Urchin??

[Feelthereefer]

What do I do about this guy he has grown and grown dont know that he has really hurt anything but know nothing about urchins.. He came as a hitchhiker any help please...

 

[paulace2372]

That's a common urchin. A cool hitchhiker as most people have to pay for them. He most likely hides a lot of the time in the rock and moves around from place to place just popping out here and there & grazing on algae. Make sure that the rock in your tank is stable and well balanced and unlikely to be moved by him. They are quite strong and will shift a rock or two while moving around. If you ever need to move him keep I'm submerged in water as they don't like being exposed to air. If you are unlucky enough to get pricked by one of his spines, run it under hot water and the pain goes after an hour or so.

 

[Feelthereefer]

Thanks for the reply I have heard.that they eat coraline and can be a kinda of a pain but like I Said have not noticed anything damaged by him yet... Just has gotten so big fast I first seen in it about three months ago he was about size of a quarter.

 

[paulace2372]

Yes they will eat coraline algae, that can't be helped. They can grow quickly, I have a banded mine urchin that has doubled in size in around 3 months. Yours will most likely grow until he is around two inches wide, most will stay this size in the aquarium but are known to get four inches in the ocean.

 

[scubasteve03]

Very good alge eaters a bit clumsy mine likes to move my corals around sometimes. Had him for about a yr never eat any of my coraline dont think thay all do

 

[kdpuffer]

Second that, clumsy is an understatement. If you have coral and or anemones keep them well spaced apart. My urchin knocked by 2 day old, 4 head green torch down on my tube anemone. Bye bye coral.

 

[craig_will2513]

lol why bye bye.. did the nem eat it

 

[kdpuffer]

No stung it and thus killed it. I was mad.

 

[craig_will2513]

holy ****. the nem stung anothe coral to death thats a bit harsh

 

[kdpuffer]

Defense, the coral fell just in reach of the nem. It was a tube anemone so it has long tentacles. It was a really nice torch too. I waited and saved for that coral so I was pretty devastated.

 

[mr_X]

you might want to glue corals down so that they don't get knocked over.

 

[kdpuffer]

Yup I should have, lesson learned the hard way there lol