How do you feed your urchin?

[ReeferSam]

Thats what mine was doing too and i was feeding it there every day. Until recently it started to roam the tank again. Now im worried about it eating again. I lost one of the two durring the tank swap and nearly lost this one and almost all its spines fell off. But i fed it every day and it regrew them.

Hi, this my collector urchin has recently lost all its spines. I think some of them have started to grow back. Do you remember roughly how long this took. I sit him on top of an algae pellet everyday so I know he get something to eat as isn't strong enough to stay stuck to glass or LR.

 

[Cory]

Hi, this my collector urchin has recently lost all its spines. I think some of them have started to grow back. Do you remember roughly how long this took. I sit him on top of an algae pellet everyday so I know he get something to eat as isn't strong enough to stay stuck to glass or LR.

It takes about a month. Your lucky that urchin is still alive!

 

[Vette67]

My rock urchins devour coralline off my glass. I’ve never had to feed them (I have 2) and I’ve had them for at least 10 years. Here’s a picture of one of them eating a bubble of coralline algae. Spot of algae was about twice that size. You can see the outline.

 

[Cory]

My rock urchins devour coralline off my glass. I’ve never had to feed them (I have 2) and I’ve had them for at least 10 years. Here’s a picture of one of them eating a bubble of coralline algae. Spot of algae was about twice that size. You can see the outline.

Thats something to be proud of! Whats your no3 at? Why do they live so long with you?

 

[Vette67]

Thats something to be proud of! Whats your no3 at? Why do they live so long with you?

That’s a good question. I haven’t tested nitrates in years. I do have a Hanna phosphate tester, but I haven’t checked that in years either. I pretty much only test magnesium. But that could get into a whole other discussion... I recently got a bigger refugium and changed out the substrate, so I have a dino bloom going on now until that aragonite cycles. So I would guess my nitrates are elevated. But that will sort itself out soon enough.

 

[Cory]

That’s a good question. I haven’t tested nitrates in years. I do have a Hanna phosphate tester, but I haven’t checked that in years either. I pretty much only test magnesium. But that could get into a whole other discussion... I recently got a bigger refugium and changed out the substrate, so I have a dino bloom going on now until that aragonite cycles. So I would guess my nitrates are elevated. But that will sort itself out soon enough.

I had dinos. 0 po4 and no3. Raised both and dinos were gone in 2 weeks or so.

 

[RudyvandenBerg]

I might be crazy but I think I have trained my urchin to come to the top edge of my tank whenever he wants nori.

It's about every 3 days or so like clockwork. Same corner and he stays there until I give it to him.

Just slide a piece roughly his size in between him and the glass and he happily sits there for a good few hours munching on it where after he goes on his way.

That said, he does carry a captain America shield on his back everywhere so may he is a tad special...

 

[Cory]

I might be crazy but I think I have trained my urchin to come to the top edge of my tank whenever he wants nori.

It's about every 3 days or so like clockwork. Same corner and he stays there until I give it to him.

Just slide a piece roughly his size in between him and the glass and he happily sits there for a good few hours munching on it where after he goes on his way.

That said, he does carry a captain America shield on his back everywhere so may he is a tad special...

Thats freaking cool

 

[RudyvandenBerg]

Yeah... he won't let it go.

 

[Vette67]

I might be crazy but I think I have trained my urchin to come to the top edge of my tank whenever he wants nori.

It's about every 3 days or so like clockwork. Same corner and he stays there until I give it to him.

That’s so cool, considering they have no brain!

 

[Cory]

I just got two white decorator urchins as dinos killed off my other urchins. So far so good eating hair off the rocks. Are they called white pincushion urchins?

 

[Lewis1]

I've noticed that when my urchin is hungry and can't find enough to eat on its own, it will move to the surface water line. When here, I'll take a small piece of seaweed and push it in between the urchin and the glass, and he'll eat it every time. After a couple of feedings, he'll move back into the live rock etc..

Can I feed them just the dried pressed seaweed? Like some I find at an Asian market?

 

[DeniseAndy]

I guess I have never fed my urchins specifically. They go around to my different tanks as needed. I got one imported on my live rock this summer and went from tiny (like could barely see it) to almost 2" across the body alone in this past 6 months. Not eating enough hair algae though. Think I will get another pin cushion or two.
I have had pincushion in the past and they are great. They would cloud the water every so often when spawing, but that was no big deal. Free food.
My pencil urchin is in the basement in the sump. He tends to have issues knocking things over. Unti I stabalize my rock, he stays there.
I have had him over 5 years now. The pincushions were pretty old too. Never grew too much in size with me and with me over 5 years or more.

 

[Cory]

Can I feed them just the dried pressed seaweed? Like some I find at an Asian market?

Yes just make sure the only ingredient is seaweed. No flavor, or anything else.

An update is those two decorator urchins are still alive and have almost doubled in size! They keep the rocks very clean. I also dont feed them but suspect they get some algae pellets that drop to the bottom glass for the tangs. Just those small pellets not big ones.

 

[PhreeByrd]

Can I feed them just the dried pressed seaweed? Like some I find at an Asian market?

Yes, that is normally just fine.
Keep in mind though that some urchins don't eat green algae, or at least not much. Some eat coralline, and some actually bore into the rock when feeding. I can't say I remember which, though. Just give it a try and see how it goes.

 

[redlinda1]

Can I feed them just the dried pressed seaweed? Like some I find at an Asian market?

yes but make sure its just roasted nori not flavored or and chemicals added.

 

[Crevalle]

Have an urchin that came with the used tank I got 2 weeks ago. There not a lot of algae in the tank. He came up where I could get a small piece of nori started under him. He pulled it right in to his mouth. It was fascinating to watch.

 

[spamvicious]

Old thread but I’ve had a tuxedo urchin for about three weeks. He’s eaten nearly all the algae in the tank and now on the back wall. I’ve been trying to feed him sea weed but he just wears it on his back. My tank is only three months old so I’m worried I’m going to have to rehome him as I don’t want him to starve.

 

[The_Skrimp]

If my tank is looking extra clean and my urchins are out on the glass looking for food I might slip some nori under them just so they don’t starve but otherwise, I usually don’t believe in feeding clean up crew.

@spamvicious the trick for me is to wedge it down under them and try to push it toward their mouth. Once it’s little feet grab ahold of the nori, it should pull it the rest of the way under it.

 

[spamvicious]

If my tank is looking extra clean and my urchins are out on the glass looking for food I might slip some nori under them just so they don’t starve but otherwise, I usually don’t believe in feeding clean up crew.

I tried this yesterday and he’s not just covered in the sea weed. I’ve been told my tank isn’t old enough for him to survive.