Sea Urchin Question

Red Rose Ramble · 01/17/2007, 03:10 AM

Hi
Do sea urchins eat coraline alge. ?

bertoni · 01/17/2007, 03:23 AM

For many of them, yes. What type were you considering?

teena · 01/17/2007, 08:12 AM

i put two in my 75g & with in 3 days my LR looked like snow caped mountains, they never got on the glass, im not for sure if they can,

Poorcollegereef · 01/17/2007, 09:04 AM

yes, many urchins will eat coraline but it depends on the species. I have 4 blue tuxedo urchans in my 20+20 and they eat some but not all of my coraline algae. Normally they stick to small patches where I had some macro algae "infesting" my tank. Someytimes you could see the path on the glass where the ate a row. While they will eat coraline, I have found that the coraline grows much more rapidly and spreads quicker as long as you keep alk and ca up. The "crumbs" let over seed quickly.

01/17/2007, 03:10 AM	#1
Red Rose Ramble Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 77	Sea Urchin Question Hi Do sea urchins eat coraline alge. ?

01/17/2007, 03:23 AM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	For many of them, yes. What type were you considering? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/17/2007, 08:12 AM	#3
teena Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: memphis tn collierville Posts: 1,219	i put two in my 75g & with in 3 days my LR looked like snow caped mountains, they never got on the glass, im not for sure if they can, __________________ im pouring all my rainey day money in my reef tank, Current Tank Info: 210 inwall w/soft corls

01/17/2007, 09:04 AM	#4
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	yes, many urchins will eat coraline but it depends on the species. I have 4 blue tuxedo urchans in my 20+20 and they eat some but not all of my coraline algae. Normally they stick to small patches where I had some macro algae "infesting" my tank. Someytimes you could see the path on the glass where the ate a row. While they will eat coraline, I have found that the coraline grows much more rapidly and spreads quicker as long as you keep alk and ca up. The "crumbs" let over seed quickly.