ID hitchhikers please

Kigs · 12/17/2006, 07:10 PM

apparently this month is the hitchhiker's month because i found more hitchhikers this month in my tank than i ever had for the past 2 years.

i found this urchin. reef safe? i have a smiliar one, but half the size. this one in the picture is the size of a quarter. the other one is a size of a BB pellet. both the same I think.

Next is this snail I found on my zoa rock. Not a sundial, confirmed from the zoanthids forum. Wondering if they are reef safe? To me, it looks like a baby turbo.

icepick5587 · 12/17/2006, 07:36 PM

I had an urchin for a while, it was reefsafe in that it didn't directly hurt any corals. It did however move them around and sometimes knock frags down. Another possible thing with urchins is sometimes they'll bore through live rock.

Kigs · 12/17/2006, 07:49 PM

I guess what I wanted to know was if there were any urchins in the reef trades that are not reef safe but find their ways into our tank as hithchikers. I don't really mind him knocking things down I guess. He is very pretty in person. I love the bright pink pins on him.

azgard · 12/17/2006, 07:53 PM

The urchin will eat the coraline from your live rock.

saltycreefer · 12/17/2006, 07:57 PM

That urchin eats the rock and coralline with it. There are safer options for urchins out there if you'd like to keep on in your reef. I never had any problems with Tuxedo urchins before and they have a nice color contrast.

Paintbug · 12/17/2006, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by saltycreefer
That urchin eats the rock and coralline with it.

yep its called a rock boring urchin, and thats how it gets its name.

the snail me be a Trochus or Tectus species. cant really tell from those pics. heres some info
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php

Kigs · 12/17/2006, 09:01 PM

Thank you for all your help guys! I never wanted an urchin but since it's here, I'll just let it stay untill it gets too big.

twon8 · 12/17/2006, 09:05 PM

i have at least a dozen of those urchins in my tanks, all appearing one by one as tiny little urcins starting about a year and half ago; the largest has a body (w/o spines) bigger than a golf ball. I have observed them eating montipora sp., but I believe it to be incidental and part of their grazing on coralline. they occasionally knock things over, but not a real problem ime

i suspect they are spawning in the tank, as i haven't added any new rock in years yet they continue to appear. I won't remove them for that reason (though the big one is soon to be banished to the sump simply because he takes up a lot of room and is burrowed into a prime spot in the reef)

Kigs · 12/17/2006, 09:14 PM

those are few of the things i've noticed as well.

a) new ones are appearing slowly

b) they dig real deep into LR crevices and they are IMPOSSIBLE to take out.

12/17/2006, 07:10 PM	#1
Kigs Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 2,182	ID hitchhikers please apparently this month is the hitchhiker's month because i found more hitchhikers this month in my tank than i ever had for the past 2 years. i found this urchin. reef safe? i have a smiliar one, but half the size. this one in the picture is the size of a quarter. the other one is a size of a BB pellet. both the same I think. Next is this snail I found on my zoa rock. Not a sundial, confirmed from the zoanthids forum. Wondering if they are reef safe? To me, it looks like a baby turbo.

12/17/2006, 07:57 PM	#5
saltycreefer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Fairfield,CT Posts: 1,696	That urchin eats the rock and coralline with it. There are safer options for urchins out there if you'd like to keep on in your reef. I never had any problems with Tuxedo urchins before and they have a nice color contrast. __________________ I love being a turtle!!! Current Tank Info: Got out of tanks for a little while.

12/17/2006, 09:05 PM	#8
twon8 Formally registered membe Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: slightly sw of richmond, va Posts: 5,920	i have at least a dozen of those urchins in my tanks, all appearing one by one as tiny little urcins starting about a year and half ago; the largest has a body (w/o spines) bigger than a golf ball. I have observed them eating montipora sp., but I believe it to be incidental and part of their grazing on coralline. they occasionally knock things over, but not a real problem ime i suspect they are spawning in the tank, as i haven't added any new rock in years yet they continue to appear. I won't remove them for that reason (though the big one is soon to be banished to the sump simply because he takes up a lot of room and is burrowed into a prime spot in the reef) __________________ Anthony Richmond Reef Club "and as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention." Not building a wall but making a brick Current Tank Info: 300g DD display, 60g frag tank

12/17/2006, 07:36 PM	#2
icepick5587 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 198	I had an urchin for a while, it was reefsafe in that it didn't directly hurt any corals. It did however move them around and sometimes knock frags down. Another possible thing with urchins is sometimes they'll bore through live rock.

12/17/2006, 07:49 PM	#3
Kigs Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 2,182	I guess what I wanted to know was if there were any urchins in the reef trades that are not reef safe but find their ways into our tank as hithchikers. I don't really mind him knocking things down I guess. He is very pretty in person. I love the bright pink pins on him.

12/17/2006, 07:53 PM	#4
azgard Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Chesterfield Posts: 125	The urchin will eat the coraline from your live rock.

12/17/2006, 09:01 PM	#7
Kigs Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 2,182	Thank you for all your help guys! I never wanted an urchin but since it's here, I'll just let it stay untill it gets too big.

12/17/2006, 09:14 PM	#9
Kigs Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: LI, NY Posts: 2,182	those are few of the things i've noticed as well. a) new ones are appearing slowly b) they dig real deep into LR crevices and they are IMPOSSIBLE to take out.