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Urchins

DYIguy

DYIguy

NJRC Member
Is there a downside to having one? I have a 75g with no real algae problems- my Tomini takes care of most algae, but I've noticed this algae, it is only growing on the backside of rocks right now- looks light it could be turf- emerald crab, snails don't touch it- it hasn't become a problem...yet, but wondering if a tuxedo urchin might be a good add
 
B

Bot587

NJRC Member
only disadvantage is they tend to move things around if they are not locked down well.

@Mark_C can definitely explain to you the annoyance of this.
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

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Ha! I literally opened the site just after banishing an urchin from my display tank. Hands are still damp.
I dropped him in the main to help with some algae 3 days ago.

When I pulled him out today I had to peel off 4 zoa frags, 1 hermit crab, and some algae.
I also had to reglue down about 10 frags.

They camoflage themselves by picking up anything, including frags, and when they're big they're strong/determined enough to break the bond to the rock in many cases.
Saying that...
They do a great job at eating algae when its short enough.

Best bet would probably be to get a small one and ensure you have both frag glue and somewhere to banish it when you get pissed at it.

Oh, and my new goto algae guy is a sally lightfoot crab, it works the algae nonstop (at least the one I've got does).

Here's the urchin bartending...

IMG_9410.jpeg
 
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DYIguy

DYIguy

NJRC Member
Mark_C said:
Ha! I literally opened the site just after banishing an urchin from my display tank. Hands are still damp.
I dropped him in the main to help with some algae.
When I pulled him out today I had to peel off 4 zoa frags, 1 hermit crab, and some algae.
They camoflage themselves by picking up anything, including frags, and they're stron/determined enough to break the bond to the rock.
Saying that...
They do a great job at eating algae when its short enough.
Best bet would probably be to get a small one and ensure you have both frag glue and somewhere to banish it when you get pissed at it.

Oh, and my new goto algae guy is a sally lightfoot crab, it works the algae nonstop (at least the one I've got does).
Click to expand...
Is the sally lightfoot any good with turf algae
 
Mark_C

Mark_C

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Havent had turf in this tank, just hair, and he/she is a fairly recent purchase.
As a crab I'd guess its an opportunist, but don't really know.
 
amado

amado

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I love urchins they are fun to watch and they eat a lot of algae.
I have a large long spine urchin in the 220 and a tuxedo in the 120.
 
NanoJoe

NanoJoe

NJRC Member
Im at a catch 22 with my urchins. i want some coralline to grow on the rocks but i do love how well they do with algae...
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

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I have a Sally Light foot crab for about a year. It will eat what ever it finds. seen it picking stuff off rocks at night and comes out during feeding time.
 
DEL

DEL

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I got 2 tuxedos in the tank as we speak. but now I need something for bubble algae :(
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

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NJRC Member
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Sally Light Foot - As an omnivore, the Sally Lightfoot is the ultimate scavenger, consuming detritus, uneaten food, algae and everything else in its path, with the noted exception of living corals. When this crab gets larger and more aggressive, it will also attack and eat small fish and invertebrates. Sally lightfoot crabs will get much bigger but tend to eat bubble algae more often than not.
 
DYIguy

DYIguy

NJRC Member
I'm going to pass on an urchin for now. Nothing in my tank is glued down. My emerald crab tosses my frags around as it is. If I can catch it will give it away
 
Haus

Haus

I’ve had tuxedos and now have a hairy pincushion. Great for algae. They also eat coralline, but with the tuxedo they didn’t dent it; the pincushion has cleared my back glass almost completely.
The re-decorating is definitely an issue. I have to check the sand bed to see if it knocked anything over all the time. It doesn’t frags plugs on me butt loose rubble, snails, shells, chunks of coralline, etc, all the time.
But cool to watch and great workers, I would use one in any tank I set up.

Re bubble algae, my hang-on fuge is full of it, especially where the water drops to the display. My best guess is the yellow tang eats it. Even when I was between urchins I never saw any in the display, just on some equipment on the top of the water line side.
 
H

horseplay

NJRC Member
DYIguy said:
I'm going to pass on an urchin for now. Nothing in my tank is glued down. My emerald crab tosses my frags around as it is. If I can catch it will give it away
Click to expand...
Haha I used to be the non-commital type as far as coral placement. Now I glue them down as soon as I got them. Can always move later and corals seem to do better glued down especially SPS.

As for urchin I have a bigger pincushion and love it.
 
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