Urchin Question

jdm01 · 01/29/2007, 04:16 PM

I have a 90g tank that has about 4 different types of tang. Unfortunately I have a brown pest algae problem that will not go away. The tanks will not touch the stuff and neither will the six line wrass or the sailfin blenny. The LFS suggest one of a variety of urchins. I have heard mixed reviews about urchins being hard to keep, destructive to the reef, etc...

Is an urchin worth the risk?

How hard are they to keep?

Crusty Old Shellback · 01/29/2007, 04:23 PM

I keep several urchins in my tanks to help control some of the alage. I have not had a problem with them.

However, a alage problem is due to excess nurtients. Try curing that problem first. Buying urchins to fix the problem is like putting a band aid on a deep cut that needs stiches, it'll work for the short term, maybe.

jdm01 · 01/29/2007, 04:41 PM

I agree with you. I have tested my water parameters and had them double checked at the LFS. They are all perfect. The only thing I can think is that the algae is taking out the nutrients and that is what is causing it to continue to grow. Since I changed the sump over to a refugium of sorts, the other macro growth has stopped almost completely. What macro growth there is is enough for the tangs to stay healthy. The brown algae is growing much slower than it was, but it is still growing - more than I would like. I have also increased the water change frequency to 10% weekly.

Crusty Old Shellback · 01/30/2007, 08:42 AM

Your probably right, the alage is consuming the excess nutrients and so you don't measure any. Are you siphoning out the alage w/ your water changes? That's really the only way to get rid of it and the excess nutrients. That's also the reason your macro alage is not growing, because of the nusaiance stuff. Still, a Urchin would not hurt and I actually like them. I have about 5 different types in my tanks, black long spine, purplr/pink fire, green spine, red spine and a few other basic colored ones.

61scout80 · 01/30/2007, 10:25 AM

I have a long spine and a pencil urchin in my 29 gal. as far as care, i dropped them in and haven't done a thing since. they munch the algea and seam very health and have grown a lot. My long spine has gained about 1" of spine in the last month and the pencil has easily doubled in size since april.

Keep in mind the long spine is venomous. I've been told it feels similar to a bee sting, but haven't been stung. the guy at my LFS just reached in and grabbed on when i bought it though, it didn't seam to bother him....

Crusty Old Shellback · 01/30/2007, 01:13 PM

Yep, feels like a bad bee sting and leaves a black mark as the spine breaks off under the skin.

mike89t · 01/30/2007, 01:45 PM

I had a brown algae problem (dictyota) and tried a long spine urchin. He didn't touch the stuff. Then I caught him munching on some of my new frags and banished him to my sump.

I recented added a Naso Tang whose natural diet consists of Brown Algae. In less than a month the Dictyota algae was completely devoured by the Naso tang. I haven't seen it yet.

This is what the algae looked like and it spread all throughout my tank before adding the Naso:

salty3 · 01/30/2007, 01:49 PM

I have a rock boring urchin, and love I him me does'nt bother anything and is reef safe.

Sk8r · 01/30/2007, 01:58 PM

I had a tripneustes gracilis from Foster/Smith and he was very good: putty any loose rock, but he tries very hard not to knock things over. He even dislodged bubble algae, and nothing eats that stuff, ---I know, I know, green mithrax crabs are supposed to, but mine preferred other things.

tls · 01/30/2007, 02:06 PM

My turbo snail ate all that.

jdm01 · 01/30/2007, 07:51 PM

Thanks for all the advice. My turbos are not touching the stuff for some reason. I may try another couple except that they like to knock out frags. Weird thing, I have had 2 naso's and neither have lived more than 3 weeks. I wonder if the stuff is harmful to them because nothing else in the tank is dying. Of course nothing else in the tank is eating the stuff.

I cannot vacuum the stuff out because it attaches to the rock. I have to physically remove the junk by hand. The guys at the LFS have never seen anything like it.

Here is a picture - not very good, but the best I seem to be able to get: The coral to the left is now gone. you can see the brown junk to the left of the monti.

01/29/2007, 04:16 PM	#1
jdm01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Greenfield Posts: 904	Urchin Question I have a 90g tank that has about 4 different types of tang. Unfortunately I have a brown pest algae problem that will not go away. The tanks will not touch the stuff and neither will the six line wrass or the sailfin blenny. The LFS suggest one of a variety of urchins. I have heard mixed reviews about urchins being hard to keep, destructive to the reef, etc... Is an urchin worth the risk? How hard are they to keep? __________________ John Martin Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon BioCube

01/29/2007, 04:23 PM	#2
Crusty Old Shellback MASVC OG Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Home of the FREE, Thanks to the BRAVE! Posts: 5,089	I keep several urchins in my tanks to help control some of the alage. I have not had a problem with them. However, a alage problem is due to excess nurtients. Try curing that problem first. Buying urchins to fix the problem is like putting a band aid on a deep cut that needs stiches, it'll work for the short term, maybe. __________________ Have you THANKED a Veteran lately for the freedoms you take for granted each day? Best quote ever! "This is a hobby for God sakes and so many people get so uptite. A "hobby" so it should be fun and not a cause to worry or go broke." Paul B Current Tank Info: Tankless for a while. RIP my 8+ yr old pair of Naso tangs, 4 + yr old Moorish Idol

01/29/2007, 04:41 PM	#3
jdm01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Greenfield Posts: 904	I agree with you. I have tested my water parameters and had them double checked at the LFS. They are all perfect. The only thing I can think is that the algae is taking out the nutrients and that is what is causing it to continue to grow. Since I changed the sump over to a refugium of sorts, the other macro growth has stopped almost completely. What macro growth there is is enough for the tangs to stay healthy. The brown algae is growing much slower than it was, but it is still growing - more than I would like. I have also increased the water change frequency to 10% weekly. __________________ John Martin Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon BioCube

01/30/2007, 08:42 AM	#4
Crusty Old Shellback MASVC OG Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Home of the FREE, Thanks to the BRAVE! Posts: 5,089	Your probably right, the alage is consuming the excess nutrients and so you don't measure any. Are you siphoning out the alage w/ your water changes? That's really the only way to get rid of it and the excess nutrients. That's also the reason your macro alage is not growing, because of the nusaiance stuff. Still, a Urchin would not hurt and I actually like them. I have about 5 different types in my tanks, black long spine, purplr/pink fire, green spine, red spine and a few other basic colored ones. __________________ Have you THANKED a Veteran lately for the freedoms you take for granted each day? Best quote ever! "This is a hobby for God sakes and so many people get so uptite. A "hobby" so it should be fun and not a cause to worry or go broke." Paul B Current Tank Info: Tankless for a while. RIP my 8+ yr old pair of Naso tangs, 4 + yr old Moorish Idol

01/30/2007, 01:13 PM	#6
Crusty Old Shellback MASVC OG Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Home of the FREE, Thanks to the BRAVE! Posts: 5,089	Yep, feels like a bad bee sting and leaves a black mark as the spine breaks off under the skin. __________________ Have you THANKED a Veteran lately for the freedoms you take for granted each day? Best quote ever! "This is a hobby for God sakes and so many people get so uptite. A "hobby" so it should be fun and not a cause to worry or go broke." Paul B Current Tank Info: Tankless for a while. RIP my 8+ yr old pair of Naso tangs, 4 + yr old Moorish Idol

01/30/2007, 10:25 AM	#5
61scout80 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado, Maricopa, AZ Posts: 449	I have a long spine and a pencil urchin in my 29 gal. as far as care, i dropped them in and haven't done a thing since. they munch the algea and seam very health and have grown a lot. My long spine has gained about 1" of spine in the last month and the pencil has easily doubled in size since april. Keep in mind the long spine is venomous. I've been told it feels similar to a bee sting, but haven't been stung. the guy at my LFS just reached in and grabbed on when i bought it though, it didn't seam to bother him....

01/30/2007, 01:45 PM	#7
mike89t Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chandler, Az Posts: 1,889	I had a brown algae problem (dictyota) and tried a long spine urchin. He didn't touch the stuff. Then I caught him munching on some of my new frags and banished him to my sump. I recented added a Naso Tang whose natural diet consists of Brown Algae. In less than a month the Dictyota algae was completely devoured by the Naso tang. I haven't seen it yet. This is what the algae looked like and it spread all throughout my tank before adding the Naso: __________________ Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks. Current Tank Info: Sold my 150G reef tank. :^(

01/30/2007, 01:49 PM	#8
salty3 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Right here Posts: 894	I have a rock boring urchin, and love I him me does'nt bother anything and is reef safe.

01/30/2007, 01:58 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I had a tripneustes gracilis from Foster/Smith and he was very good: putty any loose rock, but he tries very hard not to knock things over. He even dislodged bubble algae, and nothing eats that stuff, ---I know, I know, green mithrax crabs are supposed to, but mine preferred other things. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/30/2007, 02:06 PM	#10
tls Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: orlando Posts: 57	My turbo snail ate all that.

01/30/2007, 07:51 PM	#11
jdm01 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Greenfield Posts: 904	Thanks for all the advice. My turbos are not touching the stuff for some reason. I may try another couple except that they like to knock out frags. Weird thing, I have had 2 naso's and neither have lived more than 3 weeks. I wonder if the stuff is harmful to them because nothing else in the tank is dying. Of course nothing else in the tank is eating the stuff. I cannot vacuum the stuff out because it attaches to the rock. I have to physically remove the junk by hand. The guys at the LFS have never seen anything like it. Here is a picture - not very good, but the best I seem to be able to get: The coral to the left is now gone. you can see the brown junk to the left of the monti. __________________ John Martin Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon BioCube