Sea urchins beware

[d5332]

FYI for folks not experienced in Sea Urchins like me.

I have an urchin smaller than a golf ball. It moves very very slowly in the tank but the darn thing has an appetite and a half.

It eats snails and small fish that lay around often such as cleaner gobies and dart fire fish like there is no tomorrow.

Never did I expect such a little thing to have such an appetite, the snails I dont mind but the fish was a disppointment.

Its going in the sump until I figure out what to do with it.

 

[fishman1069]

Thats why you research before you buy!

 

[d5332]

I thought i did, this one was suppose to eat algae and detritus but the tank is too small and its very opportunistic.

 

[d5332]

oooook.....the haters thread....

I have known plenty of tanks that had urchins but they were large tanks so nothing noticeable ever happened....so I bought a baby urchin and put it in my tank!

FYI...the post is a head ups for people looking for information....The "experts" should not be bothered by little old post like this one but anyone considering a urchin will now have info...dont put a baby urchin in a small tank.

 

[ruha456]

People act like MR stands for Mad Reefers not Manhattan Reefs let's all take a chill pill guys he's just being informative.

 

[d5332]

A civilized person, thank you...

The power of the keyboard...All hail to the power of the keyboard...

People act like MR stands for Mad Reefers not Manhattan Reefs let's all take a chill pill guys he's just being informative.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thanks for the post. I did not know this about them. I never even considered getting one because of their appetite for coraline algae, and their clumsiness.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

What species of urchin do you have.

 

[charliethetuna88]

I have a few smaller blueish looking ones in my main tank I haven't noticed them messing with anything yet .I thought they eat algea never new they eat coraline algea .ill have to keep an eye on them now

 

[d5332]

Its a Purple Short Spine Pincushion Urchin which is listed as a scavanger.

This one however grabs hold of the snails and locks on, travels around the tank with them, you check a few hours later and the snails are nothing but empty shells.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

The only time I have had an urchin eat a fish or an invert was after said fish or invert had died. They will decorate themselves in shells and corals to disguise themselves as well sometimes even a live invert or 2 will be caught up with the disguise but I have never seen or read anything about them hunting or killing any of the aforementioned animals.

 

[d5332]

I think this is a confusing topic. Sellers of urchins list them as scavangers.

I guess I will continue to monitor it before I give it a new home, I find the urchin to be an interesting little creature.

The only time I have had an urchin eat a fish or an invert was after said fish or invert had died. They will decorate themselves in shells and corals to disguise themselves as well sometimes even a live invert or 2 will be caught up with the disguise but I have never seen or read anything about them hunting or killing any of the aforementioned animals.

 

[charliethetuna88]

maybe ur seeing empty shells on them like chief said they try and hide using anything they find man mine even had xenia on them lol maybe they have the empty shells on them and ur thinking there eating them