Best reef safe urchin

[argiBK]

Astropyga radiata's are reef safe, but, they grow quite fast and quite large, not to mention you never want to be stung by one, hurts like a mother!

 

[scardall]

I have added two blue tuxedo urchins. They are eating carpet/byopsis algae very well. The eat all algae to the bare rock. For me that is what I want. Yes they will decorate themselves. IMO cora;ine is not critical if covered with algae. ( divets deep enough are out of reach of these guys) Thumbs for efficiency in eating many forms of nusianse algae.

 

[Paris by Night]

I have a real small pencil urchin from KPAquatics rock, maybe half inch in diameter. Is he ok to put in a mixed reef?

what did you end up doing? I had two of these pencil urchins from KP and I watched as my BLUE Platygyra slowly got eaten. Until I realized it was them. These are NOT reef safe at all

 

[t5Nitro]

what did you end up doing? I had two of these pencil urchins from KP and I watched as my BLUE Platygyra slowly got eaten. Until I realized it was them. These are NOT reef safe at all

I put mine in the display and it has grown to the typical pencil urchin size you’d find snorkeling. He really only went after a PC rainbow acro, otherwise hasn’t touched other coral. He is the best algae defense in my tank. Really amazing at what they can clear.