Is my Pincushion sea urchin dead?

[TrishK]

He arrived yesterday morning. I immediately started acclimating him but noticed the water he was in smelled really bad and was very dirty. Honestly it smelled like something dead. There was no way I was putting any of that nasty water in my DT tank so once I had him acclimated I scooped him out of the bag with as little of the water as I could and then just kept dumping cups of my tank water into the cup I had him in letting it spill over to wash most of the nasty water. I thin placed him in my sandbed. It was then I noticed under the lights that he had almost no spines. I didn’t notice before as I acclimated him only using the light from my cell phone placed on a shelf so as not to cause him more stress. He never once moved at all during this process and by the time I went to bed he was still in the same spot. I thought maybe this is what they do when introduced to a new tank and surely he’d roam about after lights out. Hubby peeked in around 11pm (3 hours after the lights have been out) and he was still in the same spot.

All today and tonight and he hasn’t moved a bit. I told hubby to place some Nori and Algae sheets under him in case he was in starvation mode. Which he did and said he never moved or felt like he was living or twitching when he picked him up. I think he must’ve been in really bad water conditions or was starving to have lost all his spines. They sent him to me in that condition. My water parameters are perfect...water pristine. I don’t know how you can tell for sure though that these things have died with 100% certainty as I’ve never had one before. Does anyone know? I don’t want an ammonia spike in my tank!! What do you all think? TIA

 

[El_Guapo13]

#reefsquad

 

[TexasReefer82]

The urchin pictured is dead.

 

[TrishK]

Hubby picked him up again and mouth(?) like this? He’s completely bald of spines And still hasn’t moved at all. Husband says he doesn’t stink though but I’m scared to put him in my DT

Well I agree he’s dead: hubby pulled him and put him under lights and says he rattles when he lightly shakes him and look at the decay ....I’m so mad

 

[r20crazy]

should be a "beak" in the middle bottom hole you wouldn't see thru..... sorry for the loss. contact the seller for refund. it is dead. doesn't stink cause all the 'meat' inside is gone already from the shipping bag smell. all you have left is the hard shell it seems and will turn into what u find on the beach. if you see a beak still, place nori under it and check in morning. if nori still there dead for sure

 

[TrishK]

should be a "beak" in the middle bottom hole you wouldn't see thru..... sorry for the loss. contact the seller for refund. it is dead. doesn't stink cause all the 'meat' inside is gone already from the shipping bag smell. all you have left is the hard shell it seems and will turn into what u find on the beach.

Thank you for the information. I appreciate it.