Urchin developed a taste for Acan

[monfilsi]

I have had two long spine urchins for 6months. One of them or both has recently developed a taste for my Acans.

I lost a medium size colony a couple weeks ago and yesterday I caught one of them in the act on another colony. After moving him I could clearly see that he was eating the heads.

Both are in the sump now. Really too bad, they were fun to watch in the tank.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[MnFish1]

I have had two long spine urchins for 6months. One of them or both has recently developed a taste for my Acans.

I lost a medium size colony a couple weeks ago and yesterday I caught one of them in the act on another colony. After moving him I could clearly see that he was eating the heads.

Both are in the sump now. Really too bad, they were fun to watch in the tank.

Anyone else experience this?

I would wonder - whether in fact the Acans were not doing well - and the urchins were 'cleaning up'. This can certainly happen. I have never had an issue with Long-spine urchins eating coral.

 

[The Mushroom Man]

Yes Urchins are hit and miss, ive had some be good cleaners and munch down on algae, ive had other take out corals left and right, and i dont mean knocking them over or carrying them on their back i mean eating them, i even had a carnivore urchin that would hunt down turbos flip them over sit on their trap door and eat them along with what ever other snails it could catch! Not reef safe imo

 

[MnFish1]

Yes Urchins are hit and miss, ive had some be good cleaners and munch down on algae, ive had other take out corals left and right, and i dont mean knocking them over or carrying them on their back i mean eating them, i even had a carnivore urchin that would hunt down turbos flip them over sit on their trap door and eat them along with what ever other snails it could catch! Not reef safe imo

This is a really good point - I've had "reef safe" animals decimate coral, etc.