Introducing long spine and pincushion urchins, round two!

[Clueless_Reefer]

Hi friends! I'm working on a small two part video on introducing two different urchins into my system. Hopefully it helps some people out since I didn't have good luck on my first time around...this time I'm basically using a digital refractometer to get them acclimated...however long it takes :D. I'll be checking back in probably Wednesday to share how they're doing.

 

[F i s h y]

Good video. Could be helpful for all types of acclimation.

I have found that in my previous experience urchins, starfish, and other sensitive inverts are difficult because they were not properly acclimated at the lfs when received in a shipment. Meaning that no matter the care we take to do so at home they may already be doomed. Unfortunately your first try is not unusual. I wish you luck. Looking forward to your successful update.
Happy reefing:)

 

[Clueless_Reefer]

Good video. Could be helpful for all types of acclimation.

I have found that in my previous experience urchins, starfish, and other sensitive inverts are difficult because they were not properly acclimated at the lfs when received in a shipment. Meaning that no matter the care we take to do so at home they may already be doomed. Unfortunately your first try is not unusual. I wish you luck. Looking forward to your successful update.
Happy reefing:)

Much appreciated - I think most of us get stuck with the basic knowledge that the lfs provides people with on "throw the bag in your water for 20 minutes to acclimate temperature and then do a drip acclimation for an hour or so"... which lets face it, these places use simple hydrometer's (I have yet to see one use a digital refractometer, which surprises the heck out of me).

I partly only did another try with these inverts from the same shop because I could see they were from the same batch at the store...and they seemed to be healthy. I'm probably going to do a video later with the update or tomorrow since they're doing great so far! 'Just a little frustrated the long spine urchin is going everywhere but where I want him (which is the class :p ).

 

[Clueless_Reefer]

Hey there everyone - new update posted on the progress of the prickly little guys. Enjoy!

 

[Ghost25]

I don't even drip acclimate most stuff anymore, I keep it in the shipping water and add tank water 10% at a time (sometimes more)

Only invert I killed was a Fromia starfish which I did a long careful drip acclimation and it started disintegrating and delaminating over the course if several days. Really slow sad death.

 

[Clueless_Reefer]

I don't even drip acclimate most stuff anymore, I keep it in the shipping water and add tank water 10% at a time (sometimes more)

Only invert I killed was a Fromia starfish which I did a long careful drip acclimation and it started disintegrating and delaminating over the course if several days. Really slow sad death.

Yea, I've had that happen to me with starfish in the past, its super heartbreaking! I think I'm going to wait a year or so before I try any new starfish...i've had a zebra serpent star for years however...one of the original inhabitants of my tank. No idea what he eats but must be happy....