Its an URCHIN-cy

[kevgib67]

One Royal Blue Tuxedo urchin. Did a lot of picking things up for the first six months but now has his small rocks that seems to keep it content and has not touched anything it’s not supposed to in a long time. Algae eating machine. I inquired last week at Reef Cleaners about getting another and was told they won’t have any until fall because they don’t ship well when it’s hot.

 

[Stomatopods17]

I need to get another but with the box crab in the tank I think he'd destroy it. Fire urchins are so gorgeous but many don't keep them cause of their fear of being stung, its pretty easy to avoid (if you don't see it look under the rim of the canopy/tank to be safe so your arm doesn't clip it)

In person they're very vibrant, photos almost seem photoshopped but their color really do stick out in blue lighting like this.

Never experienced them eating coral, but they do eat meaty and algae so supplementation can go a long way to their health.

 

[Kfactor]

tux for me great clean up guy but they do like to carry things . i think i have had my one for 3 years now doing great

 

[Kmst80]

Some of the neatest and mysterious inverts in the hobby is an urchin. There are many considered common and some not so common, nor reef safe.

Do you have an urchin and if so , what Kind(s)?
What benefits or headaches do they offer you ?

I have a pencil urchin over two years and I chose this one as it does Not drag frag plugs and other objects around the tank and eats algae well.

Got 5 Tuxedo urchins and 5 shortspine urchins. Love them even though they love to redistribute the rockwork frequently and move frags that ain't glued down. Awesome cleaners

And here is my other Tux spawning

 

[AKL1950]

Four pincushin Great algae eaters, but bulldozers and Frag removers. These two have been spawning. Waiting to see if tiny baby ones show up.

PinCushin Urchin releasing Eggs

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[vetteguy53081]

Some really nice urchins being posted here

 

[Stephen8169301]

Pincushion urchin I liked him at first but know he is a pain knocking everything over and grabbing loose corals but that’s my own fault but he does take care of algae pretty good

 

[billrob71]

I have 2 pin cushion and have had good luck with them , I get nervous since I have no hair algae but they really seem to like coralline

 

[billyocean]

Pretty mild mannered for a viking..even goes to work in the snow

 

[Rp8]

I like my pencil- they dont drag things around

I enjoy my pencil urchin also. He isn’t troublesome and fun to watch. A lot more mobile than I originally thought.

 

[ClownSchool]

2 tuxedo urchins here. I may get a few more now that these have survived over a year. I like them for their algae eating ability and would never add them to a tank that doesn't contain enough algae to sustain them. I think many people add them as a cool critter but then they perish because there isn't a natural food source for them.

I actually started dosing coralline accelerator to make sure the little guy getting enough to eat. It also gave my tank a slight pH boost during the photo cycle, so win-win.

 

[Fritz05]

Two tuxedo urchins, one in each of my saltwater tanks. The red one did eat two smaller trochus snails, so they are not herbivores…

 

[Roatan Reef]

I have 2 pin cushion and have had good luck with them , I get nervous since I have no hair algae but they really seem to like coralline

Same..I have 1 pincushion Urchin, and he is awesome. Always love to see the new shells, rocks etc. he uses for armor. No problems with him whatsoever, and he cleans algae like nobody's business!

 

[seamonster]

Some of the neatest and mysterious inverts in the hobby is an urchin. There are many considered common and some not so common, nor reef safe.

Do you have an urchin and if so , what Kind(s)?
What benefits or headaches do they offer you ?

I have a pencil urchin over two years and I chose this one as it does Not drag frag plugs and other objects around the tank and eats algae well.

Tuxedos are my go too. I had long spines ones before because they look so cool! But they are venomous and one was eating my acros.

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

I’ve had this Tuxedo Urchin for several months now and is a great CUC member. I find him to be no problem as long as all your coral and frags are secured down.

 

[seamonster]

Some of the neatest and mysterious inverts in the hobby is an urchin. There are many considered common and some not so common, nor reef safe.

Do you have an urchin and if so , what Kind(s)?
What benefits or headaches do they offer you ?

I have a pencil urchin over two years and I chose this one as it does Not drag frag plugs and other objects around the tank and eats algae well.

Tuxedos are my go too. I had long spines ones before because they look so cool! But they are venomous and mean. One even started eating my acros.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I had to get rid of my Tuxedo Urchins. They just got too big. I tried pin cushions, but they grew quickly also. I even caught one wearing an entire 20+ head Zoa colony for a hat! No Urchins for me now. I think if I needed algae control, I'd opt for a Sea Hare.

 

[reely989]

I have two pincushions and they do a great job. They can drive me crazy every now and then picking up frags, but that's pretty rare. It's amazing how many shells and whatnot they can find to carry around. Do a great job with algae, too. Don't think I'd run a reef tank without urchins anymore.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

I've got a bunch of pencil urchins, they came in on my live rock. They haven't touched any coral. Biggest one's about 2.5" with spikes, and still growing.

 

[captainsmitty]

We call mine a BULLDOZER!