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Unread 11/03/2009, 06:14 PM   #1
golby
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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.


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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)
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Unread 11/03/2009, 06:41 PM   #2
redfishsc
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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.


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Unread 11/03/2009, 06:56 PM   #3
Darejohn
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Dont know much about those, sorry


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Unread 11/03/2009, 07:29 PM   #4
Stanley-Reefer
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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.


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Unread 11/03/2009, 07:55 PM   #5
noahm
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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.


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Unread 11/03/2009, 08:14 PM   #6
rgentry123
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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.


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Unread 11/03/2009, 08:40 PM   #7
Eel Freak
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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.


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Unread 11/03/2009, 08:58 PM   #8
shellzreef
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anyone have a picture of one of these?


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Unread 11/03/2009, 09:26 PM   #9
redfishsc
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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.



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Unread 11/03/2009, 09:34 PM   #10
rick12
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reef3 064.jpg
great critters...i have two in a 40g. they help move the zoas lol


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Unread 11/03/2009, 09:41 PM   #11
LobsterOfJustice
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While we're on the topic of pictures, here's a pincushion covering itself with... everything




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Unread 11/03/2009, 11:02 PM   #12
goochesfish
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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.


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Unread 11/04/2009, 01:34 AM   #13
AMW
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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.


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Unread 11/04/2009, 07:10 AM   #14
golby
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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.


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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)
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Unread 11/04/2009, 08:27 AM   #15
EllieSuz
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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.


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Unread 11/04/2009, 08:43 AM   #16
SaltLifeLove
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Its on my stock list Just waiting for the tank to get a little dirtier

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


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Unread 11/22/2009, 05:08 PM   #17
shellzreef
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i got one....just today! =) he seems to be doing well i guess. his tentacles are out, hes moving around! ...so we'll see


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Unread 11/22/2009, 05:19 PM   #18
Ralph ATL
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I've had mine since Feb, 2007. Still great!


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Unread 11/22/2009, 05:24 PM   #19
EdSnyder
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What kind of urchin is this? I was told to move him to the sump.



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Unread 11/22/2009, 05:32 PM   #20
Almondsaz
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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.


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Unread 11/23/2009, 09:51 AM   #21
waterlife
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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


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Unread 11/23/2009, 10:11 AM   #22
Mako
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdSnyder View Post
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.


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Unread 11/24/2009, 06:21 AM   #23
goodtimes
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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.


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Unread 11/27/2009, 11:00 AM   #24
shellzreef
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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.


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Unread 11/27/2009, 11:06 AM   #25
Eel Freak
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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


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