Its an URCHIN-cy

[vetteguy53081]

Some of the neatest and mysterious inverts in the hobby is an urchin. There are many considered common and some not so common, nor reef safe.

Do you have an urchin and if so , what Kind(s)?
What benefits or headaches do they offer you ?

I have a pencil urchin over two years and I chose this one as it does Not drag frag plugs and other objects around the tank and eats algae well.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I had 3 but all died for unknown reasons. love them. great at keeping the tank clean

 

[SPS2020]

Tuxedo Urchins for me. I have about eight of them across two tanks. They are fantastic at grazing rockwork, better than any snail (IMHO). They will pick up another snail or frag to wear as a hat, but that doesn't bother me.

 

[Daenion]

I have a red tuxedo in my nano tank. I love the little guy and is the best algae eater. Weird thing is he is going around a single rock. Albeit it is the biggest rock in that small aquarium there are 4 more rocks he can graze on that he refuses to do so.

 

[RedoubtReef]

I've had a couple blue tuxedo urchins and plan on getting one as part of my CUC here in the next month. They do a great job of keeping the rocks clean.

 

[Narideth]

I have a pair of tuxedo urchins and have considered getting another. They're helpful and really fascinating to watch. I just need to get them some appropriate hats now...

 

[Reefing102]

I have a blue tuxedo and a pin cushion for algae. In the sump I have 2 pencil urchins as they decided to not stay reef safe.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I have 5 common purple spine urchins and few others. They are doing great.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I'm going to get some urchins soon. I like their personality, plus the fact they can wear hats is a bonus too

 

[1112-425XL]

I have two blue tuxedo urchins. They've been doing a great job for about a year and a half. They don't bother anybody and nobody bothers them.

 

[Tcook]

Halloween urchins.

 

[fodsod]

Good post as it reminded me I need to get a urchin of some kind to add to my CUC in my FOWLR tank.

 

[Miami Reef]

I have 2 pencil urchins that came as tiny little things with the KP rocks. They are much bigger now!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have 2 pencil urchins that came as tiny little things with the KP rocks. They are much bigger now!

I like my pencil- they dont drag things around

 

[exnisstech]

2 tuxedo urchins here. I may get a few more now that these have survived over a year. I like them for their algae eating ability and would never add them to a tank that doesn't contain enough algae to sustain them. I think many people add them as a cool critter but then they perish because there isn't a natural food source for them.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I like my pencil- they dont drag things around

Not knocking anything over more so than "small" spined urchins?

 

[JoJosReef]

Tux with a zoa colony hat. I have to feed it algae pellets, because there isn't enough algae in the tank now. wish I could get that zoa colony back...

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not knocking anything over more so than "small" spined urchins?

Yes

 

[Dbichler]

Pencil urchin for me only kind I trust with my huma huma

 

[Wasabiroot]

2 short spine urchins. They do an awesome job keeping the coraline off the glass and walls. I had a slate pencil who was also awesome but in my experience it was not reef safe so I had to sump it, where it unfortunately died a week or so ago in a return pump snafu. I was so bummed