Sea Urchins, Sea Stars

[ndz98]

How many of you have sea urchins or sea stars in your tank? Do they make a big difference in the algae? What is the minimum tank size you would say you could have for each one and combined?

 

[Baby Ray]

How many of you have sea urchins or sea stars in your tank? Do they make a big difference in the algae? What is the minimum tank size you would say you could have for each one and combined?

I have a long spine sea urchin in my sump for algae control and he does a great job!!!! I also have a brittle starfish in my DT but I am currently try to catch him. I just want to get rid of him because my tank does't have enough food to support him and he keeps moving my corals around. I am also planning on keeping a clam and/or scallop and I don't trust the brittle star not to eat them.
The easiest brittle star to keep are brittle and serpent stars. Any other starfish need a huge tank to survive and most will perish in smaller tanks with a few exception. It you don't have corals then you could also go with chocolate chip starfish.
There are many different types of sea urchins and starfish so you will need to specify the types you are talking about.
Sea urchins however grow really slow.
Hope this helps.

 

[Tahoe61]

I have used Urchins a number of times for algae control. I like the Aquacultured ones found on LA produced by ORA. With any Urchin you need to beware that they will knock over smaller rocks, and corals...
There is no Star Fish other than small Formia that I feel should be kept by newer hobbyist, and they are not huge algae eaters.
Chitons, and Abalone are good algae eaters though.

 

[dmh41532]

I have a blue tuxedo urchin, I've had it for two months or so. It's pretty small and hasn't done too much damage to the coraline and bryopsis. Oh and it's in a 65