Urchins?

[manny]

I'm lookin at getting an urchin as part of my clean up crew to replace a dozen mexican turbos. What kind do you guys recommend for a reef tank? Right now I'm leanin more towards a longspine urchin (diadema) unless there's somethin better out there that you guys have tried.

[1salt]

I bought a longspine urchin (diadema) about 3 weeks ago and they do wonders on rock, I got him for $7.99 @ Forever Pets. Hope that helps ;)

[::pete::]

Keep in mind that the longspine will get to be @ 8".

[prof]

Will a longspine be a problem in any other way. I love the 'creepy crawlies' and would like to have urchins in my tank if I can properly care for them. How big of a tank does an urchin need?

Dave

[manny]

Man, that's pretty big. Any other recommendations?

[MikeP]

Look at a tuxedo urchin - they don't have the long spines and stay somewhat smaller - Urchins can grow really fast and are total bulldozers. Also beware that many species sold are not strict herbivores and some will graze on corals or whatever else is in their path - I know the longspine and tuxedo are 'reef safe' with corals though.

[ratboy]

I had a tuxedo urchin in my reef and it was cool but he stripped a path thru my coraline wherever he went. I finally got tired of my coraline dissapearing and sold him off.

[Isis]

Don't get a pencil urchin

[AlienAnchovies]

long spines are not 100% reef safe, i had one munch out on xenia, discoma, and a birdsnest frag

[matt]

I've had a diadema sp. (long spined) urchin for almost a year. It has not grown too much; it really does a great job with algae. The tuxedo urchin does prefer coralline algae, but in a large system, I doubt if it would remove more than what would usually grow. For really good, reef safe cleanup, I'd recommend one of the diadema sp, and a fighting conch, if you have a large enough system to keep them fed; maybe 75 gallons or so. And, of course, lots of bristleworms. The things to avoid are animals that feed on other detrivores and sandbed microfauna. That means excluding sifting stars, limiting hermit crab numbers, (I have three small hermits in a 100 gal) definitely avoiding sally lightfoot crabs (worm eaters) and I'd even avoid coral banded shrimp. Oh yeah, Kim's dead on about the pencil urchins. They're highly predatory on corals. Maybe Alien's long spined urchin wasn't a diadema sp; i've heard they're herbivores only. Could be wrong, though.....

[robertpower3]

yeah iagree with matt and kim thos pecil urchins destroy every thing. they knock over any thing that comes in there path and they are aggressive towards corals :evil:

[manny]

What size tank did you have that tuxedo urchin in ratboy?

[Tim Marvin]

Hmm, I guess I'd better get the pencil out of the frag tank that it has been living in all this time if you guys say he will start eating them. I also have a long spine and a tuxedo. They all seem to work great at keeping things clean.

[MikeP]

Hmm, I guess I'd better get the pencil out of the frag tank that it has been living in all this time if you guys say he will start eating them. I also have a long spine and a tuxedo. They all seem to work great at keeping things clean.

Not a given but pencils will eat sessile invertebrates - if there is sufficient algae to graze on he may be ignoring the corals - if you are still using those same rubbermaid stock tanks they had a lot of algae on those screens didn't they?

[matt]

Tim;

That's because your urchin is the less popular "number 3" pencil urchin, while the well known "number 2" variety will surely eat everything in sight. :roll:

[Tim Marvin]

Actually, all the light grate has been removed and there is no algae growing in there anymore except for the coralline. They are out in the greenhouse and have gone through another diatom bloom after moving, but little algae growth now. The corals have all really started to colored up though.

[Jimnorris]

I have two tuxes in my tank. One is most helpful in that he helps me position frags in the tank????? :D
Jim

[witecap4u]

I banished my pencil urching to the refug. where there is plenty of corraline for him to munch on. I actually for got I had him till this post, so I went and checked him out, and he's still there, with a bunch of little critters running around al over him.....

BTW, I never saw him munch any corals, he just like to throw the around....hehe

[alexwolf]

i have a HUGE diatom outbreak in my 135.....i got 6 enormous mex turbos and they are just laying there, useless jerks.....maybe i can get one of these...........any ideas?

[georgetownreefer]

I have a pencil urchin and he ate one of my starfish a while back.....I don't think i would ever have another one should i chose later to buy another tank....

Misty