Strawberry conch (Conomurex luhuanus) care guide

Group
Snails
Other names
Tiger conch, Red-lipped conch, Strombus luhuanus
Family
Strombidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific; sandy areas among corals
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
8 cm
Temperature
23–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
SG 1.023–1.025, dKH 8–12
Minimum tank
100 litres
Care level
intermediate
Reef safe
yes

Care

The strawberry conch is a medium-sized true conch, usually about 5 cm and up to 8 cm. Its shell is unusually cone-shaped for a conch (it is sometimes mistaken for a cone snail), white with orange, brown or tan blotches outside, and orange, red or pink inside with a black or chocolate-brown inner lip. Strombus luhuanus is the older name. It has large, complex eyes on stalks that poke out from notches in the shell, and moves in hops using a strong, modified foot. Clean-up crew: a sand-bed cleaner. It ploughs across and through the sand eating algae, diatoms, cyanobacteria films, detritus and leftover food, keeping the surface stirred and clean. It needs an open sand bed of at least a few centimetres; it will not thrive in a bare-bottom tank or one with mostly rock. One per 100–150 litres of sand area is a reasonable guide (general guidance, not from a source). Care: it can starve in a new or very clean tank, so add it to a mature system and supplement with sinking pellets or algae wafers if the sand looks spotless. It may climb rock and glass when hungry. Acclimatise slowly. Not a cone snail: cone snails (Conus) are venomous and dangerous to people. The strawberry conch is harmless, but check the shell shape and the stalked eyes when buying, and never pick up an unidentified cone-shaped snail by hand. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most invertebrates. Never dose copper in a tank holding this animal, and check fertiliser and medicine labels before use. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conomurexluhuanus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Algae, diatoms and detritus on and in the sand. Supplement with sinking pellets, algae wafers or dried seaweed placed on the sand when natural food runs low.

Breeding

Sexes are separate. Conchs lay long strings of eggs on the sand, and the larvae are planktonic, so they very rarely produce surviving young in home aquariums.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and reef safe; it does not touch corals or fish. Hermit crabs, crabs, triggers, puffers and some wrasses may attack it. Avoid tanks with sand-sifting gobies or many other sand-bed grazers competing for food.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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