Black urchin dying?

OlPainless · Apr 30, 2022

My black urchin has not been moving much lately although it is still moving it’s spines a little. It has been hanging out on the sand bed for about a week and small spines have been coming off around it. Is it molting or dying? I put it on the rocks but I’m just curious what’s going on.

Miami Reef · Apr 30, 2022

I’d say dying. Pretty much a goner once they start losing their spines.

Is there enough food in the tank for it? Water parameters in range?

OlPainless · May 1, 2022

Miami Reef said:
I’d say dying. Pretty much a goner once they start losing their spines.

Is there enough food in the tank for it? Water parameters in range?

Plenty of food, he was turning my rocks white before he went down to the sand. Nitrates a little high but other then that tank has been running normal.

Miami Reef · May 1, 2022

What food? Do you think it’s possible your urchin was living off coralline and starved once that primary food source ran out?

How high are the nitrates?

OlPainless · May 1, 2022

Miami Reef said:
What food? Do you think it’s possible your urchin was living off coralline and starved once that primary food source ran out?

How high are the nitrates?

Nitrates somewhere between 30-50. Rock has plenty of algae growth, not just coralline so I don’t think that is it. Urchin would move all over the tank cleaning away and then randomly this.

Goaway · May 1, 2022

I don't believe urchins molt. How long have you had him?

Was he a lfs pick up ir was he shipped.

Shedding spines, bad water quality, poor diet, or infection is possible.

Rmckoy · May 1, 2022

I don’t want to admit this but in my experience urchins are almost impossible to kill .
I’ve had extremely high nitrates ( >80 ppm ) no water changes through a rough time a few years ago .
They lose their spines which I can’t honestly say is bad as I’ve never researched them enough .
After knocking frags and rocks over he was added to my sump where he lived for years before gifting him to someone else

G Santana · May 1, 2022

I've had my urchin over a yr now, at one point I was worried because he too slowed and dropped a ton of spines. I isolated him and fed him nori until he recovered. The key imo was supplemental feeding.

Good luck with your urchin.

OlPainless · May 1, 2022

Mibu said:
I don't believe urchins molt. How long have you had him?

Was he a lfs pick up ir was he shipped.

Shedding spines, bad water quality, poor diet, or infection is possible.

I’ve had him about 8-10 months now. A lfs purchase.

I guess only time will tell, he still has a bunch of spines. Just shedded about 12-15 .

Goaway · May 2, 2022

I would do as @G Santana said. Get him some nori sheets to eat. You can place those under him, on a rock he is by, or directly on him depending on his strength.

OlPainless · May 2, 2022

Thanks for all the info, I'll pick up some nori sheets and try that. He hasn't moved from where I put him on the rock the other day but he was still moving some spines this morning when I checked on him.

Pkunk35 · May 2, 2022

If you have chaeto they will happily munch that too

OlPainless · May 5, 2022

Ok, I got a Hanna nitrate tester the other day and some nori sheets today. Checked nitrates yesterday and it was at 43.8, did a big water change, cleaned a lot of red cyano and gha up tonight, probably like a 35-40% water change and put a quarter nori sheet under mr urchin(that stuff likes to blow around very easily). Another no3 test after the water settled, down to 27.3.

Rmckoy · May 6, 2022

OlPainless said:
Ok, I got a Hanna nitrate tester the other day and some nori sheets today. Checked nitrates yesterday and it was at 43.8, did a big water change, cleaned a lot of red cyano and gha up tonight, probably like a 35-40% water change and put a quarter nori sheet under mr urchin(that stuff likes to blow around very easily). Another no3 test after the water settled, down to 27.3.

Similar to everything else .
changing too much , too fast isn’t always good .
that’s a significant drop which I personally try to avoid .

OlPainless · May 9, 2022

Rmckoy said:
Similar to everything else .
changing too much , too fast isn’t always good .
that’s a significant drop which I personally try to avoid .

Yeah, I didn't plan on doing that big of a water change but I had a lot of red cyano and gha to clean up. unfortunately yesterday I noticed my urchin had finally dropped all its spines. The only other big change i've done recently is get a new light, once I did that the tank seemed to of changed. a couple of my fish went into hiding after the new light, red cyano popped up everywhere, gha everywhere and now my urchin passed on. my clown and coral beauty are still doing great, banded sea star still doing great and hermits and snails still kicking.

Rmckoy · May 9, 2022

OlPainless said:
Yeah, I didn't plan on doing that big of a water change but I had a lot of red cyano and gha to clean up. unfortunately yesterday I noticed my urchin had finally dropped all its spines. The only other big change i've done recently is get a new light, once I did that the tank seemed to of changed. a couple of my fish went into hiding after the new light, red cyano popped up everywhere, gha everywhere and now my urchin passed on. my clown and coral beauty are still doing great, banded sea star still doing great and hermits and snails still kicking.

Im
Not familiar with newer lighting but have read some can be over powered compared to what was once there .
I believe a acclimation period sp
Everything adjusts to the stronger newer light .