Two new hitchhikers - urchin and worn?

Mcd9423 · Nov 9, 2019

I’ve had my tank up for about two months, and just noticed these two tonight. I bought live rock from KP Aquatics so definitely had some hitchhikers. One looks like an urchin and then some type of worm? Are they both safe to leave in?

DSC reef · Nov 9, 2019

The urchin looks like a type of pencil urchin, I don't believe they are reef safe and the other is a bristleworm, good member of CUC.

Blackice · Nov 9, 2019

+1 Pencil Urchin and Bristleworm

Mcd9423 · Nov 9, 2019

Thanks for the IDs! Shame the urchin isn’t reef compatible, it’s kind of cute.

Mr Fishface · Nov 10, 2019

Why isn't the pencil urchin reef safe? I've had one in my refugium/frag tank for months with no issues besides maybe knocking stuff around sometimes.

DSC reef · Nov 10, 2019

Mr Fishface said:
Why isn't the pencil urchin reef safe? I've had one in my refugium/frag tank for months with no issues besides maybe knocking stuff around sometimes.

Its listed as non reef safe, never kept one but like anything else experiences will differ.

flsalty · Nov 10, 2019

The Atlantic slate pencil urchin eats corals and sponges.

flsalty · Nov 10, 2019

Mr Fishface said:
Why isn't the pencil urchin reef safe? I've had one in my refugium/frag tank for months with no issues besides maybe knocking stuff around sometimes.

The Indo-Pacific type eats mostly coralline as well as other types of algae. Definitely more reef safe than the Atlantic species.

Mr Fishface · Nov 10, 2019

flsalty said:
The Indo-Pacific type eats mostly coralline as well as other types of algae. Definitely more reef safe than the Atlantic species.

OH that makes more sense. I was given this one for free and told he ate algae which I thought was odd - I thought they were one type that didn't just eat algae. But he really has just mowed down on the small algae on the sand bed. Ignores the caulerpa for the most part. Thanks for the help!