Tuxedo Urchin

golby · 11/03/2009, 06:14 PM

I'm thinking about getting a tuxedo urchin. What are the things I should be aware of that perhaps I'm not thinking of because I've never had one?

I understand that they eat algae, including coralline. I have a healthy amount of it my rocks and back wall.

I have hermits, snails a YT, YT-damsels, ocellaris, blue dot goby and a six-line wrasse.

My tank is a 90g that has been up and running with fish and LR for about 7 months.

redfishsc · 11/03/2009, 06:41 PM

Eh, get several of them if you can afford it. They are sweet creatures. Expect them to move around small frags wherever they want, but for the most part it's one of the most harmless and reef-safe animals I've ever had.

It will eat corraline but not enough in a 90g to make even a dent in the overall look of the tank.

Darejohn · 11/03/2009, 06:56 PM

Dont know much about those, sorry

Stanley-Reefer · 11/03/2009, 07:29 PM

I have 2 in my 175; they've been in there since Feb and are active though I've never seen them travel to the right side of the tank! They will "clean" your rock down to the rock.

noahm · 11/03/2009, 07:55 PM

Yeah, the only real negative is that they pick stuff up and drop it places. Frags, hermits, snails etc. If its not glued down, it'll get moved. They will clean the rock though.

rgentry123 · 11/03/2009, 08:14 PM

everything said before is correct. great little reef critters and are harmless but they move stuff around everywhere. just make sure all your frags or anything else you dont want moved is secured somehow. they really do add some extra life to the tank though.

Eel Freak · 11/03/2009, 08:40 PM

Yup. They are fantastic. I have one in my nano and it will eat all forms of algae aside from Cyano and Coralline. It will even eat hair algae!

And as said before, GLUE EVERYTHING YOU DON'T WANT MOVED. My urchin will pick anything and everything up. In fact, I found an 1/8" diameter blue mushroom on it once. At any rate, get one if you can.

shellzreef · 11/03/2009, 08:58 PM

anyone have a picture of one of these?

redfishsc · 11/03/2009, 09:26 PM

Here is mine carrying a slice of plastic I didn't even know was in the tank.

A "royal" urchin carrying a very p-o'ed hermit crab.

rick12 · 11/03/2009, 09:34 PM

reef3 064.jpg
great critters...i have two in a 40g. they help move the zoas lol

LobsterOfJustice · 11/03/2009, 09:41 PM

While we're on the topic of pictures, here's a pincushion covering itself with... everything

goochesfish · 11/03/2009, 11:02 PM

The chaeto started as a small strand. Now it's even more lush. The down side is the chaeto snags on sps. I've also had snails and hermits trapped upside down as well as zoanthids. Tuxedos are great, coraline grows back, can't eat inside the crevice my hair algae is growing out of though.

AMW · 11/04/2009, 01:34 AM

Yep, definitely recommend a tuxedo urchin for clean-up, especially nuisance algae. I have not had a problem with my tuxedo urchin moving frags around, but it does put some strange items on its 'back', eg, the shells of emerald crabs, coral scraps, etc, etc.

golby · 11/04/2009, 07:10 AM

I'm getting the sense that a tuxedo urchin is great, but will be a problem in my tank. While my coral frags are glued down, much of my LR "reef" is just piled on top of itself. It is loose rock and it sounds like the urchin, in moving around, will easily knock over the rocks. That has been a fairly consistent risk with my setup--though they are mostly in position, it doesn't take much to have a tumbler.

EllieSuz · 11/04/2009, 08:27 AM

No, they aren't heavy enough to disturb your rock; they just pick up stray bits and pieces they find loose in the tank. Light weight things such as an empty snail shell or a little pebble from the substrate are common. Mine currently is sporting a feather duster and a ten polyp piece of pink paly. The feather duster has been riding around the tank for a couple of months and is doing well and the pink paly started out as one polyp and has grown to a very respectable frag. I promise you it will not knock over anything as substantial as your rock.

SaltLifeLove · 11/04/2009, 08:43 AM

Its on my stock list

Just waiting for the tank to get a little dirtier

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...595&pcatid=595

shellzreef · 11/22/2009, 05:08 PM

i got one....just today! =) he seems to be doing well i guess. his tentacles are out, hes moving around! ...so we'll see

Ralph ATL · 11/22/2009, 05:19 PM

I've had mine since Feb, 2007. Still great!

EdSnyder · 11/22/2009, 05:24 PM

What kind of urchin is this? I was told to move him to the sump.

Almondsaz · 11/22/2009, 05:32 PM

The Tuxedo Urchin is great because for an urchin is does not have long spines to agitate corals and can't push the LR around like the pencil urchin can. I have had a Tuxedo Urchin for about three years now and absolutely love it. I refer to mine as "pigpen" because it does travel around with all manner of debris (living or not) stuck to it. They are fascinating to watch and while they do eat coraline, hasn't made a dent in my 125 which the whole back glass is covered with coraline and the rocks still have quite a bit. They are a great addition.

The only urchins I would say no to are the longspine and the pencil urchins. They can be destructive.

waterlife · 11/23/2009, 09:51 AM

i have one but it looks like it is dying. it was fine until my husband hit it when he put in some more snails. it was just a little pinch on his hand but then last night it did not move and today it is loosing its tenicles. any ideas??? i bought it four days ago

Mako · 11/23/2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdSnyder

What kind of urchin is this? I was told to move him to the sump.

Looks to me like it's a Reef Urchin.

No pun intended as thats the common name for Echinometra viridis which is what you have there best I can tell. No need to banish to the sump as they are primarily algae eaters.

goodtimes · 11/24/2009, 06:21 AM

Just be carefull you don't squish it while cleaning with your mag float like I did. Thought I had plenty of room and then it slipped.

shellzreef · 11/27/2009, 11:00 AM

Do we think the urchin could get stuck on the koralia?? or has anyone had this happen?? Im not sure but i felt like he was stuck, i turned off the pump and moved him.

Eel Freak · 11/27/2009, 11:06 AM

Mine has crawled across my Koralia 4 before with no issues... Powerheads tend to be algae hot-spots so the urchin will likely stay there for a while until every last bit is gone. I have even had my tiny Astrea snails be fine on my Koralia 4

11/03/2009, 06:14 PM	#1
golby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 242	Tuxedo Urchin I'm thinking about getting a tuxedo urchin. What are the things I should be aware of that perhaps I'm not thinking of because I've never had one? I understand that they eat algae, including coralline. I have a healthy amount of it my rocks and back wall. I have hermits, snails a YT, YT-damsels, ocellaris, blue dot goby and a six-line wrasse. My tank is a 90g that has been up and running with fish and LR for about 7 months. __________________ Unless I explicitly state otherwise, assume that I have tested my parameters recently and they are: Temp: 80F Salt: 1.023-1.024 pH: 8.2 Amm: 0 'trite: 0 'trate: 0 Phosphate: 0 Copper: 0 Calcium: 360-420 dkH: 9 Current Tank Info: 90g internal overflow; 30g sump; ~325 Watts 6500K CFL bulbs; 100 lbs LR; mixed reef with LPS (frogspawn, torch, trumpet and bubble) and softies (leathers, mushrooms and lots of zoas)

11/03/2009, 06:41 PM	#2
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	Eh, get several of them if you can afford it. They are sweet creatures. Expect them to move around small frags wherever they want, but for the most part it's one of the most harmless and reef-safe animals I've ever had. It will eat corraline but not enough in a 90g to make even a dent in the overall look of the tank. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

11/03/2009, 08:14 PM	#6
rgentry123 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: fredericksburg, VA Posts: 975	everything said before is correct. great little reef critters and are harmless but they move stuff around everywhere. just make sure all your frags or anything else you dont want moved is secured somehow. they really do add some extra life to the tank though. __________________ there is going to be an episode of intervention based on me soon if someone doesnt come up with a 12 step program for this hobby soon. And i have RC members to thank for enabling me.

11/03/2009, 08:40 PM	#7
Eel Freak Fimbriated Moray Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The Space Coast Posts: 830	Yup. They are fantastic. I have one in my nano and it will eat all forms of algae aside from Cyano and Coralline. It will even eat hair algae! And as said before, GLUE EVERYTHING YOU DON'T WANT MOVED. My urchin will pick anything and everything up. In fact, I found an 1/8" diameter blue mushroom on it once. At any rate, get one if you can. __________________ I plan to procrastinate. Current Tank Info: 205g Mixed Reef - 3x Radion XR30w Gen 2, twin VorTechs, SRO-XP5000e, 50g estuary, 125g fuge, OM 4-way

11/03/2009, 08:58 PM	#8
shellzreef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: south jersey Posts: 104	anyone have a picture of one of these? __________________ PROUD TO BE A REEFER! No single snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible <3

11/03/2009, 06:56 PM	#3
Darejohn Registered Member. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 34	Dont know much about those, sorry

11/03/2009, 07:29 PM	#4
Stanley-Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Stanley, NC Posts: 1,933	I have 2 in my 175; they've been in there since Feb and are active though I've never seen them travel to the right side of the tank! They will "clean" your rock down to the rock.

11/03/2009, 07:55 PM	#5
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Yeah, the only real negative is that they pick stuff up and drop it places. Frags, hermits, snails etc. If its not glued down, it'll get moved. They will clean the rock though.

11/03/2009, 09:26 PM	#9
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,696	Here is mine carrying a slice of plastic I didn't even know was in the tank. A "royal" urchin carrying a very p-o'ed hermit crab. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

11/03/2009, 09:34 PM	#10
rick12 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 770	reef3 064.jpg great critters...i have two in a 40g. they help move the zoas lol

11/03/2009, 09:41 PM	#11
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	While we're on the topic of pictures, here's a pincushion covering itself with... everything __________________ 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

11/03/2009, 11:02 PM	#12
goochesfish Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,305	The chaeto started as a small strand. Now it's even more lush. The down side is the chaeto snags on sps. I've also had snails and hermits trapped upside down as well as zoanthids. Tuxedos are great, coraline grows back, can't eat inside the crevice my hair algae is growing out of though. __________________ The Gooch, my Beagle, may she RIP 1995-2011 Current Tank Info: 150 gallon Starfire set up July 22,09, 30g QT

11/04/2009, 01:34 AM	#13
AMW Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 131	Yep, definitely recommend a tuxedo urchin for clean-up, especially nuisance algae. I have not had a problem with my tuxedo urchin moving frags around, but it does put some strange items on its 'back', eg, the shells of emerald crabs, coral scraps, etc, etc.

11/04/2009, 07:10 AM	#14
golby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 242	I'm getting the sense that a tuxedo urchin is great, but will be a problem in my tank. While my coral frags are glued down, much of my LR "reef" is just piled on top of itself. It is loose rock and it sounds like the urchin, in moving around, will easily knock over the rocks. That has been a fairly consistent risk with my setup--though they are mostly in position, it doesn't take much to have a tumbler. __________________ Unless I explicitly state otherwise, assume that I have tested my parameters recently and they are: Temp: 80F Salt: 1.023-1.024 pH: 8.2 Amm: 0 'trite: 0 'trate: 0 Phosphate: 0 Copper: 0 Calcium: 360-420 dkH: 9 Current Tank Info: 90g internal overflow; 30g sump; ~325 Watts 6500K CFL bulbs; 100 lbs LR; mixed reef with LPS (frogspawn, torch, trumpet and bubble) and softies (leathers, mushrooms and lots of zoas)

11/04/2009, 08:27 AM	#15
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	No, they aren't heavy enough to disturb your rock; they just pick up stray bits and pieces they find loose in the tank. Light weight things such as an empty snail shell or a little pebble from the substrate are common. Mine currently is sporting a feather duster and a ten polyp piece of pink paly. The feather duster has been riding around the tank for a couple of months and is doing well and the pink paly started out as one polyp and has grown to a very respectable frag. I promise you it will not knock over anything as substantial as your rock.

11/04/2009, 08:43 AM	#16
SaltLifeLove Impatient Reefer Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 213	Its on my stock list Just waiting for the tank to get a little dirtier http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...595&pcatid=595 __________________ My husband knew he was in trouble when I turned down a new purse for a new fish... My Fish are SMARTER than your Fish because I filled my tank with Smart Water ;) Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon Reef Tank

11/22/2009, 05:08 PM	#17
shellzreef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: south jersey Posts: 104	i got one....just today! =) he seems to be doing well i guess. his tentacles are out, hes moving around! ...so we'll see __________________ PROUD TO BE A REEFER! No single snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible <3

11/22/2009, 05:19 PM	#18
Ralph ATL Formerly mysterybox Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Flowery Branch, GA (North ATL) Posts: 1,842	I've had mine since Feb, 2007. Still great! __________________ Ralph Scheriff

11/22/2009, 05:24 PM	#19
EdSnyder Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Port Orange, FL Posts: 527	What kind of urchin is this? I was told to move him to the sump.

11/22/2009, 05:32 PM	#20
Almondsaz Premium Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: OP, Ks Posts: 617	The Tuxedo Urchin is great because for an urchin is does not have long spines to agitate corals and can't push the LR around like the pencil urchin can. I have had a Tuxedo Urchin for about three years now and absolutely love it. I refer to mine as "pigpen" because it does travel around with all manner of debris (living or not) stuck to it. They are fascinating to watch and while they do eat coraline, hasn't made a dent in my 125 which the whole back glass is covered with coraline and the rocks still have quite a bit. They are a great addition. The only urchins I would say no to are the longspine and the pencil urchins. They can be destructive.

11/23/2009, 09:51 AM	#21
waterlife Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: RI Posts: 9	i have one but it looks like it is dying. it was fine until my husband hit it when he put in some more snails. it was just a little pinch on his hand but then last night it did not move and today it is loosing its tenicles. any ideas??? i bought it four days ago

11/24/2009, 06:21 AM	#23
goodtimes Nothin but Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: ohio Posts: 506	Just be carefull you don't squish it while cleaning with your mag float like I did. Thought I had plenty of room and then it slipped.

11/27/2009, 11:00 AM	#24
shellzreef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: south jersey Posts: 104	Do we think the urchin could get stuck on the koralia?? or has anyone had this happen?? Im not sure but i felt like he was stuck, i turned off the pump and moved him. __________________ PROUD TO BE A REEFER! No single snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible <3

11/27/2009, 11:06 AM	#25
Eel Freak Fimbriated Moray Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The Space Coast Posts: 830	Mine has crawled across my Koralia 4 before with no issues... Powerheads tend to be algae hot-spots so the urchin will likely stay there for a while until every last bit is gone. I have even had my tiny Astrea snails be fine on my Koralia 4 __________________ I plan to procrastinate. Current Tank Info: 205g Mixed Reef - 3x Radion XR30w Gen 2, twin VorTechs, SRO-XP5000e, 50g estuary, 125g fuge, OM 4-way