urchins

[xxseawolf]

i was just wondering if urchins were safe to put with a sebae anemone? i had a friend who had one with a carpet nem and he said it rolled across and spiked his anemone. i had a hard time believing this so if anyone could help it would be appreciated. thanks

[55semireef]

I wouldn't chance it. If your Urchin wonders to closely to your Sebae their spikes could penetrate the soft tissue and seriously injure it or eventually kill it.

[MarinaP]

Originally posted by 55semireef
I wouldn't chance it. If your Urchin wonders to closely to your Sebae their spikes could penetrate the soft tissue and seriously injure it or eventually kill it.

Nope. Nems will hold their own. I have 2 big LS urchins with RBTA garden and a mag in a shallow 200G. No problems. They also spent a couple of years together in a fellow reefer's tank.

I wish more people would share their OWN experience (or at least educated guesses) on this board

[55semireef]

Originally posted by MarinaP
Nope. Nems will hold their own. I have 2 big LS urchins with RBTA garden and a mag in a shallow 200G. No problems. They also spent a couple of years together in a fellow reefer's tank.

I wish more people would share their OWN experience (or at least educated guesses) on this board

First of all, I was voicing my opinion on the matter. If you don't agree with me that's fine but you don't need to get an uneccessary attitude about it. Keep that to yourself.

BTW, even though I have never kept an urchin with anemones, I have with corals and some of the corals(LPS primarily) would become stressed everytime the Urchin spiked them. So I did make an eduacated opinion, I wasn't just throwing one out for the "heck of" as you put it.

[MJI]

Would agree with Marina on this one.

I've kept urchins with a variety of nems (BTA, H Mag, S Hads) and all have so far lived harmoniously.

That's not to say that it could not or will not ever happen (a spike injury), but it would be something I would have little fear doing it again (currently urchinless!)

[55semireef]

Originally posted by MJI
Would agree with Marina on this one.

I've kept urchins with a variety of nems (BTA, H Mag, S Hads) and all have so far lived harmoniously.

That's not to say that it could not or will not ever happen (a spike injury), but it would be something I would have little fear doing it again (currently urchinless!)

There are more factors to it then just "will it work? Yes or No." I think that the size of the anemone, the size of the urchin, the sharpness of the spikes, and whether the anemone is a sand or rock dweller all plays a role. I never said that it couldn't work but I did say I wouldn't chance it. What if you had an anemone for 5 years with an urchin and then one day it dies due to the urchin? What if you picked up one of the rocks and the urchin fell off it and landed on the anemone? All are possibly scenarious. Again, just my opinion.

[illcssd]

Also agree with marina and mike. My urchin's have never posed any problem with any of my anemones. I keep urchins in alot of my tank as they make great coralline eaters and any other annoying algae.
No problems with any i have (4) here.

[Musho3210]

Marina, your post made no sense whatsoever:

I wish more people would share their OWN experience (or at least educated guesses) on this board

Well he gave an educated guess that made sense, might not have been proven but it was an educated guess, i agree, dont get an attitude over something like this. Adding that last part was unessicary even if it did make any sense. Just say he was wrong and life goes on,

[55semireef]

Originally posted by Musho3210
Marina, your post made no sense whatsoever:

I wish more people would share their OWN experience (or at least educated guesses) on this board

Well he gave an educated guess that made sense, might not have been proven but it was an educated guess, i agree, dont get an attitude over something like this. Adding that last part was unessicary even if it did make any sense. Just say he was wrong and life goes on,

Thank you for understanding what I wast trying to say.

[marc price]

i had witnessed a >12" sebae h. crispa eat a rock urchin echinometra sp. it's test was a bit larger than a golf ball . they had coexisted for more than a year .

i have read general articles on echinoderms warn against it so that the anemone doesn't get damaged by sharp spines . maybe diadema's could be a threat . i hadn't had a problem with mine , they coexisted for about six months until i got rid of it for munching the base of a semi-massive acro .

i currently have two mespilla globulus urchins with a 4.75" sebae anemone . not yet 100% on it's i.d. , looks like crispa but stays flexed on the sand-bed and has withdrawn into it a few times . i've read that h. malu can withdraw completely into the sand but haven't read the same for crispa . however it is still small and i don't see why it (assuming it's h. crispa) couldn't retract . i don't want to disturb it to look at the underside, what i have seen of it looks more like crispa's . was about 1.25" when i got it 2.5 months ago . i'm concerned about those urchin's getting eaten when the anemone is larger . i've had them for over 3 years and kind of like them .

[acrodave]

this is what i think i may be worng .. i work at a lfs and when people ask me if thing can go in the same tank i tell them. the books say no . but i have seen it done . all tanks are differnt and so is the live stock. u never know till u try.. i would take every ones opinions and then gather my own

[LesMartin]

I've got several short spined ( unknown species - known locally a s"Tuxedo Urchins" ) and a Diadema. I seriously don't think that the Diadema would spike an anemone. I've observed it on numerous occasions when approaching corals, anemones etc and on each occasion the urchin has sensed when it's getting close to touching and simply moves its spines out of the way. The short spined urchins do get very close on occasion but either don't touch or don't appear to cause any harm if they have done.

[OrionN]

I have a Diadema sp. with my anemone. There is no problem. My urchin grew from a tiny one with the shell of only 1 cm to shell size of 4 cm. The spine of 3-4 inches at this time. Sometime the urchin fell on the anemone (H. crispa) without any problem to either of them.

[55semireef]

So would anyone of you guys be comfortable with having an urchin that has sharp spines in the same tank as a S. Gigantea?

[MJI]

I know where you are coming from, but in this respect, I don't consider a Gigantea any different to any other anemone. The risks (or perceived risks) are the same. So yes, I would.

And yes, I currently keep a Gigantea.

[marc price]

"So would anyone of you guys be comfortable with having an urchin that has sharp spines in the same tank as a S. Gigantea?"

______________________________________________________________

yes, assuming the gig is healthy and in a large tank but prob. not if the diadema had a test the size of a baseball / >12" spines .

remember i did watch my h. crispa eat a rock urchin and although i can't tell you how it pulled that off i would think that it had to exert some amount of pressure to hold the urchin before ingesting it . (found spines and test fragments scattered around on the sand the next day).

i've had diadema urchins with s. haddoni , h. crispa & rbta's (haven't attempted gigantea yet), also kept echinothrix calamaris "long-spine sea urchin"with anemones and really was more concerned about accidently being impaled by it's toxic spines than danger to the anemone .

now that we're on the subject i suppose i should warn you (if you don't already know), of asthenosoma varium "galloping urchin" toxic spines which gave the manager of a long gone lfs a rather nasty jolt . and don't forget toxopneustes "flower urchin" which is a deadly species that could kill you .

[LesMartin]

My Diadema is in with a gigantea which is my most treasured animal. In fact, the urchin is doing such a good job on the corraline that I'm on the lookout for another. They're so fascinating how they can manouvre into places that you would think impossible with their long spines but they just move them out of the way and squeeze right in.

[55semireef]

Fair enough folks. I resign my argument.

[xxseawolf]

Originally posted by 55semireef
Fair enough folks. I resign my argument.

i do appreciate your opinion. it is always nice to hear different opinions. thanks again all.

[55semireef]

Thanks xxseawolf but I think the primary reason why I got all defensive and became so determined to share my opinion was because of the uneccessary comment that was made in the beginning of the thread that was directed towards me.

[marc price]

Originally Posted by 55semireef

So would anyone of you guys be comfortable with having an urchin that has sharp spines in the same tank as a S. Gigantea?

Sure would and I do. If fact my S. Gigantea already ate a Tripneustes gratilla urchin.

Last time I went away for week or more I added a few urchins for the anemone to have a food source, Lytechinus variegatus Pin-Cushion urchins were all that was available at the time, the anemone didn't eat them. It also doesn't bother the Mespilla globulus Tuxedo Globe urchins. Next time I'll shop in advance for Tripneustes.

[D-Nak]

LOL... talk about reviving an old thread! This must be a record.

I have a 10 gallon tank that serves as a QT tank but also houses random things I don't want in my DT. This includes a long spined urchins and various BTAs. I haven't seen any interactions that cause a concern.

[marc price]

Originally Posted by D-Nak

LOL... talk about reviving an old thread! This must be a record.

I have a 10 gallon tank that serves as a QT tank but also houses random things I don't want in my DT. This includes a long spined urchins and various BTAs. I haven't seen any interactions that cause a concern.

I know, LOL.

Actually, I've been drooling over two urchins in the LFS, Astropyga radiata (Longspine Urchin) and Astenosoma varium (Fire Urchin Galloping Urchin). Was doing a search WRT how "Reef Safe" with SPS, (I don't keep or care about soft corals), when I came across this old thread and now that I have an S. gigantea for several years I decided to update the thread with my experience to date.

[MarinaP]

This thread made me realize my LS urchin is approaching 15 years in captivity. His spines got shorter, but he is still there.

[OrionN]

That is long live. Does he get much bigger? Two of mine came with the Florida LR as baby, a few spine less than 2 mm in diameter. Now three years later they about 1.5 inches diameter of the body, not counting the lenght of the spine. No growing for the last year or so. Think they have reach their max size. Picture later