Long spine urchin reef safe?
- Thread starter Omakoshark
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Copingwithpods
Valuable Member
Yes in the sense that they won't eat your corals but beware that they are strong and can bulldoze stuff. Recently had mine pluck a very expensive zoa off a plug never to be seen again, I Googled how to slap an urchin but decided against it.
rgulrich
Active Member
Here's a quick read on diadema urchins:
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diadema_antillarum/And yes, even though there was algae in the system, I have had the occasional "mowing" of acropora by a diadema, including some of the corallite walls. They also do pretty well at re-processing coralline algae.
Some Cardinal fish prefer them as nurseries for their young (one of the reasons I have one in my 300), and they a great job on most types of algae (the other reason).
Cheers,
Ray:cool:
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Diadema_antillarum/And yes, even though there was algae in the system, I have had the occasional "mowing" of acropora by a diadema, including some of the corallite walls. They also do pretty well at re-processing coralline algae.
Some Cardinal fish prefer them as nurseries for their young (one of the reasons I have one in my 300), and they a great job on most types of algae (the other reason).
Cheers,
Ray:cool:
Jowieg
Community Member
Mine was doing well until the algae started becoming sparse. I have a nepthea tree that started losing flesh at the base and caught the urchin eating it while lights were out. I am not trying to actively feed it nori and hope my leather recovers.
You can see the part that has been eaten away at the base. It was previously all thick and has become thread bare.
You can see the part that has been eaten away at the base. It was previously all thick and has become thread bare.
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trevorhiller
Reefing Nurse
Updating this thread as I seem to be having problems with mine after a few months with little to no issues. I had lots of hair algae, but now it only grows in areas where the urchin can't access. I've noticed four seperate frags/small colonies with damage to them over the last week. I've seen similar damage in the past but not to this extent.
The frags almost look like someone ran them through the band saw with the tips/sides perfectly cleaved off. I think mine is going to be relegated to the sump for now.
I imagine for a tank with large colonies it wouldn't be much of an issue and might even stimulate some growth, but from my experience this past week I'd say use caution if you have younger SPS colonies & frags.
The frags almost look like someone ran them through the band saw with the tips/sides perfectly cleaved off. I think mine is going to be relegated to the sump for now.
I imagine for a tank with large colonies it wouldn't be much of an issue and might even stimulate some growth, but from my experience this past week I'd say use caution if you have younger SPS colonies & frags.
rgulrich
Active Member
Mine still enjoys trimming the acro colonies on occasion. And some montipora. Oh, and many other LPS and SPS s as well. I think it's either turned into a hobby of some sort for it or it's constantly letting me know that it's not finding enough palatable algae in the reef. The newer frags can really take a hit (unfortunately), but like you imply the older colonies pretty much shrug off the little damage it does.
Cheers,
Ray :cool:
Cheers,
Ray :cool:
trevorhiller
Reefing Nurse
I wouldn't mind if he would go after the montipora or something else quick growing, but he ate most of my new frags I just got a week ago. Literally 3/4 new frags and one older colony. He must have expensive taste :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:
rgulrich
Active Member
...or a calcium deficiency perhaps? Sometimes I think they do it just for attention. Like when an L. variegatus/variegated urchin manages to pry loose that new frag and wear it around the reef like a new hat...sigh. :rolleyes:
Cheers,
Ray:cool:
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