Considering a tuxedo urchin

[BraindeadBiologist]

I have a solid field of gha that I've been battling and read that tuxedo urchin are good candidates for dealing with it. I also have several very expensive acanthophyllia and other euphyllia on my sand bed. Will the urchin pose a risk, directly or indirectly, to these corals? Will it eat the gsp growing on my back wall?

 

[JonoH]

Try and get them small (like a marble size).

The bigger one's tend to pick up and move coral and rocks a lot!

I found mine ate coralline more than gha though.

 

[SaltyBear]

Besides the tuxedo, a pin cushion urchin is an eating machine.

Drawback, if it isn't nailed down its fair game for decoration. Includes snails.

Get an old shell and place on top will sometimes delay the clepto attitude.

 

[CUSO4]

My tuxedo eats GHA but regularly wears frags, rocks etc as hats then drops them in the dark realms. I’ve tried displacement activity (see photo)
Mine also eat zoas and daisy coral to bare stumps you can see the teeth marks on the bare rock as he leaves

 

[IKD]

If you have a lot of hair algae, a sea hare may be an option and more gentle around corals.

 

[cdemoss01]

I have a tux urchin.. he mostly stays on the glass, I reccomend fuzzy chitons, tropical abalones and lettuce slugs.

 

[ScottJ]

I have a tux and a spiny urchin. Neither touches GHA, just coralline down to the bare rock. Funny critters, though.

 

[rowenaad]

Mine is fairly small one and would only touch GHA if they are short enough or its on its absolute path. It only carries stuff tremendously smaller than itself but it will knock off anything not secured on its way, but mine rarely get on the sand and stay on rocks 99% of time.

 

[BryanM]

+1 for the urchin. Always fun times!