Is my pencil urchin dying?

JingoFresh · 07/02/2014, 10:37 AM

I have never seen him move around the tank, not at night, not een a little.

When touched some of his arms move and he responds, he doesn't seem to respond to being spotfed...

Not sure if his arms look bad or not:

RJT · 07/02/2014, 10:55 AM

To me he looks fine. I had 2 and for months I thought they were dead I never saw them move. Always in the same spot. Found out they only move at night unless I or some fish bothers him. Mine just went to the same spot each morning. Eventually they picked different spots to rest during the day.

zn00py · 07/02/2014, 10:59 AM

what do you feed him?any of the spines fall off?I heard they don't like nitrates at all.How are your nitrates

JingoFresh · 07/02/2014, 11:26 AM

nitrates are about 10. Tried feeding seaweed, shrimp and micro pellets.

MaskedRogue · 07/02/2014, 10:57 PM

I have an itty bitty one of these that came as a hitchhiker and it moves all the time. Its a fast little bugger too, I can come back five minutes later and it will have disappeared into the rocks again.

toku58 · 07/03/2014, 12:47 AM

I've never fed mine it stays in the corner all day but it moves around at night. When I got him he was a pale red, but he has become a nice dark red.
But I never see him eat anything?
The guy at my LFS said you don't need to do anything. And it seems to be working?

I'm not sure why yours looks like it's covered in algae? I've never seen one like that.

RJT · 07/03/2014, 04:44 AM

I never knowingly fed mine. Had them for over a year, until I sold that tank.

07/02/2014, 10:37 AM	#1
JingoFresh Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 447	Is my pencil urchin dying? I have never seen him move around the tank, not at night, not een a little. When touched some of his arms move and he responds, he doesn't seem to respond to being spotfed... Not sure if his arms look bad or not:

07/02/2014, 10:55 AM	#2
RJT Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 769	To me he looks fine. I had 2 and for months I thought they were dead I never saw them move. Always in the same spot. Found out they only move at night unless I or some fish bothers him. Mine just went to the same spot each morning. Eventually they picked different spots to rest during the day. __________________ 220g In-wall mixed reef with LED's

07/03/2014, 04:44 AM	#7
RJT Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 769	I never knowingly fed mine. Had them for over a year, until I sold that tank. __________________ 220g In-wall mixed reef with LED's

07/02/2014, 10:59 AM	#3
zn00py Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: NJ Posts: 90	what do you feed him?any of the spines fall off?I heard they don't like nitrates at all.How are your nitrates

07/02/2014, 11:26 AM	#4
JingoFresh Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 447	nitrates are about 10. Tried feeding seaweed, shrimp and micro pellets.

07/02/2014, 10:57 PM	#5
MaskedRogue Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 24	I have an itty bitty one of these that came as a hitchhiker and it moves all the time. Its a fast little bugger too, I can come back five minutes later and it will have disappeared into the rocks again.

07/03/2014, 12:47 AM	#6
toku58 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 334	I've never fed mine it stays in the corner all day but it moves around at night. When I got him he was a pale red, but he has become a nice dark red. But I never see him eat anything? The guy at my LFS said you don't need to do anything. And it seems to be working? I'm not sure why yours looks like it's covered in algae? I've never seen one like that.