how to handle long spined urchin

[salty joe]

A friend is giving me a long spined urchin. It's about the size of a baseball or maybe a softball, it was tiny when he got it. We are unsure how to move it without getting jabbed or injuring the urchin.
Any advice?

 

[fishguy242]

hi, some type of container ,with flat edge,slide under ,nudge in.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Carefully!
I can show you black spots on my hand from interactions with them & broken spines.

 

[salty joe]

Makes sense, thank you!

 

[DeniseAndy]

Use very heavy gloves. Thick yellow hazard waste things. I have had a spine in my thumb, no fun. Plus these guys fight rather than run. Use container and do not use unprotected hands.

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Had several full size diadema urchins in a large tanks, and the easiest way for me was to use a metal spatula or large knife, or anything thin/flat you can slide under them, and scoop them into a container to move.

 

[boeingn747]

hi, some type of container ,with flat edge,slide under ,nudge in.

So I didn't want to make a new post and thought I would try to ask a question about my long spine urchin. My tank is a 120 fat boy mixed reef. I currently have 3 urchins in the tank a Halloween, 2 different colored tuxedos. I saw this long spine at petco yesterday and thought that I would add it to my 30 aio fiji cube. I am having a algae outbreak and thought that maybe the urchin would help knock that down. I drip acclimated him for 20-30min and in he went. Let me add that the aio has been up for just under one year (10.5-11months). 24 hrs later he seemed fine. I did notice one spine that fell off. Fast forward another 24hrs later I noticed a couple more spines in the sand bed and noticed that a few of his long spines are laying down. From my experience this is not good. Currently I have him In a small container and I am drip acclimating him to my 120 tank. My question is, once they start losing spines, is it to late, or can they bounce back if the problem/s are remedied? As an emergency fix I am going to put him in a tank with the other urchins becasue I know the other 3 are doing great. Once you notice the spines laying down and a few falling off is it to late or can they bounce back? Thanks. Hope this wasn't wrong for asking this within this post. I figured it would be ok considering they are of a similar questions for the same animal.

 

[fishguy242]

So I didn't want to make a new post and thought I would try to ask a question about my long spine urchin. My tank is a 120 fat boy mixed reef. I currently have 3 urchins in the tank a Halloween, 2 different colored tuxedos. I saw this long spine at petco yesterday and thought that I would add it to my 30 aio fiji cube. I am having a algae outbreak and thought that maybe the urchin would help knock that down. I drip acclimated him for 20-30min and in he went. Let me add that the aio has been up for just under one year (10.5-11months). 24 hrs later he seemed fine. I did notice one spine that fell off. Fast forward another 24hrs later I noticed a couple more spines in the sand bed and noticed that a few of his long spines are laying down. From my experience this is not good. Currently I have him In a small container and I am drip acclimating him to my 120 tank. My question is, once they start losing spines, is it to late, or can they bounce back if the problem/s are remedied? As an emergency fix I am going to put him in a tank with the other urchins becasue I know the other 3 are doing great. Once you notice the spines laying down and a few falling off is it to late or can they bounce back? Thanks. Hope this wasn't wrong for asking this within this post. I figured it would be ok considering they are of a similar questions for the same animal.

losing spines generally not an issue ,on adding ,will regrow.
watch for degradation of body ,and color would indicate dying.

 

[boeingn747]

losing spines generally not an issue ,on adding ,will regrow.
watch for degradation of body ,and color would indicate dying.

Ok, ya so I added after this post I added him to my other reef tank which has 3 other urchins and has been running for 5 or 6 years. He just continued to go down hill until I woke up this morning and he had no spines left that were standing up. He did have some attached still but hasn't moved since lastnight. He still hasn't moved all day. I am pretty sure it is over for him. No idea what went wrong. I got him from petco, which I don't normally buy from but he was priced wrong or on sale for only $10 so I had to get him. I don't know if he was sick from the store of what. Clealry the stress of it all was to much for him. I do know that my reef tank that I transferrd him to is on point. So If he would've bounced back it would've been in that tank. It's a bummer he was really pretty. Had these bluish dots around the top of his body. And the cool orangeish center. Beautiful creature forsure. Hopefully better luck next time.

 

[fishguy242]

Ok, ya so I added after this post I added him to my other reef tank which has 3 other urchins and has been running for 5 or 6 years. He just continued to go down hill until I woke up this morning and he had no spines left that were standing up. He did have some attached still but hasn't moved since lastnight. He still hasn't moved all day. I am pretty sure it is over for him. No idea what went wrong. I got him from petco, which I don't normally buy from but he was priced wrong or on sale for only $10 so I had to get him. I don't know if he was sick from the store of what. Clealry the stress of it all was to much for him. I do know that my reef tank that I transferrd him to is on point. So If he would've bounced back it would've been in that tank. It's a bummer he was really pretty. Had these bluish dots around the top of his body. And the cool orangeish center. Beautiful creature forsure. Hopefully better luck next time.

you have removed by now correct ?

 

[boeingn747]

you have removed by now correct ?

Yes I did!