Opinions on Urchins
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16611
Printed Date: September 13 2025 at 9:32am
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Topic: Opinions on Urchins
Posted By: superman1981
Subject: Opinions on Urchins
Date Posted: February 14 2007 at 10:51am
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So I made an impulse buy the other day, I was at Reef Runners and they had a pink pincushion urchin and my wife really wanted it, so I bought it for her. Now don't get me wrong, it's really cool, very active, and very colorful, and the misses loves it! But, here comes the frustration, he gets all wrapped up in my macro algae at least once a day, and he has a tendency to sit on top of my corals, especially my button polyps. I know they are supposed to be reef safe, but I'm really starting to wonder about it. Is this okay for my corals, or is it hurting them? Anyone have experience with urchins? Worst case scenario, I could toss him in my nano, they're aren't any corals in there. Let me know what you think. Thank, Tim ------------- Sure you are, you are Crappy Reef Club Member #1 -Chk4tix 6 gal nanocube 65 gal http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78639&title=tims-65-gallon-build" rel="nofollow - build thread |
Replies:
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: February 14 2007 at 11:12am
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I'm not a big fan of urchins in aquariums. They have a tendency to bull doze everything, many eat coralline, and most are not overly attractive.
But .... if the wife likes it --> you may be stuck.
|
Posted By: bbauman
Date Posted: February 14 2007 at 11:34am
Ditto. Same experience here. Wife loved it, I bought it, stuck. Corals dissappearing behind rocks because he bulldozed them right off the deep end.  Not to mention that if you have acrylic they put some nice scratches in it with their teeth. (the same may be true for glass). So far I haven't seen him eating or intentionally harming my corals though.------------- 28g Cube http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23030" rel="nofollow - Beginners Guide to Saltwater Aquariums Brandon in West Jordan |
Shane H wrote:Posted By: superman1981
Date Posted: February 14 2007 at 4:15pm
Thanks for the input, I think I'll toss him in my nano once it is fully cycled (we're almost there only a few more days, hopefully my corals will last that long  )------------- Sure you are, you are Crappy Reef Club Member #1 -Chk4tix 6 gal nanocube 65 gal http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78639&title=tims-65-gallon-build" rel="nofollow - build thread |
Posted By: mlmforsuccess
Date Posted: February 22 2007 at 9:28pm
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i have a pincushion (sp?) sea urchin in my tank and they sure do like to bull dozing things. i personally like them in my tank because people come and think that it is so cool. i had my urchin in time out for about 2 months because it kept carrying my corals around on its back so i gave the corals time to grip the rock and i haven't had a problem yet and it has been a few weeks now but you never know they are kinda a pain because you have to babysit them every now and then. i don't know if you wanna put it in your nano because you would have the same problem unless you put him in a sump or something where your wife could still enjoy it yet keep him away from other things. mine grazed on my macro algea but it was all good. ------------- KP Properties LLC, Real Estate Investor. 12G Nano Chris, Provo |
Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: February 23 2007 at 9:46pm
| I have a great little green tuxedo urchin in my office tank to eat coraline. Unfortunately he is not very discriminatory. I want him to eat the stuff off the glass and he does that, but he also eats the coraline off the rocks where I wish he would leave it alone. |
Posted By: Gahlenfr
Date Posted: February 24 2007 at 10:45pm
| Will that was my experience with my pencil urchin. He did a great job and was on coraline eating maching except he did too great a job on my rocks! I eventually donated him to a worthy cause. |