losing spines

[Lindsikins00]

Ok, I have had my long spinned urchain for about 4 months. I just moved my salt tank a little over a week ago, the ammonia went up to .75, but I did water changes and treated with amquel, and everything is getting back to normal. A snail died, so I guess he was the culprit. Just last night, and this morning I have noticed he has lost some spines and they are laying on the bottom of the tank (appox 8 spines) Is he sick, growing, stressed, any ideas? Thanks so much.

 

[Hara]

Urchins, as most inverts, are very intolerant of poor water quality. Them shedding spines is a sign that it is stressed and things are heading south. Doing water changes is fine, but make sure that the water was the same as what you took out as far as ph, salinity, temp etc. Even those fluctuations will affect the urchin adversely.

 

[Lindsikins00]

Well I just tested my water
amm 0
trate undectable
trite 0
ph 8.1
temp 82.4
SG 1.023

There is another urchin in there, he seems to be doing great. Maybe some residual stress. I just put a sheet of nori in there, so they have plenty to eat. Except the other urchin is about to take off with the clip and food, he is pulling as hard as he can.

 

[Lindsikins00]

PS the other urchin is a pincushion so I know they are not his spines

 

[quarryshark]

Unfortunately my experience is when they shed their spines, there is not much you can do. Try to keep high water quality and if you have a qt tank, you can remove him to it to keep from fouling the main if he doesn't make it.
Sorry

 

[i have crabs]

my lfs told me urchins drop thier spines when the iodine is to low
but becareful to to overdo it

 

[Lindsikins00]

hmmmm, I don't have an iodine test kit, I guess I can do a small water change. He seemed pretty stressed out, but this morning he seems more active, and he is eating the nori I put in there.

 

[Bang Guy]

my lfs told me urchins drop thier spines when the iodine is to low
but becareful to to overdo it

Your LFS is wrong.

It could be many things but a low level of Iodine isn't one of them.

Typically it's a change in salinity or a salinity lower than 35ppt (yours is low at about 33ppt).

 

[quarryshark]

I think it was the high ammonia, they definately cannot take that.