Just thinking Urchin

[FoxFace Fish]

Never had an Urchin I am not even gunna lie. nor am I an expert on it but I keep reading mixed reviews on them (black long spine, Pencil, and Tuxedo)
they all really look cool to me and I have always wanted one of these three.

So the question is
1.How much algae do these things really eat (like how well they did)

2.Are they really that bad of a bull dozer like better or worse then a fighting conch or just how bad

3.Will they really eat my leather corals and my softies or even SPS

[Tuffyyyyy]

1) I have a pincushion urchin in my IM40 and it's been a nice addition. I think it has plowed through my coralline algae but not sure what else it's eaten.

2) This is absolutely true. I had 10 or so frags acclimating on a frag rack after MACNA and the urchin threw them all over the tank.

3) Not sure the answer to this one.

[sde1500]

Mine has never eaten a coral. It will leave bright white rock behind as it grazes along. It can't keep up, but it it just one in a 65 gallon mismanaged tank, so it does well for what it does. They will steal things that aren't fixed down, its had a nice frag hat a few times.

[FoxFace Fish]

Also if it is a bulldozer is there a way to avoid them bulldozing my frags

[sde1500]

Stick them down. Or just pick them off the urchin later.

[FoxFace Fish]

Originally Posted by sde1500

Stick them down. Or just pick them off the urchin later.

does the urchin not harm them or do anything detrimental when he gets a hat?

[sde1500]

If he wears them like a hat he just carries it around. Might bang them against a rock or something, but I've not had anything bad happen. I have had an SPS recently break a branch off, but not sure if it was the urchin or the Blenny that was perching around it. IF it doesn't pick them up, it does possibly knock the frags into the sand. Need to be diligent about picking them up soon after.

[Nixy]

Here’s my tuxedo wearing various hats. It cracks me up. Mine has not bothered any coral but we did name “her” Miley bc she’s a wrecking ball! It really hasn’t caused any big problems though. Such a cool tank critter. And when she grabs stuff to camouflage herself with she has never harmed anything. The green button Polyps made me laugh but she must not have liked them bc she dumped them back off later that night.


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[jlmawp]

Makes you wonder how many urchins we've looked at, but completely missed.

[mcgyvr]

Do it.. Urchins are great...

They do eat algae.. but can survive just fine in a tank with very little without problems ..
They can on occasion bulldoze/chomp right through your monti/pick up frags,etc.. but they don't harm them and you can just put them right back..

They are a great addition to a tank IMO..
The positives outweigh the negatives easily IMO...

[billdogg]

I've never bought one, but about 4 years ago one came in on a coral frag (yes, it was that small - maybe 1/2" diameter) I looked at countless pictures and have identified it as a common rock boring urchin. It has grown to the size of a tennis ball. Can it bulldoze things that aren't fastened down? Sure can! It does a great job on encrusting and coralline algae. You can always tell where it went over night - just follow the fresh trail of clean rock.

IMHO, a good addition to your CUC.

[Scott07]

My 2 blue tuxedos are great. I've only had them 6 or 8 months, but I don't have a single complaint. Never harmed any of my corals, and they do a better job as a CUC member than anything else I've had including some turbo sails. When mine get full they'll just stop and sit there, sometimes for hours at a time, i guess until they get hungry again and then will continue along on the same path. Right now one of mine has covered himself I in some extra clumpy sand lol. Pretty enjoyable to watch.

[SAT]

Urchins vary considerably regarding diet. The tuxedos and long-spine (Diadema) have a good reputation for just eating algae. The pencil urchins will eat just about anything in their path, removing a layer of rock in the process. Most of the others are somewhere in between.

[ktownhero]

I have 2 tuxedo urchins and they are work horses. I have no issues with them affecting frags because I always glue them down. They eat a ton of stuff and are constantly moving all over the tank.

[EMeyer]

If you like your aquascape, avoid urchins. I love urchins and have tried several but they always end up banished to the sump.

I've had urchins break apart rocks that were glued together with that 2 part epoxy putty. I've had urchins break well encrusted corals off of rocks. And occasionally they decide those zoas look tasty today, or they just need to plow through them on the way to that tasty algae.

I really want another urchin but I'm not doing it again until I have either a FOWLR or an all-sand tank with no aquascape to destroy.

If anyone knows of an actually reef safe urchin Id love to hear it! Tuxedos and pencil urchins are about as reef safe as a bull in a china shop, in my experience.

[JTL]

+1^

[FoxFace Fish]

should I worry about Xenia (not my choice on getting those) and my GSP

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by FoxFace Fish

should I worry about Xenia (not my choice on getting those) and my GSP

Heck no...
Why would anyone worry about those particular corals..

[Nick30G]

Since looking at this thread I have been thinking about getting a tuxedo urchin for my 37g. Would It be fine to put a urchin in a tank a few weeks after it cycles? Or too risky?

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[FoxFace Fish]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Heck no...
Why would anyone worry about those particular corals..

I get your point but my girlfriend would kill me if her Xenia died and I don't know why but I just love my GSP

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by FoxFace Fish

I get your point but my girlfriend would kill me if her Xenia died and I don't know why but I just love my GSP

It will be fine..99% of the time urchins are great..

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by Nick30G

Since looking at this thread I have been thinking about getting a tuxedo urchin for my 37g. Would It be fine to put a urchin in a tank a few weeks after it cycles? Or too risky?

I personally wouldn't recommend an urchin to anything less than a 40g tank and certainly not just post cycle as there will be little food for it to eat..

I would hold off if I was you..

[LeJeune981]

I love my Lil pincushion.. it's an eating machine... and as stated above.. you can follow it's daily movements by the bright white pathways on the rocks... it's ran over my zoas 100 times or better... never hurting them once.. tho currently it is wearing a zoa hat!! They are happy and open on its back..

Yesterday..along with the zoas.. it was wearing my veggie clip as well...and would not let go..

Mine will eat anything... I have watched it eat gha..dinos...cyano..and about anything else in its path... never any coral though...

It's moved a couple frags around.. and moved a rock or 2.. but overall an awesome addition to my tank... fun to watch too.. I have 0 complaints

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[LeJeune981]

I forgot to add... one day.. it was carrying around a hermit... I will admit.. the hermit was quite angry.. but i thought it was the funniest thing ever

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[Nixy]

Originally Posted by LeJeune981

I forgot to add... one day.. it was carrying around a hermit... I will admit.. the hermit was quite angry.. but i thought it was the funniest thing ever

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Haha! I absolutely love my Tuxedo and my husband and I laugh every day at the stuff it does. Such a ton of personality in that little creature!


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