Short Spine or Tuxedo Preemptive Strike

[bvanfish]

I have a newer tank roughly 1 month old with 2 clowns, 6 snails, 1 conch, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 hermit. All my parameters are holding nicely. I am doing weekly 10% water changes. I have some diatoms that my conch is mowing down.

My question is I can start to see a little algae coming. The main reason I got a tank was to have an urchin everything else is a bonus. My question is can I feed the urchin nori sheets and have him as a cleaner and then once more algae comes to fully sustain him stop supplemental feeding?

 

[PR_nano]

I will wait a bit longer than the one month old tank. You could supplement with nori sheets but they’re constantly eating and mowing down algae.

I have a small pin urchin in a 20 gallon and he has done a great job with hair algae and scraping coralline out of the back wall.

What size is the tank? I leave mine some empty shells that he uses to camouflage. I have a mean scarlet crab who used to eat his spines.

 

[bvanfish]

I will wait a bit longer than the one month old tank. You could supplement with nori sheets but they’re constantly eating and mowing down algae.

I have a small pin urchin in a 20 gallon and he has done a great job with hair algae and scraping coralline out of the back wall.

What size is the tank? I leave mine some empty shells that he uses to camouflage. I have a mean scarlet crab who used to eat his spines.

I have a 25 gallon. So even with giving nori sheets daily or bi daily and the algae in the tank that is starting / will grow you think it would not be enough?

 

[Alexopora]

I’d say hold the urchin till u start seeing green algae growing throughout your rock work. This green calcareous algae and not hair algae ofcourse. U may supplement with nori but I’d say let your tank mature a bit. Perhaps if your lfs already has some, get them to hold the urchin for you.

 

[Reefer6]

I will wait a bit longer than the one month old tank. You could supplement with nori sheets but they’re constantly eating and mowing down algae.

I have a small pin urchin in a 20 gallon and he has done a great job with hair algae and scraping coralline out of the back wall.

What size is the tank? I leave mine some empty shells that he uses to camouflage. I have a mean scarlet crab who used to eat his spines.

My Tuxedo Urchin feeds on coralline algea.

I have a newer tank roughly 1 month old with 2

I have a newer tank roughly 1 month old with 2 clowns, 6 snails, 1 conch, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 hermit. All my parameters are holding nicely. I am doing weekly 10% water changes. I have some diatoms that my conch is mowing down.

My question is I can start to see a little algae coming. The main reason I got a tank was to have an urchin everything else is a bonus. My question is can I feed the urchin nori sheets and have him as a cleaner and then once more algae comes to fully sustain him stop supplemental feeding?

Wait until you havea well established coralline algea population.
clowns, 6 snails, 1 conch, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 hermit. All my parameters are holding nicely. I am doing weekly 10% water changes. I have some diatoms that my conch is mowing down.

My question is I can start to see a little algae coming. The main reason I got a tank was to have an urchin everything else is a bonus. My question is can I feed the urchin nori sheets and have him as a cleaner and then once more algae comes to fully sustain him stop supplemental feeding?

 

[Jekyl]

Agree with above. My uglies didn't really get going until about month 6.

 

[Karliefish]

I got 10 tuxedo urchins, one short spine urchin and also got the benefit of a diadema (see video) that hitchhiked on my live rock from Florida. They all

did an amazing job on my ugly phase - cleaned the rocks so well that even today there is zero coralline on my rocks. Though the back glass is covered in coralline - they rarely go on the glass.

 

[Karliefish]

I got 10 tuxedo urchins, one short spine urchin and also got the benefit of a diadema (see video) that hitchhiked on my live rock from Florida. They all did an amazing job on my ugly phase - cleaned the rocks so well that even today there is zero coralline on my rocks. Though the back glass is covered in coralline - they rarely go on the glass.