Are these urchins reef safe???

nanomania · Sep 14, 2016

Fercho said:
In my experience, they clean rocks super good, they eat coraline algae and the occational green algae that grows on the rocks.
In other words, they keep my tank super clean.
But yes, they do knock frags over.

Forgot to mention, they do not harm any of my corals.

U have the same banded longspine urchins??

Craigwood · Sep 14, 2016

I have a tuxedo I picked up as a hitch hiker. Well I say it's a tuxedo it is now masquerading as a walking pile of zoas.

edosan · Sep 14, 2016

IME I use to have a black long spine, they do munch on montiporas. But i have never seen a more efective algae eater and cleaner

nanomania · Sep 14, 2016

edosan said:
IME I use to have a black long spine, the do munch on montiporas. But i have never seen a more efective algae eater and cleaner

True, my current short spine i guess pin cusioned urchin cleans the rock to new. I dont mind if it eats some coralline too..

edosan · Sep 14, 2016

I do not care about coraline, but montiporas I do care, so i remove the urchin

van7271 · Sep 14, 2016

Once they grow to a certain size they can develop a taste for polyps. Had a pencil urchin for about 8 years and it never touched a thing. Then one day he was mowing down polyps as fast as he could.

nanomania · Sep 14, 2016

van7271 said:
Once they grow to a certain size they can develop a taste for polyps. Had a pencil urchin for about 8 years and it never touched a thing. Then one day he was mowing down polyps as fast as he could.

Pencil urchins are not reef safe anyways

Hernan · Sep 14, 2016

I have 1 blue tuxedo in my 300 G, 100% SPS a have no problems.

Fercho · Sep 14, 2016

nanomania said:
U have the same banded longspine urchins??

Na, mine is a tux orchid. Like the one in the picture attached.
I had the blackones with long spines before. Those only consumed coraline algae.

scardall · Sep 14, 2016

this guy was in my fowlr and did a great job. Eats algae and coraline. sensitive to water conditions.

nanomania · Sep 15, 2016

scardall said:
this guy was in my fowlr and did a great job. Eats algae and coraline. sensitive to water conditions.

Where is the urchin?

scardall · Sep 15, 2016

nanomania said:
Where is the urchin?

( Bottom right) It's spines changed colors/some spines fell out and activity slowed, then after a week or two it died. I had 2 of these and each died at different times. Assumed water conditions for them changed. Fish and Macro-Algae were doing well.

Roy Smith · Sep 18, 2016

I have two in my 75g reef. They did knock over my frags at first but I finally took a small amount of putty and secured the frags in place. They clean the rock very well. Better than any of my crabs or shrimp. They have not bothered any of my coral or my feather duster and rarely get close to my anemone. Of course I'm just starting out and only 9 months into this learning curve, but I've had my current grouping for about 4 months and so far so good. I'm actually thinking about getting one more urchin. I like the little guys (or girls).

Peter Blue Reef · Sep 19, 2016

don't buy those

nanomania · Sep 20, 2016

Roy Smith said:
I have two in my 75g reef. They did knock over my frags at first but I finally took a small amount of putty and secured the frags in place. They clean the rock very well. Better than any of my crabs or shrimp. They have not bothered any of my coral or my feather duster and rarely get close to my anemone. Of course I'm just starting out and only 9 months into this learning curve, but I've had my current grouping for about 4 months and so far so good. I'm actually thinking about getting one more urchin. I like the little guys (or girls).

Mine ate all my feather dusters.

Babygecko1233 · Sep 22, 2016

I have a pencil urchin. Its spines arnt spikey.. So it doesnt mess with my zoas ... Ive never had it eat any of my crabs...or shrimp (even when i put fresh ghost shrimp) ...it hasnt knocked any LR over "yet" (we placed it sturdy enough to where he cant...).. I love sea urchins! Id say go for it...also...it cleaned my rocks amazing!!!!

nanomania · Sep 22, 2016

Babygecko1233 said:
I have a pencil urchin. Its spines arnt spikey.. So it doesnt mess with my zoas ... Ive never had it eat any of my crabs...or shrimp (even when i put fresh ghost shrimp) ...it hasnt knocked any LR over "yet" (we placed it sturdy enough to where he cant...).. I love sea urchins! Id say go for it...also...it cleaned my rocks amazing!!!!

I too like all inverts...[emoji4]

DanConnor · Sep 22, 2016

I have a tuxedo and a halloween urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) like Fercho's picture above. Both are very gentle - I once watched a tuxedo walk across the face of a clam without it closing. And, great algae eaters- they take hair algae down and then the snails can maintain it. The halloween works 24/7- the tuxedo a bit more active at night. They do of course knock things over- just glue things down!

Not sure what the urchins in the original post are- my best guess is Lytechinus variegatus

bristlebasher · Sep 23, 2016

I have 2 diadema and 2 tuxedo urchins in my tank and have to say they are surprisingly nimble.

Yes, they do knock unmounted frags over but will not disturb anything that is properly mounted.

Worthwhile additions in my opinion.