Its an URCHIN-cy

[Heather Kastory]

I received a pencil urchin hitchhiker on my live rock from KP that became a problem..grew huge and started eating corals.. he was gifted with warning.

 

[Breadbox]

Had a blue Tuxedo originally,had it for about a year or so, then one day it flipped over and died. I'm not sure why, it might have starved, it's tube feet are always out so I couldn't tell if it's losing spine or not.

Got myself a teeny little Halloween Urchin a few months ago, barely an inche and not a lot of spines.

Today it's more than twice its original size with thick bushy spines all around, I'm alittle scared by its growth. I have no idea they grew so quick and I almost never feed it.

 

[DarkReefer]

I've been chasing 2 LFS for a tuxedo urchin for over a month.
One keeps telling me they're expecting one in the next week and when that week comes its nowhere to be seen and its due the following week (rinse and repeat).

I checked the other LFS this week and they had another urchin in stock, not sure what type but it looks pretty cool. I've only had it a couple days so I'm not sure what it's like in the long term but for now I'm enjoying seeing it in there.

 

[blaxsun]

I've had numerous types (including slate and fire urchins), but the only ones that seem to survive long-term are the blue tuxedos.

 

[Kmst80]

I've been chasing 2 LFS for a tuxedo urchin for over a month.
One keeps telling me they're expecting one in the next week and when that week comes its nowhere to be seen and its due the following week (rinse and repeat).

I checked the other LFS this week and they had another urchin in stock, not sure what type but it looks pretty cool. I've only had it a couple days so I'm not sure what it's like in the long term but for now I'm enjoying seeing it in there.

Short spine or Rock boring urchin. I got 4 of them, all came in on the rock. They come out of the rockwork in the evening and feed the whole night just to disappear the next morning.
They love to relocate your rockwork by pushing it around to squeeze in the smallest of gaps. I still love mine.
Mine are 16 month in the tank.

 

[littlefoxx]

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.

I tried two tuxedos and a long spine. Loved the long spine!! But they all died within the first week. Not sure why, tested the water all three times and it was in normal ranges. I want one though just want to figure out how to keep the little guys alive!

 

[DarkReefer]

Short spine or Rock boring urchin. I got 4 of them, all came in on the rock. They come out of the rockwork in the evening and feed the whole night just to disappear the next morning.
They love to relocate your rockwork by pushing it around to squeeze in the smallest of gaps. I still love mine.
Mine are 16 month in the tank.

Thanks for the ID btw, it's nice to know what I've got and seems to be a reef compatible one from what I've read.
Saw it this morning up on the glass on a snail, but had crawled back down to the corner by the time the lights came back on.

 

[Kmst80]

Thanks for the ID btw, it's nice to know what I've got and seems to be a reef compatible one from what I've read.
Saw it this morning up on the glass on a snail, but had crawled back down to the corner by the time the lights came back on.

They haven't touched my corals once. I don't see them much on the glass either, mostly hiding in the life rock or grazing on the rock. I saw you're in NSW, if you were in QLD I could have given you a couple tuxedos, I got 3 juveniles that started of lentil size when I first saw them and are now macademia nut size. Not sure if mine breeding in the tank or if they travelled in on the rock.

 

[DarkReefer]

They haven't touched my corals once. I don't see them much on the glass either, mostly hiding in the life rock or grazing on the rock. I saw you're in NSW, if you were in QLD I could have given you a couple tuxedos, I got 3 juveniles that started of lentil size when I first saw them and are now macademia nut size. Not sure if mine breeding in the tank or if they travelled in on the rock.

Ah nice! I've been out your way a couple times for work and to catch up with a mate out there but appreciate the offer anyway.

My urchin is really hovering around the same area/rockwork at the moment, looking forward to it exploring the rest of the tank though and dealing with the hair algae growing in some of the areas. I've scrubbed it a few times with a toothbrush but it always seems to come back after a month. (Nutrients are and have been on the high side for a while, but they're slowly coming down).
I guess I'll have to keep the glass clean so it's not tempted to climb it for food and sticks to the substrate/rockwork.

 

[Sump Crab]

I love urchins and they are absolute CUC machines.

I have a couple of Florida varieties in my reef

 

[Rubymoon286]

I have a pincushion urchin who has been wearing a dead mangrove leaf as a hat for a solid two weeks, though I don't expect the leaf to hold up much longer, it's looking pretty deteriorated.

 

[Turkey head]

Currently I have 3. A Halloween, pincushion, and a pencil. I’ve had a short spine, red tux, and blue tux. They tend to do well. The ones I had before would accept seaweed but my current ones don’t. I suspect there’s enough food for them since the tank is larger than my old one and is well established. Tons of coralline for them too.

 

[Turkey head]

I really want a long spine but I don’t want to have to deal with looking out for them during maintenance. Feels like more trouble than it’s worth. They look amazing though

 

[PeterEde]

Currently have 2 both from babies. Only a few mm in dia.
Longspine now bigger than a golf ball
Decorator about 1in dia

 

[Rugops]

This one (which is supposedly a Halloween urchin from Dr.Reef) ate one of my featherduster worms. Chewed through the tube to get through it.

 

[Kmst80]

This one (which is supposedly a Halloween urchin from Dr.Reef) ate one of my featherduster worms. Chewed through the tube to get through it.

Evil but stunning

 

[PeterEde]

Currently have 2 both from babies. Only a few mm in dia.
Longspine now bigger than a golf ball
Decorator about 1in dia

 

[PeterEde]

Decorator

 

[PhishMonger84]

i had a pencil urchin that ate both my hammer frags, they got sumped and returned.

i have a tuxedo in there now, model citizen, has some macroalgae dreads at the moment.

I want to add one to my FO and was thinking longspine, or pencil or purple spine but despite being FO ill likely put a leather and xenia in there, dont want those eaten.

 

[mijan]

Got one blue tuxedo. Never kept urchins before so I tried one and he's been doing good for almost a year now. Looking to get more now maybe I'll try a pencil urchin if I can find one.
Never saw my guy on my rocks. He spends all day on the back glass most likely because of all the coralline growing there.