Does anyone keep sea urchins in their reef tank?

[philr]

I am not sure if they are a good addition - 90 gallon tank.

 

[eburnsed]

I have 2 in mine. One recently went into fuge because he was getting to big. I although wouldn't put another large round one with the short spike back in...did that a couple years ago. It was like a bulldozer. .knocking rocks over

 

[falconut]

I tried a blue tuxedo and my frianti starfish ate in. So, no more for me. But, the tuxedo's are supposed to be the best for reefs. From what I've read.

 

[Small triggers]

Tuxedo here...eats hair algae...
But you best have all your corals glued down...

 

[saltyhog]

I had 7 rock boring urchins that came in on my live rock. They grew from the size of my thumbnail to 4-5" across in 6 months. Great algae eaters but as the tank matured there wasn't enough algae for them all and the CUC. Sold them to my LFS for credit but really wish I'd saved one. Only thing about them was if there's not enough algae they will eat coraline algae.

 

[bitumenman]

Yes I have a short spiked one, he's a bulldozer killed a few candy canes, and he eats all kinds of algae, seems to clean the rock till it turns white white. On the bright side where ever he has turned my rock white the coralline has grown back ten fold. So I'm up in the air wether to keep him around or not.

 

[Revan]

Just picked up a baseball sized long spine for my 75. I feed a lot so there should be plenty of food and alage.

 

[Sacohen]

I have a pencil Urchin. I like them because they are interesting, but they are a bull in a China shop.
Knocking everything over.

 

[roadrashpaul]

I have a pencil Urchin. I like them because they are interesting, but they are a bull in a China shop.
Knocking everything over.

Same here. I have 2 in my 125. Coraline eating machines but will knock over frags and small rocks.

 

[gerbsteru2]

I have 2 and they are doing well. My big one likes the romaine lettuce stems that the fishe know out of the clip.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a pin cushion. Great algae cleaner and color

 

[JMSKI333]

In my opinion they are the bulldoser of the reef.

 

[xhhn30]

I have had 7 different species and never had a negative effect from any of them. There were 5 in my 125 at the same time.

 

[3Twinklets]

I had 2 in my reef for many, many years . They can be destructive if you have SPS frags.

 

[TruRacr314x]

I have a Halloween that did great...he was eating all my coralline and wrecking havoc on frags so I moved him to my fuge. Went down the next day and the sucker ate darn near all my chaeto! I keep him around though...I just feed him some nori every other day or so.

If your frags are glued and you don't care about coralline....they are awesome additions!

 

[Palting]

I have 2 black longspine, Diadema setosum, in the mixed reef 150. They keep the rocks clean. I do suspect they ate all my zoas, but they have otherwise been harmelss to all my SPS, LPS and softies.