Do Urchins - Molt (needles)?

[RaymondL]

I picked up my first Blue Tuxedo Urchin 1.5 months back - I'm noticing that its shedding some of its needles from time to time - I'm wondering if this is normal? I know its not starving as lots of algae is disappearing and the urchin is mowing it down - Nitrates are 9.1, PO4: 0.03, dKH: 8.2, Salinity: 1.0253

 

[ryanjohn1]

I’ve had 2 urchins. When mine lost needles they were unalive shortly thereafter. But didn’t have them same species as you so maybe not.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I picked up my first Blue Tuxedo Urchin 1.5 months back - I'm noticing that its shedding some of its needles from time to time - I'm wondering if this is normal? I know its not starving as lots of algae is disappearing and the urchin is mowing it down - Nitrates are 9.1, PO4: 0.03, dKH: 8.2, Salinity: 1.0253

Generally speaking, urchins dropping spines is a bad sign. If they're just losing a few, then they may be alright/it may just be a coincidence, but if they're losing a lot, something is wrong that could kill them.

Have your parameters been swinging at all? Could something be picking at the urchin? Is there anything specific that happens around the time it drops the spines?