mmm... well... if you believe there in no pathogenic
involvement... I would move these Clowns next time you FW dip
them... into your permanent/display tank... Bob Fenner> | 
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Re: Clean up crew
Why an abalone? They are very expensive. I
purchased one and have been reading up on them, but I was just wondering
why you suggested this animal.
<they are AMAZING and incomparable
herbivores once established> Abalone - 01/09/2006
Hi Bob, been reading up on your Abalone articles. you know a fair bit,
may I ask you a few questions.
<Sure>
I live in South Australia.
<Brrrrr! But beautiful. Have been to Tasy>
I have the opportunity to
sell abs from an on land farmer.
<Mmm, there is a parallel of sorts
here with some fine folks that raise the Seahorse, Hippocampus
abdominalis... hard to make a market (currently, and into the
near-seeable future) for such cool-coldwater organisms in the ornamental
trade>
I was thinking that the aquarium industry would be a good one
to get stuck into. Live abs 10 cm up to 70cm.
<Is a wonderful field,
area...>
It seems many have problems in keeping them alive. Water
temp seems to be a problem and the worms that abs carry can be a
negative apart from other
things I have read
<Yes... mainly the
former... cool water haliotids don't adapt well to tropical settings,
and the vast majority (more than 99 percent) of systems, market are
tropical... Couple this with the distance to travel to and through
marine livestock wholesale markets, their present resistance to
coldwater stocking...>
What are your thoughts on this, is this idea
worth pursuing or will it not be accepted by the retailers. Has it been
tried yet.
<Has been tried off and on... I would pursue other
markets, or more warm-water organisms if you could... Is there a
possibility of culturing tropical haliotids perhaps? Maybe some other
mollusks, groups of organisms at this facility? Bob Fenner>
Kind
regards
Gary Scholz Large Abalone
Dear Mister Fenner
<Hello>
My name is Steve Zemp and I'm involved in a small company in
Switzerland (Europe), that produces Fishing Lures out of Abalone Shells,
since 1945.
<Neat! I have had friends, acquaintances over the years
who fashioned haliotid shells into jewelry, hair-clips...>
We are
interested to buy large, empty - uncleaned Haliotis rufescens Shells or
other Abalone Shells for our Lure production.
The problem is, that we
need to get large Abalone Shells that are 5 inches or more in size.
The Shell outside should be red or orange/brown colored, like for
example:
<Oh yes... I used to sell these to friends Marty Beals and
Dennis Mok at Tideline (they are still in business in Los Angeles, have
you contacted them?)>
-HALIOTIS - RUFESCENS (Red abalone)
-HALIOTIS - GIGANTEA (Japanese Abalone)
-HALIOTIS - KAMTSCHATKANA
(Pinto abalone)
-HALIOTIS - CORRUGATA (Pink abalone)
-HALIOTIS -
ASSIMILIS (Threaded abalone)
-HALIOTIS - WALLALENSIS (Flat abalone)
The smaller Shells are not suitable for our Fishing Lures, because they
get to thin,
after sanding and polishing them.
If you could help
us to buy one or more of these large Haliotidae Shells,
we would be
pleased to get an offer from you.
Thank you very much for your
efforts and looking forward to your answer.
Best regards from
Switzerland
Steve Zemp
Company: Interfish - Pfaeffikon (SZ) AG
Street: Kantonsstrasse 42
Zip: CH-8807
City: Freienbach
State:
Switzerland (Europe)
Airport: Zurich
Fax 0041 55 410 36 76
E-mail steffen.zemp@csam.com
<Do contact Tideline, 640 S. Isis,
Inglewood, CA 90301, 310-641-9106, fax 310-649-1131
they carry these
shells, cleaned... and can ship them to you. Otherwise, I will post your
request on our root web: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ to help you locate
other sources. Bob Fenner> Re: large Abalone
Dear Robert
Does your friends from "Tideline" also have a E-mail address?
Please
let me know.
<Unfortunately not that I know of. Please do fax or make
a call to them during PST on the west coast of the U.S., and ask for
Marty, Dennis or Robin and mention my name>
Thank you very much for
your efforts.
Best regards
Steve Zemp
INTERFISH PFAEFFIKON (SZ)
AG
<Bob Fenner> Re: large Abalone
Dear Robert
Thank you very much for your answer.
I will contact "Marty Beals and
Dennis Mok Tideline, 640 S. Isis", Inglewood, CA 90301, 310-641-9106,
Fax 310-649-1131, by Fax and ask them, if they could help us to get the
Shells, that we are looking for.
Thank you very much for all your
efforts and have a nice day.
Best regards from Switzerland to you
Steve Zemp
INTERFISH PFAEFFIKON (SZ) AG
<You are welcome my
friend. I will keep my eyes open... There are "stashes" of these shells
here and there that I occasionally run into. Bob Fenner> Abalone
(to eat) in Singapore
I saw your page about ABALONE on the
internet and thought that you might be interested to visit our URL at:
http://www.singnet.com.sg/~palomino/
or:
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~palomino/
which is about ABALONE too.
I
hope you like our site. You may want to list us with a link on your
links page. If so, the details are:
Palomino Delectables -- GOURMET
ABALONE delivered to your doorstep!!
Palomino Delectables delivers
worldwide by air-courier, gourmet ABALONE in
consumer-friendly
quantities, already cooked and hermetically packed.
Gourmet abalone,
abalone shells, abalone RECIPES and full-color photographs
available
at: http://www.singnet.com.sg/~palomino/
If you decide to link us,
please let me have the URL of the exact page on which our link appears.
Would appreciate your comments about our site.
Best regards
Palo
Mino
Palomino Delectables
Singapore
<Hmm, very nice... will add
your link to the Abalone article bibliography. Bob Fenner in transit in
Indonesia on the way back to Singapore for the Aquarama trade show there
this weekend> |
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