Longspine Urchin Experience?

falconut · 12/03/2008, 09:28 PM

Does anybody have any experience with these unusual creatures?

It says they eat algae and that they are nocturnal. Are they good for a 90 gallon?

plateboy3293 · 12/03/2008, 09:36 PM

He is pretty good he cleaned up most of my hair algae with some help from my blue tuxedo. They are also pretty interesting. I have seen him climb over my cucumber with out any damage but his spines occasionally poke some of my xenia and zoas but never has it done any permenant damage.
Well here is a pic of mine for proof that I own one.

falconut · 12/03/2008, 09:47 PM

Does it ever dislodge any rockwork? How long have you had it?

will16 · 12/03/2008, 09:58 PM

I have a had 2 in my 90. I have them to help take care of some lobophora algae. First one grazed all day. Second one only comes out at night. I had to get rid of the first one because it started eating my acro's and monti's. The second one has nipped at sps a little but I think it was just grazing and crossed over the coral. They will eat to bare rock. Loves coraline. Also get REALLY REALLY big although surprisingly, don't knock over too much stuff.

Here are some cool shots of it's mouth eating

scottwhitson · 12/03/2008, 10:08 PM

We had a long spine be they do get big fast so if you have to choice get a small one. We got rid of ours because he kept knocking corals over that we didn't have glued down yet and he was also too big.

plateboy3293 · 12/03/2008, 10:10 PM

He will occasionally push over the zoas but I don't know if its the blue tuxedo or the long spine. I have had the long spined for over 7 months I personally am more worried about my pistol knocking the rock over.

LobsterOfJustice · 12/03/2008, 10:16 PM

They get really big, really fast. I had one in my old 75 for a few months, traded him to someone with a 180 - lived there for a few more, then was traded into a LFS.

There are plenty of other urchin options that would be more appropriate. Pincushion, tuxedo, pencil, or black rock-boring urchins would all be good.

12/03/2008, 09:28 PM	#1
falconut Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Blackwood, NJ Posts: 3,813	Longspine Urchin Experience? Does anybody have any experience with these unusual creatures? It says they eat algae and that they are nocturnal. Are they good for a 90 gallon?

12/03/2008, 09:36 PM	#2
plateboy3293 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hillsborough, New Jersey Posts: 1,038	He is pretty good he cleaned up most of my hair algae with some help from my blue tuxedo. They are also pretty interesting. I have seen him climb over my cucumber with out any damage but his spines occasionally poke some of my xenia and zoas but never has it done any permenant damage. Well here is a pic of mine for proof that I own one. __________________ Wars come and go but my soldiers stay eternal Current Tank Info: 155 gallon bow

12/03/2008, 09:47 PM	#3
falconut Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Blackwood, NJ Posts: 3,813	Does it ever dislodge any rockwork? How long have you had it? __________________ 180 Gallon FOWLR, 40 Gallon Sump and 10 Gallon Refuge. (2) OceanRevive S026 LEDs, ASM G2 Skimmer & SCA-302 Skimmer. Setup since July 2017.

12/03/2008, 10:10 PM	#6
plateboy3293 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hillsborough, New Jersey Posts: 1,038	He will occasionally push over the zoas but I don't know if its the blue tuxedo or the long spine. I have had the long spined for over 7 months I personally am more worried about my pistol knocking the rock over. __________________ Wars come and go but my soldiers stay eternal Current Tank Info: 155 gallon bow

12/03/2008, 10:16 PM	#7
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	They get really big, really fast. I had one in my old 75 for a few months, traded him to someone with a 180 - lived there for a few more, then was traded into a LFS. There are plenty of other urchin options that would be more appropriate. Pincushion, tuxedo, pencil, or black rock-boring urchins would all be good. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

12/03/2008, 09:58 PM	#4
will16 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 1,812	I have a had 2 in my 90. I have them to help take care of some lobophora algae. First one grazed all day. Second one only comes out at night. I had to get rid of the first one because it started eating my acro's and monti's. The second one has nipped at sps a little but I think it was just grazing and crossed over the coral. They will eat to bare rock. Loves coraline. Also get REALLY REALLY big although surprisingly, don't knock over too much stuff. Here are some cool shots of it's mouth eating

12/03/2008, 10:08 PM	#5
scottwhitson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lewiston, Idaho Posts: 1,395	We had a long spine be they do get big fast so if you have to choice get a small one. We got rid of ours because he kept knocking corals over that we didn't have glued down yet and he was also too big.