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10/01/2010, 12:08 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 194
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Urchin question
I think (from some other threads on here) that these are called Rock boring urchins. I have 5 of them, they were hitchhikers on my liverock. At first i only noticed this one, only 1/4 of an inch at the time (now closer to 2 inches) all the others started out as little pencil dots.
My question is, can you have too many urchins? they dont seem to have removed any coraline algae, will they eat anything other than algae? should i put some of them down in my sump/fuge? will they have anything to eat down there? i have grape caulpera and chaetomorphia. i dont know if coralline algae will grow under a 6700k flood light?  
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10/01/2010, 12:39 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 420
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It looks kinda like a pencil urchin. I have one and it definitely eats coralline algae
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10/01/2010, 12:50 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Broken Arrow, OK
Posts: 1,016
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looks like rock boring urchin to me as well. pencil urchins have flat ends to the spikes. for the most part, they just sit in one spot and eat their way through the rock, making holes and tunnels. just be careful, if he eats a hole through a supporting rock you could have an avalanche and busted glass
__________________
2013 Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society - President An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Current Tank Info: 75g braceless SPS dominated w/ 50g Frag Tank |
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10/01/2010, 01:37 PM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 194
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They seem to move around alot, and I dont think ive noticed them creating any new holes or anything, but i could be wrong. They wont reduce my live rock to a pile of dust and rubble will they?
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10/01/2010, 01:55 PM
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#5 | |
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100-mile-commuter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: almost nevada
Posts: 4,721
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Quote:
They sometimes will be bulldozers and knock over unsecured rockwork and corals, but otherwise mostly harmless.
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Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics |
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10/01/2010, 04:58 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 77
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+1 on the bulldozing theatrus! They can also act as dump trucks! I had two hitchhiker urchins that, aside from eating some coralline and knocking things over, would literally pick-up small frags and carry them around the tank. Only to dump them where ever they saw fit!
Please correct me if I'm wrong everyone, but it is my understanding that they grab rubble, rocks, shells, ect. for camouflage purposes, correct? |
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10/01/2010, 05:13 PM
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#7 | |
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100-mile-commuter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: almost nevada
Posts: 4,721
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Quote:
I'd sell off the others to someone in your area, 5 might be asking for trouble/rearranged tanks. I had two from my LR, the smaller small spine urchin is in the tank, the larger pencil is in the refuge (where he does a good job mowing down the coraline from the acrylic walls).
__________________
Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics |
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10/01/2010, 08:27 PM
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#8 | ||
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 194
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Quote:
I thought i read that pin cushion urchins did that mostly. Quote:
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10/01/2010, 10:06 PM
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#9 | |
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100-mile-commuter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: almost nevada
Posts: 4,721
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Quote:
__________________
Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics |
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