longspine black urchin

[crow123]

i just purchase a long spine black urchine....ites cute.....i read all about them but i was asking the pros any tips or warning i should kno about them
thx

 

[quarryshark]

No, they are cool. I have had mine for a year. He is a little wrecking ball, but fun to watch.
Just be sure to acclimate very slowly like any other urchin.
I also target feed mine a littel nori a couple times a week. He'll grab it with his spines and work it towards his mouth.

 

[specialk]

I had one also but it ate a brain coral in my tank. From everything I have read its not common that they would do something like this but it does happen. Needless to say I got rid of mine.

Kaye

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I read they can destroy your coraline algae

 

[crow123]

so far hes looking good, i read that he eats algea in the tank but i dont have algea rite now, wat else can i give it :?

 

[quarryshark]

I read they can destroy your coraline algae

Thats why I target feed my 4 urchins. My coraline is doing fine. I believe my target feeding helps.

Feed him little strips of nori (dried seaweed(, you can get it at asian food stores, LFS's and many grocery stores.

 

[SoylentGrundy]

Quarryshark has it right about target feeding. I didn't realize this and had one waste away and i didn't know until later that he needed target feeding...oops...I've also heard that they will eat anything if they get hungry enough, so there's another reason to target feed occasionally, if you value your other tank inhabitants.
hth

 

[quarryshark]

Ya, I have seen mine eat hermit molts. Mine have also taken to eating hair algea, a by product of feeding them nori I believe.

 

[frshwaterfinatc]

Mine have also taken to eating hair algea, a by product of feeding them nori I believe.

That's interesting to know!

 

[quarryshark]

Mine have also taken to eating hair algea, a by product of feeding them nori I believe.

That's interesting to know!

Hey!! How have you been?
Just a theory, I am not an authority on Urchins, but they never touched it until I started giving them the nori. Now they plow through it like a good lawnmower.