Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
I'm thinking about getting a sea urchin to get rid of some green algae in my tank. Anybody has any problem with them? Are they easy to care for? Anyone ever got punctured by it, and if so..how did you treat it?
Sea Urchin
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mmkeeper
Well-known member
I have had a tuxedo urchin for awhile and he is a good grazer. No problems so far.
Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
I just bought a Black Sea Urchin. Hopefully it does the job.
aquarookie
Pure Poison :)
I have a blue tuxedo and two diademas. I love them all to pieces. Talk about pieces, there IS a piece of a diadema spine under my skin right now. I was trying to pick up the urchin with my hand (oops). The spine went into my index finger and broke off. Purple dye came out and colored a small area under the skin. It hurt like crazy. But gradually the pain subsided, and now it does not hurt. Secondary infection is what you have to worry about, just like with a sliver.
As far as care, if your tank is big enough so they get enough food, you don't really have to do anything for them. All three of my urchins have been wonderful at cleaning the green algae, but a lot of people complain about them eating coralline. Mine leave coralline well enough alone. I guess I am lucky.
One thing about blue tuxedos is, they are wonderful but they steal your frags to carry them around on their backs (camouflage). Mine has pink star polyps on one side, purple zoanthids on the other. He looks like he has flowers in his hair. It is cute, but annoying when my frags go missing :lol:
A lot of people also say that urchins scratch up the acrylic on your tank. I have not noticed a problem with that yet. Hope this helps
As far as care, if your tank is big enough so they get enough food, you don't really have to do anything for them. All three of my urchins have been wonderful at cleaning the green algae, but a lot of people complain about them eating coralline. Mine leave coralline well enough alone. I guess I am lucky.
One thing about blue tuxedos is, they are wonderful but they steal your frags to carry them around on their backs (camouflage). Mine has pink star polyps on one side, purple zoanthids on the other. He looks like he has flowers in his hair. It is cute, but annoying when my frags go missing :lol:
A lot of people also say that urchins scratch up the acrylic on your tank. I have not noticed a problem with that yet. Hope this helps
DonW
R.I.P.
My black long spines really grew to love the taste of sps.
Don
Don
Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
Thanks Aqua Rookie. I'm not worried about my Coral line. I got plenty of it. As long as my Urchin does its job, I'm satisfied. I never liked the Urchin cause it always looks freaky to me but I just recently learned that it eats algae which is the only reason why I went to get one. Plus it's that expensive either. I got a good med size for $20. I'll post a pic of it later.
And Don, lucky I don't have any SPS. All softies. I do have a few monti cap. Think the Urchin will harm it? As for small frags.....I don't have any. All my corals are pretty much big and colonies and impossible for that Urchin to carry any frags on its back.
Oh yea, one more thing, I am way to chicken sh--t to hold or grab an Urchin with my bare hands. Hahahaha!!!
And Don, lucky I don't have any SPS. All softies. I do have a few monti cap. Think the Urchin will harm it? As for small frags.....I don't have any. All my corals are pretty much big and colonies and impossible for that Urchin to carry any frags on its back.
Oh yea, one more thing, I am way to chicken sh--t to hold or grab an Urchin with my bare hands. Hahahaha!!!
DonW
R.I.P.
Black long spines dont carry things around. Plenty of coraline? They can strip all your rock down to bleached white rock in no time. A good sized one can eat a 6 monti cap overnight. Not all of them are evil but something to keep a eye on.
Don
Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
Hopefully my Monti Cap won't be a goner tomorrow. It's been in there for a few hours now and has not yet done anything. But we'll see in the next few weeks or so.
aquarookie
Pure Poison :)
Black long spines dont carry things around. Plenty of coraline? They can strip all your rock down to bleached white rock in no time. A good sized one can eat a 6 monti cap overnight. Not all of them are evil but something to keep a eye on.
Don
I agree with keeping an eye on it (and just about any new addition to the tank). But I have NEVER ever ever had an urchin that strips coralline faster than it grows back. And I have had a lot of urchins in my life. Either I am lucky or you guys keep getting extra evil urchins :lol:
burning2nd
Well-known member
witch ones should i stay away from??
i want to get one also.. a baby one...
i want to get one also.. a baby one...
adunn79
Member
At first mine were fine, and I would feed them every few days with a small piece of krill or a silver side.
After a while for no apparent reason they ate a Pink Sea Cucumber and started randonly eating other items in my tank.
They both now live permanantly in my sump.
I would not put urchins in my tank again.
After a while for no apparent reason they ate a Pink Sea Cucumber and started randonly eating other items in my tank.
They both now live permanantly in my sump.
I would not put urchins in my tank again.
Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
Well just woke up and nothing has died. I watched that sucker all night till 5 in the morning. All it was doing was consuming algae on the rocks. So far so good. One of my other friend said he put his urchin in his sump. Not sure if it's the black one though. I might one day purchase another one and just put it in my sump, pending on how this one reacts in my main tank.
mark peacock
marine67
urchins
Would you say urchins are reef safe then always wanted one but did not not no if they were reef safe.mark
Would you say urchins are reef safe then always wanted one but did not not no if they were reef safe.mark
aquarookie
Pure Poison :)
I don't know which ones NOT to get, but if you get a blue tuxedo you should be safe. As I mentioned previously, they do steal frags and things to camouflage themselves (like decorator crabs) but once they are covered, they leave everything alone. They are so cute and fun to watch :lol:
IAP Brian
Aquarium Nut
The last time I kept urchins was when I lived in Iowa. I got them from the store in Moline IL. (can't remember the name anymore) They were the black long spine type and they were easy to breed and great algae mowing machines. I never had a problem with them eating anything other than algea and they never made a noticable dent in the coralline algae. Perhaps I was lucky but the only reason I don't have any now is I don't have a good hook up for them anymore.
Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
Is that the one with the orange eye and some dark blue here and there around the eye? Cause if it is...that's the one I got. So far in one day it clean half of one of my rocks.
burning2nd
Well-known member
i take it its blue?
DonW
R.I.P.
Aquatic Guru
Well-known member
Ohhh?? Hahaha... if it's not his eye, what is it then? Actually today, I saw some sand come out of it. Could it hs mouth or his behind???
aquarookie
Pure Poison :)
That's his butt, his poop sack, goofy! :lol:
