Urchin tore apart my halimeda plant :(

[calf85]

So I'm sort of new to the hobby, recently set up a 50 gallon tank and two of my occupants do not appear to be friends! A few days ago I noticed my blue tuxedo urchin was all tangled up in my halimeda plant. I disentangled him and put him on the other side of the tank, but the next morning he was wrapped back up in the halimeda. I decided to let him be and see what happened, and what happened was he tore the halimeda apart . Now he's wandering the tank with a few pieces of the plant attached to him, while other pieces are scattered along the bottom. My question is, I've heard halimeda can reproduce from fragments, so can I just leave them be? Or will they start to decay and mess up my water quality? As far as I can tell every fragment is at least a couple of segments, so none of the ovals are torn. Any thoughts?

 

[ritter6788]

It may be trying to eat it. Urchins eat calcareous algae like coralline algae so they may eat Halimeda also. If it's not eating it you can grow it back from frags.

 

[Russellaqua]

It may be trying to eat it. Urchins eat calcareous algae like coralline algae so they may eat Halimeda also. If it's not eating it you can grow it back from frags.

I agree. It sounds like the urchin was eating the Halimeda.

 

[calf85]

Darn, perhaps you're right. I suppose a "peaceful" temperament doesn't apply to algae haha! I've been feeding him seaweed flakes but maybe he likes the fresh stuff better. Such a shame too because I'm quite fond of both of them.

 

[ritter6788]

I've never had a blue tuxedo urchin but I've had other collector urchins and mine didn't eat anything except coralline algae. Any other type of algae was left alone.

 

[calf85]

All the fragments of the halimeda are gone now. The urchin ate most of him and any little bits around the tank have been scavenged. Poor guy . Guess I need a refugium to grow any macroalgae.