Benthic sharks with urchins?

[LadAShark]

I'm curious whether there would be any problems with keeping an epaulette shark, whitespotted bamboo shark, and a coral catshark with pencil urchins/pincussion urchins/ tuxedo urchins. Would the sharks hurt themselves?

 

[jsker]

Post up your question here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/n...for-your-tank-post-here-and-well-help.200605/ Or @Lionfish Lair could give some input

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Thanks for the thought jsker, but I don't know sharks. I never had a tank to keep them.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Or were you tagging me for the urchins! I honestly don't know, but the shark's skin should be pretty darn tough.

 

[jsker]

Or were you tagging me for the urchins! I honestly don't know, but the shark's skin should be pretty darn tough.

I figured you might know something about sharks. So I figured I would throw you under the bus

 

[Lionfish Lair]

As long as it's a party bus, I'm good!

 

[LadAShark]

As long as it's a party bus, I'm good!

Lol!
I'm liking this forum so much so far! You guys are so positive! Meanwhile on reefcentral I was told "why even bother" and asked why I was even trying...

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, sharks actually don't have tough skin. It might be capable of hurting our skin, but their skin is also really sensitive and they won't even tolerate any substrate other than sand. But they are ok with live rock.

How often have you seen urchins pricking fish? Specifically tuxedo urchins. I doubt the pencil urchin can really scratch/poke anything, but the tuxedo urchins seem like they might be able to scratch/poke the sharks and get their skin infected. I guess I'll just have to try if I can't find any good answers, and if they are a problem I'll just have to throw the urchins in my refugium.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You're always welcome on the Reef2Reef party bus.

 

[AlexG]

I don't have any experience with benthic sharks but I can imagine that they might make a meal out of an urchin. Many bottom dwelling sharks suck food in a crush it internally. Fish normally avoid urchins unless they are a natural food item and I have never seen a fish bothered or attacked by one before. Something like tuxedo urchin might be lunch but a pincushion or long spine sea urchin might not be bothered. Best thing to do is experiment slowly. Maybe put the urchin in a plastic container and see if the shark shows interest or just leaves it alone before letting it go in the main display. If the tank in large enough it will be less likely that they will accidentally run into an urchin.

 

[LadAShark]

I don't have any experience with benthic sharks but I can imagine that they might make a meal out of an urchin. Many bottom dwelling sharks suck food in a crush it internally. Fish normally avoid urchins unless they are a natural food item and I have never seen a fish bothered or attacked by one before. Something like tuxedo urchin might be lunch but a pincushion or long spine sea urchin might not be bothered. Best thing to do is experiment slowly. Maybe put the urchin in a plastic container and see if the shark shows interest or just leaves it alone before letting it go in the main display. If the tank in large enough it will be less likely that they will accidentally run into an urchin.

Ah I see. There would be a problem perhaps if I had horn sharks. Those guys are entirely capable, and in fact made for doing that! The sharks I mentioned don't even eat starfish, so I guess there might be a chance!

 

[ice fish]

I would said the pencil would be fine with your shark. Not sure on the other two just for the fact, do you want to take the risk of one of your sharks actually poking itself? Sharks are very fragile as it is. I would try and keep anything that would possibly do harm to them out of the tank. Good luck though. Wish could keep sharks but im already 0-2

 

[LadAShark]

I would said the pencil would be fine with your shark. Not sure on the other two just for the fact, do you want to take the risk of one of your sharks actually poking itself? Sharks are very fragile as it is. I would try and keep anything that would possibly do harm to them out of the tank. Good luck though. Wish could keep sharks but im already 0-2

Annnnd I guess on that count I'm out. It would be too risky to deal with some injury to a shark because of how clumsy they are.

I was suggested horseshoe crabs on another forum. I wonder if the sharks wouldn't tear them apart?

 

[ice fish]

Please dont buy a horseshoe. Those NEVER last in a tank. I got one and it died pretty quickly in the tank (It was a impulse buy and im kicking myself for it) They eat the micro fauna in your sand and then waste away. They really dont do anything good to your tank. I saw a thread on someone that takes actual sea water and mud from a estuary and is still having a hard time keeping them alive. Best left in the ocean. I would go with Some conches or bristle star's if your looking for cleaning up the sand bed. The rock will be hard to clean but id try with the pencil urchins.

 

[meir]

Please dont buy a horseshoe. Those NEVER last in a tank. I got one and it died pretty quickly in the tank (It was a impulse buy and im kicking myself for it) They eat the micro fauna in your sand and then waste away. They really dont do anything good to your tank. I saw a thread on someone that takes actual sea water and mud from a estuary and is still having a hard time keeping them alive. Best left in the ocean. I would go with Some conches or bristle star's if your looking for cleaning up the sand bed. The rock will be hard to clean but id try with the pencil urchins.

I had one (a baby) that I caught off shore and he lived a year even thru my tank crash (a literal crash like the tank smashed) so for me they are hit or miss some will learn to adapt some won't but one things for sure they'll never contract disease

 

[LadAShark]

Please dont buy a horseshoe. Those NEVER last in a tank. I got one and it died pretty quickly in the tank (It was a impulse buy and im kicking myself for it) They eat the micro fauna in your sand and then waste away. They really dont do anything good to your tank. I saw a thread on someone that takes actual sea water and mud from a estuary and is still having a hard time keeping them alive. Best left in the ocean. I would go with Some conches or bristle star's if your looking for cleaning up the sand bed. The rock will be hard to clean but id try with the pencil urchins.

Hmm. Yeah, I know most people fail to keep them, though I have heard that that's mostly because people (A) don't have a huge tank (B) don't have a sand bed deep enough (C) usually keep a coldwater atlantic horseshoe crab in tropical (warm) water. I have heard that keeping them alive if you have the temperature, food, and sandbed is not that hard. You can actually force feed them by putting them in a separate shallow tank on their back, placing food on their legs, and then waiting for them to consume the food and then excrete their waste, once every three days. At least, that's what researchers do.

I had one (a baby) that I caught off shore and he lived a year even thru my tank crash (a literal crash like the tank smashed) so for me they are hit or miss some will learn to adapt some won't but one things for sure they'll never contract disease

Yeah I have heard they are extremely hardy as long as you get the conditions right. My biggest worry isn't keeping them alive (as if I get one, I will MAKE SURE IT STAYS ALIVE GOD dangit! lol), but rather that they deplete the live sand. If they're going to kill my live sand I don't want one haha.

 

[BoneXriffic]

I cant see pencil urchins being a problem...i often notice them on rock or sides and not as often in the sand bed where the sharks will spend most of their time... if shark is well fed theres a good chance it wont even consider the urchins as a meal.

As for horeshoes. Theyre as, if not more, clumsy than the sharks. So it could be a three ring circus lol.

Have you considered a ray?

 

[Naiad]

Depending on why you want the urchins the pencil might work. They are one of the urchins that have a more carnivorous diet though so not the best at algea control.

 

[BoneXriffic]

Depending on why you want the urchins the pencil might work. They are one of the urchins that have a more carnivorous diet though so not the best at algea control.

But good at cleaning up the sharks mess thus helping keep phosphates down thus reducing algae... so pencil urchins help with algae control? Lol

 

[LadAShark]

I cant see pencil urchins being a problem...i often notice them on rock or sides and not as often in the sand bed where the sharks will spend most of their time... if shark is well fed theres a good chance it wont even consider the urchins as a meal.

As for horeshoes. Theyre as, if not more, clumsy than the sharks. So it could be a three ring circus lol.

Have you considered a ray?

And, I'm actually more worried about sharks bumping into urchins and getting hurt rather than them eating the urchins, as I highly doubt they would find them appetizing.

A three ring circus sounds somewhat fun haha. I'll have to see if I can get a warm water horseshoe crab. Liveaquaria says theirs like 72-82 or something like that, but I'm gonna have to ask them what species they're selling first.

I am also considering a ray, yes, but their ability to sting is putting me off. (Says the guy asking about urchins, lol).

Funny thing is I really want to add a sharksucker to the tank (echeneis naucrates/neucratoides), and those guys are know to be extremely hyperactive when feeding. I wonder if I'm just setting up my tank to be a washing machine or something lol.

Depending on why you want the urchins the pencil might work. They are one of the urchins that have a more carnivorous diet though so not the best at algea control.

Eh, I only really wanted them for variety and then some functions. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I could make do with conches and abalones. Variety is beautiful though ;P

 

[LadAShark]

But good at cleaning up the sharks mess thus helping keep phosphates down thus reducing algae... so pencil urchins help with algae control? Lol

Yes! That's what I was thinking. Detritivores are good!