Sea urchins eating coral

[BlueNem]

Hi, I hope this post finds you well.

I have a...pico reef? Is a 12 liter cube so idk if it is considered a Pico or a nano reef. Well anyways,I got diatoms and some nuisance hairy algae because it has just three soft corals and nothing else. It's new it has around 3 months old and it only has led lighting and a pump for the current.

The corals are kenya tree sarcophyton and zoas. I want to put in a sea urchin to keep the algae at bay but it will be a common black long spine sea urchin because it will be extracted from the Pacific a small specimen and once it's done with its job I will give it away to other reefer with a larger tank of 400 liters or so.

I have read that some urchins decide to eat zoas GSP or even Capnella corals so I'm afraid that eat at might my corals. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.


Regards,

 

[Tahoe61]

Hi and Welcome to R2R.
Not in such a small pico. There are better inverts to introduce to combat algae.

 

[kingranch2003]

Hi, I hope this post finds you well.

I have a...pico reef? Is a 12 liter cube so idk if it is considered a Pico or a nano reef. Well anyways,I got diatoms and some nuisance hairy algae because it has just three soft corals and nothing else. It's new it has around 3 months old and it only has led lighting and a pump for the current.

The corals are kenya tree sarcophyton and zoas. I want to put in a sea urchin to keep the algae at bay but it will be a common black long spine sea urchin because it will be extracted from the Pacific a small specimen and once it's done with its job I will give it away to other reefer with a larger tank of 400 liters or so.

I have read that some urchins decide to eat zoas GSP or even Capnella corals so I'm afraid that eat at might my corals. Any advice?

Thanks in advance.


Regards,

Welcome, my friend! You'll get your answer here. Maybe let us know what your parameters are, so we know what and if you need to add to your cuc crew?

 

[BlueNem]

Welcome, my friend! You'll get your answer here. Maybe let us know what your parameters are, so we know what and if you need to add to your cuc crew?

Hi

Thanks. I don't have any tests so I'll buy 5 Collonista snails and hopefully they will take care of algae and reproduce


Regards,

 

[Kmst80]

I got a 200 gallon tank and my diadema urchin just started eating corals, including skeleton. Sps, Lps...you name it she eats it. Started feeding her and she's stopped eating corals.
I got next to no algae in the display.
Urchins only touch young shoots of hairalgae and diatoms are more for snails. Would not surprise me if your urchin is starving. Feed it and it will probably stop touching your corals.

 

[akma]

Pencil urchins are def not reef safe. I had a little guy that came on live rock about the size of nickel. 3 years never had a problem until it started eating my purple monster.