Thoughts about an Urchin for the reef

livingcorals · 01/26/2009, 10:23 PM

Was thinking of getting an Urchin however just would like to hear your thoughts.
It will be going into my 65gal reef setup.

I read some pros and cons but would like to just hear more on personal exp.
Thanks

mystery_reef · 01/26/2009, 10:34 PM

what kind of urchin? i've always liked the globe urchins or they are sometimes called tuxedo urchins. there are pros and cons like you said.

skunkmere · 01/26/2009, 10:36 PM

i had a spine one i liked alot until it ate my awesome frag of zoas. got rid of it the next day.

icenine2005 · 01/27/2009, 05:44 AM

Most of them will strip your tank of coralline, but not everyone considers that so bad.

Honestly, I don't know of any that actually eat coral. I hear folks complain about them knocking stuff over, in particular tanks with lots of new frags... but that's not eating them.

Rod Buehler · 01/27/2009, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by icenine2005
Most of them will strip your tank of coralline, but not everyone considers that so bad.

And some say that id conditions are right and if you have enough coralline to begin with, they actually help spread coralline, due to the way that their mouth is like a rasp.

driftin · 01/27/2009, 07:46 AM

I have a tuxedo urchin, we love it. It does knock smaller frags over, but any that I have that were mounted on a decent sized piece of rock have been fine. The colors in the urchin are really vibrant. We have knicknamed it "junkyard" because of all the shells, etc it has picked up and covered itself in. There have been a couple small areas of the rockwork that have been rasped clean of coralline, but for the most part it seems to be mowing down algae.

ITeach2Wheels · 01/27/2009, 08:12 AM

I would agree on the eating algae in my tank. I moved my tuxedo to the fuge when he proved to be a bulldozer in the display. Since then I have had an outbreak of brown slime. The only place where the brown slime is being actively eaten is in the fuge......he leaves lawnmower tracks through the stuff.

sh0tyme83 · 01/27/2009, 08:51 AM

I have a tuxedo and love it. Very very great at keeping the bad algae down but also eats the coraline. But I don't care much about the coraline since I don't have to scrap my glass all the time. I also haven't had the experience of it knocking my frags over. The snails knock more over than my tuxedo does.

livingcorals · 01/27/2009, 11:52 AM

thank you all for your input

roadcrew · 01/27/2009, 01:53 PM

i just recently got a pencil urchin. i have to pick up after him sometimes but its not really a big deal. he leaves clean white trails in my rock, (shows how sharp the mouth plates are) that are coralilne covered back in a few days. over all im quite impressed with him and no problems here.

livingcorals · 01/27/2009, 02:08 PM

Going to pick up a pencil Urchin.
thanks again

wld1783 · 01/27/2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rod Buehler
And some say that id conditions are right and if you have enough coralline to begin with, they actually help spread coralline, due to the way that their mouth is like a rasp.

I agree

I still have plenty of coralline every where. Just be careful they will scratch acrylic.

Bill

icenine2005 · 01/27/2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rod Buehler
And some say that id conditions are right and if you have enough coralline to begin with, they actually help spread coralline, due to the way that their mouth is like a rasp.

ooooo... perfect excuse to post my business end of a urchin pic to illustrate the rasp you speak of...

pencil urchin btw.

+/- on the coralline might have to do with overall system size. Bigger the system the less likely they probably are to wipe out a significant amount of coralline. (if you're looking at sigs of the opinions posted anyway)

...and mine did help vanquish some nasty bubble algae from my display for what that is worth.

RedTC · 01/27/2009, 10:39 PM

That is a great shot

JPSKI25 · 01/28/2009, 12:47 AM

Looks like an alien from a sci-fi movie

roadcrew · 01/28/2009, 12:43 PM

nice pic!

01/26/2009, 10:23 PM	#1
livingcorals Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cary IL Posts: 2,569	Thoughts about an Urchin for the reef Was thinking of getting an Urchin however just would like to hear your thoughts. It will be going into my 65gal reef setup. I read some pros and cons but would like to just hear more on personal exp. Thanks __________________ Keep on reef'n Current Tank Info: In wall, 65 Gal RR, Apex control (get 1) aquarium with 30gal fuge, AI sol W,BL,B

01/27/2009, 07:46 AM	#6
driftin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,204	I have a tuxedo urchin, we love it. It does knock smaller frags over, but any that I have that were mounted on a decent sized piece of rock have been fine. The colors in the urchin are really vibrant. We have knicknamed it "junkyard" because of all the shells, etc it has picked up and covered itself in. There have been a couple small areas of the rockwork that have been rasped clean of coralline, but for the most part it seems to be mowing down algae. __________________ -Jim Current Tank Info: 70 gal custom room divider

01/27/2009, 11:52 AM	#9
livingcorals Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cary IL Posts: 2,569	thank you all for your input __________________ Keep on reef'n Current Tank Info: In wall, 65 Gal RR, Apex control (get 1) aquarium with 30gal fuge, AI sol W,BL,B

01/27/2009, 02:08 PM	#11
livingcorals Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cary IL Posts: 2,569	Going to pick up a pencil Urchin. thanks again __________________ Keep on reef'n Current Tank Info: In wall, 65 Gal RR, Apex control (get 1) aquarium with 30gal fuge, AI sol W,BL,B

01/26/2009, 10:34 PM	#2
mystery_reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: chicago suburb (medinah) IL Posts: 3,801	what kind of urchin? i've always liked the globe urchins or they are sometimes called tuxedo urchins. there are pros and cons like you said.

01/26/2009, 10:36 PM	#3
skunkmere Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: chicago Posts: 6,118	i had a spine one i liked alot until it ate my awesome frag of zoas. got rid of it the next day.

01/27/2009, 05:44 AM	#4
icenine2005 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 581	Most of them will strip your tank of coralline, but not everyone considers that so bad. Honestly, I don't know of any that actually eat coral. I hear folks complain about them knocking stuff over, in particular tanks with lots of new frags... but that's not eating them.

01/27/2009, 08:12 AM	#7
ITeach2Wheels Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Spring Grove, IL Posts: 80	I would agree on the eating algae in my tank. I moved my tuxedo to the fuge when he proved to be a bulldozer in the display. Since then I have had an outbreak of brown slime. The only place where the brown slime is being actively eaten is in the fuge......he leaves lawnmower tracks through the stuff.

01/27/2009, 08:51 AM	#8
sh0tyme83 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Plainfield, IL Posts: 507	I have a tuxedo and love it. Very very great at keeping the bad algae down but also eats the coraline. But I don't care much about the coraline since I don't have to scrap my glass all the time. I also haven't had the experience of it knocking my frags over. The snails knock more over than my tuxedo does.

01/27/2009, 01:53 PM	#10
roadcrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: portage park, chicago Posts: 294	i just recently got a pencil urchin. i have to pick up after him sometimes but its not really a big deal. he leaves clean white trails in my rock, (shows how sharp the mouth plates are) that are coralilne covered back in a few days. over all im quite impressed with him and no problems here.

01/27/2009, 10:39 PM	#14
RedTC Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chicago/Forest Park Posts: 224	That is a great shot

01/28/2009, 12:47 AM	#15
JPSKI25 Moved On Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Plainfield, IL Posts: 2,351	Looks like an alien from a sci-fi movie

01/28/2009, 12:43 PM	#16
roadcrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: portage park, chicago Posts: 294	nice pic!