Rainbow Fire Urchin

[Gtinnel]

I was out of town earlier today and visited a LFS and in one of their display tanks they had what is one of the most attractive inverts I have ever seen. After doing some googling I found out it was a rainbow fire urchin. It has rows of blue spots that are bright enough I wasn't sure it wasn't a fake decoration with led lights in it. Does anyone have one? What do I need to know before buying one? Is it just like a normal urchin, and will move unsecured frags around?
After my last urchin I swore to never get another one but for one of these I'll make an exception.

 

[blaxsun]

Just like a normal urchin, but don't get skewed by the little suckers or you'll find out what the "fire" in fire urchin is (yes, they're venomous). I used to have a pair once upon a time - still hoping to get some more again. They're really neat - look like tiny green and blue UFOs...

 

[Gtinnel]

I had read about the venom but also saw it supposedly isn't too bad. Can they somehow actively "sting", or do you have to press on them hard enough for the spines to break the skin?
The one I saw was mostly a dark red with bright blue spots.

 

[davidcalgary29]

They're supposedly algae eaters, but mine is greatly excited by mysis and other meaty foods.

They're gorgeous, though. Mine is a brighter red, and those blue spots really pop. It's also a diurnal species, and is active throughout the day. I'll be a superb addition to my Reefer...as long as I don't get stung.

 

[Gtinnel]

They're supposedly algae eaters, but mine is greatly excited by mysis and other meaty foods.

They're gorgeous, though. Mine is a brighter red, and those blue spots really pop. It's also a diurnal species, and is active throughout the day. I'll be a superb addition to my Reefer...as long as I don't get stung.

I'd love to see pictures if you have any. I have been in this hobby a long time and I had never even heard of one. I honestly though it was some kind of led lit fake decoration when I saw it. It wasn't until I got close and saw it moving that I realized it was real. The store I was at which was out of state had a waiting list for them. I still considered being put on the list but ultimately didn't.

 

[davidcalgary29]

I'd love to see pictures if you have any. I have been in this hobby a long time and I had never even heard of one. I honestly though it was some kind of led lit fake decoration when I saw it. It wasn't until I got close and saw it moving that I realized it was real. The store I was at which was out of state had a waiting list for them. I still considered being put on the list but ultimately didn't.

I'll post one tomorrow. I just tried to take a picture, but couldn't get a good one with the lights out.

 

[Gtinnel]

I'll post one tomorrow. I just tried to take a picture, but couldn't get a good one with the lights out.

Thanks

 

[davidcalgary29]

Here it is this morning.

 

[PeterC99]

Did you ever get the Rainbow Fire Urchin?

 

[Gtinnel]

Did you ever get the Rainbow Fire Urchin?

No I didn't. I've never seen another one at a lfs and ultimately I was worried about it moving frags around. Once I'm done buy corals (if I'm ever done buying corals) I will look into them again. I currently leave too many frags sitting on frag racks that I don't want it moving around.

 

[mdb_talon]

Once I'm done buy corals

 

[Gtinnel]

My wife at least thinks I'll stop eventually.

 

[davidcalgary29]

They grow up so fast these days.

 

[nkyreef]

They grow up so fast these days.

Looking at adding one to my tank for Black Friday. Any negatives about them besides the sting? Have your corals stayed safe?

 

[davidcalgary29]

They do grow larger than most other urchins commonly available in the aquarium industry, and you do have to keep that in mind. If space is at a premium in your build, you're probably much better off with a tuxedo urchin.

There's a question mark around their general suitability for a reef tank. They will eat anything with a calcaerous structure, and I watched my fire urchin devour a very lovely feather duster. It also ate my pencillus and udotea macro specimens. It may or may not eat SPS; mine has left softies and LPS alone. They are general opportunists, and will respond favourably to supplemental feedings of small, meaty pieces of supermarket shrimp.

They also move surprisingly quickly for urchins. I think they're stunning creatures, but I think that this gives them a certain ick factor for certain aquarists.

 

[Joe462]

Any one have experience with them eating acros? I have one, or had one, not certain, i haven't seen it in a week. but i have been suspecting that it is the culprit chewing the tips of some acros occasionally and in the case of some small frags eating them down to the frag plug. It was not happening much and i wasn't worring about it too much, in fact i kind of forgot about it until it ate a couple small expensive frags. Not 100% certain it is the rainbow fire urchin, especially in light of the fact that i can't find it to confirm its even still alive, and some got eaten last night. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this or if i need to look for other potential acro eaters.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Any one have experience with them eating acros? I have one, or had one, not certain, i haven't seen it in a week. but i have been suspecting that it is the culprit chewing the tips of some acros occasionally and in the case of some small frags eating them down to the frag plug. It was not happening much and i wasn't worring about it too much, in fact i kind of forgot about it until it ate a couple small expensive frags. Not 100% certain it is the rainbow fire urchin, especially in light of the fact that i can't find it to confirm its even still alive, and some got eaten last night. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this or if i need to look for other potential acro eaters.

I'd say that it's a distinct possibility: they enjoy eating calcareous structures, and especially if they're struggling. Mine ate one of the heads of a torch when it was badly affected during a cyano outbreak; my feather duster's tube (and the worm itself); and a couple of zoa colonies.

 

[Joe462]

I'd say that it's a distinct possibility: they enjoy eating calcareous structures, and especially if they're struggling. Mine ate one of the heads of a torch when it was badly affected during a cyano outbreak; my feather duster's tube (and the worm itself); and a couple of zoa colonies.

Looks like in this instance it was the long spine urchin. I did a thorough search of my tank yesterday and couldn’t find the rainbow fire, I think it must have died. So I moved the long spine to a different tank that doesn’t have expensive acros.

 

[srobertb]

Urchins need food (don’t we all?) and they’re really good at not just eating algae but eliminating it. They tend to starve- especially in new tanks. It may take months for it to happen which yields the “it was doing so well I don’t know what happened.”


Don’t forget to supplement. I found a designated piece of LR and a rubber band would hold some nori and I can place it in front of the urchin. Same goes for Hares too.