Urchin in a tank

[sweeper7]

Do most people keep these guys??

If so which specific kind and do they come iwht any sort of caution such as eating corals, harmful to fish, or anything etc.

Are they very good to have or useless etc.

[Potsy]

I have a pincushion urchin (purple w/ short spines) and a rock boring urchin (small black w/ medium length spines) that must have come in with a coral as a larval hitchiker.

Pincushion urchins that cover themselves with debris (and frags, snails, and hermit crabs) tend to bulldoze over loose frags and even smaller coral colonies. They are, however, very active, and will strip live rock clean of nuisance and coralline algae. They do not sleep. If you are able to secure your corals with epoxy, then they are a beneficial addition to an aquarium.

Rock boring urchins are not as active, being noctural, but don't do much bulldozing.

While I never had an algae problem in my tank, they have done a good job of putting a BIG dent in the tank's vermetid snail population. I try to feed the urchins a sheet of nori to ensure they have enough food.

Avoid pencil urchins and poisonous urchins.

All in all, they're beneficial.

[masonicman]

+1 one the pincushion urchin. Great clean up guy.

[jlanger]

Just added a red tuxedo urchin (Mespilia globulus sp.) to our 45gal reef.
GREAT ADDITION!!!

I never thought I would add an urchin to our tank based on the reputation of them being bulldozers. But in talking with a very experienced reefer, he mentioned that these smaller urchins are much better at working "around" your corals. It's the longer spined urchins that tend to redecorate your coralscape. And after three weeks I have yet to have anything displaced even though I've see the urchin in amongst small frags and colonies. And it is constantly feeding on the rock work and glass.

Plus an urchin just adds another type of life form to the reef that many people find interesting. Myself included.
They will occasionally grab small fragments of rock and algae to camouflage themselves.
Mine has even adorned itself with pieces of bubble algae; which I in turn removed.

Definitely recommend the tuxedo sp. of urchins.

-JASON

[d2mini]

My favorite are the black long spine urchins. They grow really fast, but they are the gentlest as far as knocking things over. I've had up to 3 in my tank at one time with zero problems. Just be careful when you stick your hand in the tank. ;)
Every other urchin I end up banishing.

[RDHDDRAGON]

Be careful with the rock boring urchin. I had two that were hitchikers and caught one eating my plating monti and the other eating an acro!

[CRC88]

I never really considered urchins until I went into my LFS and they had a few. I thought they looked cool, asked my LFS guy - who is awesome and I absolutely trust - and took it home.

It's a Blue Tuxedo Urchin (or a Decorator Urchin) and he just slowly roams around the tank and picks stuff up and mows around. I haven't had any issues so far with Corals, but most of my stuff is very firmly attached anyway.

I think it's a cute touch of character to add to a tank - it's hilarious to come home every day to see what he's "decorated" himself with in my absence.

[Aimforever]

Agreed that pincushion urchins are very beneficial. I keep 4 in my 120 gallon display that is packed with SPS. If you have small frags that aren't secured well it will be important to buy the smallest urchin you can find (ideally golf ball size or smaller) and then bulldozing will be less of a problem. Once the frags are encrusted they won't be able to rearrange stuff for you anymore.

[Khemul]

I sometimes wonder what goes through my snails' minds as the Pincushion carries them around as a fashion accessory. The hermits definitely learned to stay out of its way. :lmao:


They are definitely a pain if you want to keep frags or macro algae though (what they don't eat they carry around). Great algae eaters. Not sure if there is a difference between the color varieties but when I had three (green, white/pink-tip and purple) in my 120 the purple was the slowest grower. The white/pink-tip grew about 3-times as fast and ate A LOT more. That thing could strip a rock clean. The purple I kept for my 40B just cuts a path around the edges and moves on.

[Tickle]

Here is my hermit sucked up by my urchin idk what kind he is but I've never had a problem with it.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

[sweeper7]

I never knew so many people kept urchins! Im happy cuz now I can get one. I thought we couldn't keep them in our tanks if we had corals.

Will it eat the coraline off the tank glass? I hate cleanign coraline its a pain in the ***.

Which do you guys recommend off color and eating capabilities.

pictures would be awesome of your urchins btw.

[Sandia97]

My favorite are the black long spine urchins. They grow really fast, but they are the gentlest as far as knocking things over. I've had up to 3 in my tank at one time with zero problems. Just be careful when you stick your hand in the tank. ;)
Every other urchin I end up banishing.

Unfortunately I had a different experience with my longspine urchin. He knocked over everything and ate my palys :( HAd to get rid of him

[EllieSuz]

I've had a Blue Tuxedo Urchin in my tank for over five years. I like to watch him gather stuff to camouflage his little round body. They'll pick up anything that isn't nailed down, but they're charming.

[Mouse]

I have a Pencil, that guy can knock over the LR structure if it isnt secured, and dont even think of pulling him off a rock... aint happening. But he is a darn good grazer.

[d2mini]

I hate cleanign coraline its a pain in the ***.


I let it grow in the back glass and it never gets a chance to grow on the front and sides because I use a magnet cleaner every other day.

[spoonman1979]

In my experience, the tuxedo urchins are best. I have two and love them! I did have a long spine and it was definitely a bulldozer...

[cap11885]

i have a tuxedo and a longspine. both are cool. both have knocked over a few things and my tux has eaten very small things in my tank like newly forming xenia. again very small less then 1/4" they keep my rocks pretty well cleaned off. they seam to enjoy knocking my clam over and trying to clean off his shell. thats caused a few problems for me. and it is fun to come home everyday and find out who or what is stuck to my tux. i have pulled crabs and snails off him even had a mushroom growin off him for about a month before i reattached him to some rock.

[Vince272992]

if your going to have a reef go with some type of tuxido urchin such as the blue tuxido or halloween urchin and never put a black long spine in there. if ur doing a FOWLR then get any type that your fish wont bother, all help with agle and waste

[Bender19]

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/377697_3712817263592_1011867970_n.jpg

[OKDOHK]

I love my urchins. They save me money. Great eaters of coraline algae. Less work for my calcium reactor (less media used) to keep up with calcium needs of my tank.

[Bike2k]

Wow, I never new urchins played such a part. I will have to add one to my stocking list.

[Damien2818]

I have had mine for 4 years with no problem and very cool for the kids to look at

[tgirl6868]

I have the Pincushion Urchin which I call the collector because he collects shells and carries them. He is pretty cool with purple and green. He doesn't do anything to my corals but he leaves his path through the coralline which I don't mind.....

[TucanSam007]

love my tuxedo because of what everyone said. Not a big fan of coraline either and he keeps it in check when he's done finishing off any other algae

[sweeper7]

i love how they eat coraline, I hate cleaning that thing off, takes forever.

post some pics of your urchins! Not sure if I should get a tuxedo urchin or something else.

how do you guys transfer them btw? I am pretty sure you can't handle it wiht your hands lmao.

[blackx-runner]

Unfortunately I had a different experience with my longspine urchin. He knocked over everything and ate my palys :( HAd to get rid of him

My longspine was banished to the sump for knocking stuff over and eating corals.

[SSprince]

I let it grow in the back glass and it never gets a chance to grow on the front and sides because I use a magnet cleaner every other day.I kept my tank the same...I did have a pencil for a bit, but he was constantly rearranging my corals. I think he fell off the rocks one day cause the crabs somehow got to his mouth and were eating him...I never got another one........I may give it another chance with the new build..........

[spoonman1979]

I handle my tuxedo urchins with my bare hands no problem; other types I would use caution some have very potent venom...

[sweeper7]

So it is down to a pincushion urchin for $14 or a tuxedo (royal) urchin for $13.

Which looks better and does a better job? This will be my first urchin

[EllieSuz]

I vote for a Tux....but don't get a lazy one like mine, who is getting free ride:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk179/EllieSuz/Home%20Aquarium/2011-09-28141545.jpg

[spoonman1979]

Go for the tuxedo, it stays smaller...

[Raceimage]

I have a Tux and a halloween (black & orange) urchin in my tank. The halloween is the only thing that ate the calurpa outbreak that took over my display tank. The only drawback is that they carry objects. I lost quite a few frags.

[Rockster2599]

Have had a black longspine and a tuxedo.
black longspine was a menace during cleaning and rearaanged and ate frags but was awesome to watch.
Tuxedo is a model citizen:D

[sweeper7]

is the royal the same as a tuxedo?

http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productlist.asp?did=2&cid=301

[secrest]

is the royal the same as a tuxedo?

http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productlist.asp?did=2&cid=301

Yes it is.

[sweeper7]

thanks, i think i will pick one up.

I hope he eats coraline like hell !

[TealCobra]

I'm a big believer in Blue Tuxedo Urchins. I've kept them for years and never lost any corals other than what he uses to decorate himself with. I also have had decent success with Diadema (Long Spine) Urchins but like others have said, they grow really fast and can become too large for most.

[mtcoins123]

+1 one the pincushion urchin. Great clean up guy.

Yes this is my view too. Great helpers!!

[beachbreak]

I've got a tuxedo, 2 halloweens, ORA pincushion and a longspine. The halloweens are by FAR the most "destructive". They can and will rip out epoxied frags, smaller zoa or acan colonies and move just about anything around not heavy enough to withstand their tentacles. The positive with these guys is that they are absolute monsters at consuming algae.

[staindsoul]

well, i am joining these ranks. mrs. staind fell in love with a halloween tux urchin yesterday, i was uneasy because i hadnt read anything. I didnt just want to go on the lfs word. (nice guys, dont know if I fully trust them yet) Epoxied my last few frags down that I hadnt fully decided on placement, and here he is:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-W0-aj6k7Q1E/UGDSUNkDzVI/AAAAAAAADzM/8YkmvjBkHPE/s1020/IMG_3982.jpg

Mrs Staind named him Karry M. Hoff. :lol2: We will see if he plays nice.

[sweeper7]

I went ahead and got one same time as i got my other CUC. This guy is a beast never stops working !


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/74712/D53921A1-58E9-4704-B80B-18E71F9675C0-1704-000001029FA5AB5C_zps2ad3a6ec.jpg

how can I get a nicer coloration picture out of this? I use an iPhone5 and my blue lights dont let the true colors show even though in person my tank is not that blue looking.

[Paul B]

Pincushion urchins that cover themselves with debris (and frags, snails, and hermit crabs) tend to bulldoze over loose frags and even smaller coral colonies.

Really! I haden't noticed :worried:

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/IMG_0183.jpg

[staindsoul]

wow, that is a hilarious picture paul. Did the frogspawn survive the ordeal?

[Paul B]

Yes, in spite of all the times I had to hunt for it, due to urchin roaming, it grew into a nice piece about 10" across. It is in the center of the picture.
I still have the urchin and also a longspine. I have to nail things down

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/IMG_2144.jpg

[staindsoul]

walking by your tank noticing your urchin spewing "sand" from the "top" of him and realizing he is pooping=puck the thrill is gone, the thrill is gone.