Disappeared Abalone? 11/28/11
Hi -
<Hello Gail>
  After doing research - a fair amount thanks to you! - I purchased an abalone for my CUC in my reef aquarium.  It came mail order (a same-day delivery, from a very reputable UK source) and was in fine shape when it arrived.  I did a very long, slow acclimation process, floating the bag for an hour (with no lights on), then drip-acclimatising over 3 hours.  When it came time to place it in the aquarium, I found it extremely difficult to remove from the bag it was in.  I did so as gently and carefully as I could and then held it against the glass at the top.  It grabbed on instantly, and strongly, and then raced down the side of the aquarium, across the substrate, and under a rock.  I was amazed at the speed with which it moved.
(While it was going down the side, I had a fascinating view of its underside, and how it moved).
   This was nearly 3 days ago.  Since then, I have not seen him, and I don't see any evidence of lots of algae being eaten.  We've been fighting an infestation of green filamentous algae for a couple of months now - not entirely sure what it is, as a sea hare wouldn't touch it.  There are clean patches in various places, but I also have other snails and hermits, so it's hard to know who's eating what.  Our parameters are all good (0 phosphates, nitrates, etc.).  There's plenty of rockwork the abalone could be hiding in - is there any way I can tell if it's alive and well?  I bought some "sea veggies" and a clip, thinking to specially feed it in case it, like the sea hare, doesn't like the stuff that's growing - but it would be good to know where it is so I could place the clip near it.
<It will find the food, not to worry.>
I should add that I've stayed up after "lights out" and looked for it (with a torch) but haven't seen anything.
  One of your articles mentions that it is an "awesome grazer" once it's established.  How long does it take to get established?
<Abalones are nocturnal and will find refuge in holes or crevices in rocks and coral during the day and come out at night to feed.  Providing ample hiding places such as you describe should suit the Abalone just fine.  As long as there are no aggressive snail-eating crabs, invertebrates, or fish present, the Abalone should eventually come out to feed in the evening. 
Give it a few more days, observe.>
Thanks in advance for any thoughts,
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Gail HL
<<Am chiming in to ask if this animal is tropical or cool/cold water... Too many mis-sold in the trade are incompatible in warm water systems. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/abselfaqs.htm
and the linked Haliotid files above. Bob Fenner>>
Re: More: re: Disappeared abalone?    11/28/11
I will double-check exactly what species he is but I believe he is tropical. 
<Tend to be quite flat in profile top to bottom, and curved saucer-shape.
Oh, see WWM re... BobF>
Re: Disappeared abalone?    11/28/11
PS - Many thanks for your prompt and helpful replies, and for your very excellent website.
You do a great service, in my humble opinion.
<Welcome. B>
Re Disappeared abalone? 11/29/11
<Hi Gail>
Great news - I've just seen him, attached to the underside of a rock and moving, with some tentacles(?) protruding from some of the air/water holes in his shell.
<Great.>
Yes, he's quite flat and saucer-like.  His shell is grey-ish (but with coralline algae etc colouring it).
<Good, and hopefully it is a tropical species.  James (Salty Dog)>

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>

Abalone Color Change   12/11/07 WWM Crew, <Steve> The Haliotis asinina I bought 5 months ago appears to be shifting color. <Mmm, does/can happen... different environmental and nutritional conditions...> The soft body parts seem to have changed from a greenish-blue into the 'brown' realm. Shell development appears to be normal, it's added 2 "holes" since purchase. <Normal... with growth> It has recently started feeding on quite a bit of red macroalgae at one end of my tank... does their diet effect pigment? <Yes> Water parameters are good and consistent. Thanks in advance for any insight. Steve <Glad to share... this is a very good tropical abalone/Haliotid species for aquarium and aquaculture use. Bob Fenner>

Abalone Snail My Abalone Snail has not moved in several days. He is on the back glass where algae is. Is this normal?  <They do just lay around one in a while and I would not be worried.  Cody>