black long spine urchin in reef aquarium.

[reefD]

need oppinions and experiences. how good or bad of an idea is this. i have a full blown reef with soft, sps, and lps corals. i have a small one on hold at local fish store. thanks

[aztbs]

How big is your tank? If you do not have at least 300 gallons, then you will be needing to find a new home for it soon. They grow REALLY fast.

I had one in a 180 for 9 months before I had to give it away. At the time it was the size of a basketball. I got him when he was the size of a racquetball. They knock over frags and can up heave rather large rocks. They are fascinating and beautiful, but I won't have one again.

[DouglasTiede]

I have had tons of success with them in 75g's 40g's and in the new 180g.

They are awesome for ridding your tank of all the different slime algae
if you should ever have that problem. They scoot along like a turbo does.

As far as them damaging live rock, they like to eat down to the rock so
yes they strip it of coraline.
They also spread the coraline so it grows faster!

I love them they are great in a reef!

When they get too big trade them back to your favorite LFS for credit and a new small one.

[rustybucket145]

I've had one for almost 10years now. He's been a great inhabitant. He is probably around the size of a softball. He will let you know when you don't glue a frag down good enough :D.

[BC Sparky]

I read once that you could trim their spines like finger nails to keep their size in check....not sure but wiorth investigating???

[rustybucket145]

The spines will naturally prune themselves as the animal moves around the tank.

[jay2525]

with the exception of needing to glue down every possible frag they are great. Mine doesn't really bulldoze anything. but I have watched it try to go around a frag and still end up knocking it down.

[reefshadow]

I assume you're talking about diadema sp?

This was my exact experience:

I had to give it away. At the time it was the size of a basketball. I got him when he was the size of a racquetball. They knock over frags and can up heave rather large rocks. They are fascinating and beautiful, but I won't have one again.

In addition, it developed an appetite for some plating type corals, specifically oxypora and echinophyllia. I thought this was unheard of but apparently it does happen. I think my 240 just couldn't provide enough greenery, though I had coralline everywhere, so???

Mine grew from baseball to almost basketball size in about 18 months. I had alot of trouble getting it out of the tank, and it barely fit in a 5 gallon bucket to take to the LFS . It was also a bit tricky avoiding the spines of such a huge urchin, and they do hurt!

[DouglasTiede]

what is amazing is how stiff and yet how soft the spines can be, they can get into tight areas. I say get one that is small and just enjoy. I have had black and purple ones.. They both are a lot of fun!

[iamwhatiam52]

Mine is beautiful, but a bit of a bulldozer at times.

[washingtond]

We have two of them in our 200 gal SPS tank. They came in as small babies with the live rock from Tampa Bay a year and a half ago. This is a picture of a spawning event that took place last month. By the way they really don’t bother any of the corals in the tank even the ones that are not glued.

The male
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid221/pa54ef0bb6b741cfe0f4fcc6a91a292cf/eb957e0c.jpg

Together with female dropping eggs
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid221/p08fd7a48bf5d6891f2f179f79a51b675/eb955dc3.jpg

[reefD]

thank you all!

[Creade]

In addition, it developed an appetite for some plating type corals, specifically oxypora and echinophyllia. I thought this was unheard of but apparently it does happen. I think my 240 just couldn't provide enough greenery, though I had coralline everywhere, so???



I have had the same problem in my 210.

[SDguy]

I think there are a few species, varying in size...one does get like 12" or so diameter, so I can see reefshadow's point.

[svb57]

How are they with anenomes

[finsurgeon]

Fine with anemones, and everything else as far as I can tell. I got mine when it was the size of a quarter, and it quadrupled in a month. It stopped growing when I infested it with a really cool zebra urchin crab (zebrida adamsii) The crab was listed several places as a "commensal", but I think it's a straight out parasite. Either way, no urchin growth and they've been together about a year.