What kind of Urchin??

[Joshsmit56001]

I bought an urchin about 2 months or so ago and it has not been a problem until recently. My rock has been turning white where he goes and then turns back later. I think it is eating my coraline algae. I am not sure what kind of urchin it is but iit is a brownish red color with sharp points. I will try to get a pic soon. Hopefully someone can help. I need to know if it is reef safe. It hasn't hurt my star polyps yet but I wanna make sure it is ok to put mor corals in.

Thanks
Josh

 

[reefrunner69]

Sounds like a rose urchin, all urchins will eat coraline agae, the benefit there is when they poop...they spread it to other places in the tank as well. The urchin is reef sage, except it will be a bull dozer, knocking down any corals in it's path.

 

[Guest]

Most al of the urchins are reef safe to the point of exactly what you are going through.... Coraline and corals are their main diet... Sorry, but if you want to keep the urchin, he will make lunch out of all of the coraline he can find... IMO, you should try and see if the LFS will take him back on a credit of some sort....

 

[goldy]

i know eyeball urchins ,which are all black,love to eat coraline algae.as for reef safe i'm not sure.so i'm guessing other urchins like coraline algae to.

 

[Joshsmit56001]

So my algae will keep growing back then? And he will be a benefit rather than a hinderer? Also I have my corals glue to my rock

 

[scuba_steve]

Diadema savignyi isnt that bad of an urchin and not so pushy thru the tank but try feeding him more dry algae that might help slow him down

 

[Joshsmit56001]

How do I feed him dry algae?

 

[reefrunner69]

Most al of the urchins are reef safe to the point of exactly what you are going through.... Coraline and corals are their main diet...

Tim, can you give the reference that tells you most urchins will eat coral?

 

[Joshsmit56001]

Reefrunner69, do you think I should keep it or sell it back to my LFS? My tank is looking kind of crappy lately because of the changing colorof my rock

 

[reefrunner69]

If it were me, I'd get rid of it, the detriment of it's bull dozer like activity far outweighs the benefits, IMO.

 

[steve-s]

It really does depend on which species you choose. Some like me see a benefit from their constant scraping of the coralline sufaces and some don't.Some urchin may damage corals indirectly but I have not seen them actually consume them. The one IME, that has proven to be the best is the Blue Tuxedo Urchin Mespilia globulus.

Great algae eater and does not "strip" coralline bare. It's more like a light shaving. Either way not a bad addition.

Cheers
Steve

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

i had pencil urchin eat sand sifter star and a ton of coraline i got rid of it