Urchins: Love ‘em or Hate ‘em?

[jeffchapok]

They are awesome at controlling algae. But unfortunately, that's not all they eat. My longspine also munches on my plating montis and blue sympodium.

 

[X-37B]

They are awesome at controlling algae. But unfortunately, that's not all they eat. My longspine also munches on my plating montis and blue sympodium.

Yep I had to remove a longspine as it ate monti's and a anacropora, slimeball.

 

[John08007]

I have a halloween and a tuxedo.
They did not touch hair algae when I had it, its all gone now.
They do eat alot of coralline though which helps alk consumption some.
I have had both about 9 months now and the back wall was solid coralline and now it is not.

So, these guys won't sting?

 

[BackToTheReef]

Love the tuxedo urchins. Just won't be able to have them acrylic tanks (and/or plywood) and urchins don't mix!

 

[reefruss]

Tuxedos are cool. I like the things they pickup and take with them, it's always a conversation point. Whenever my friends come by they want to know what's on the urchin.

 

[reefruss]

Love the tuxedo urchins. Just won't be able to have them acrylic tanks (and/or plywood) and urchins don't mix!

I have an acrylic tank and scratches are inevitable. After the fact I wish I had gone with a custom glass tank but I wouldn't resist the tuxedo because of plastic, it's going to scratch on the inside and outside, no way around it.

 

[Rjukan]

I love em. Have a tuxedo:

 

[Tcook]

I have had tuxedo and halloween. They are great algae eaters. Never knocked things over. On their off-time they take some of the other livestock for a ride.

 

[Eggs]

I had a black long spine 15 yrs ago, stung me and I will never buy another. Believe even gluing your corals down you may still have a problem. Think they pretty much mow over anything in their way.

A big plus 1 on this!
And I didn’t learn from getting tagged with those spines lol.
Did do a good job with algae though.

 

[Magellan]

Love the tuxedo urchins. Just won't be able to have them acrylic tanks (and/or plywood) and urchins don't mix!

I have an acrylic tank and a tuxedo with no issues, why do you say that?

and to the OP: get yourself a tuxedo, or multiple tuxedos depending on the tank size. Incredibly useful member of my cuc, will never run this tank or any other tank without one. Will pick up loose objects (is currently carrying around a live feather duster!) but leaves my corals alone.

 

[IvanL]

My purple pincushion wearing my nori clip making it look like headphones. Have a mixed reef of zoas and lps/sps and while he may irritate them here or there, no damage done. He also has outlived most snails and I don’t even replace them as he is too good at cleaning.

 

[Mathman]

I am looking for clarification on the hair algae... Did the urchins eat it? I have a hair algae issue and the foxface doesn't touch it



QUOTE="90's reefer, post: 8146026, member: 108122"]
I have a halloween and a tuxedo.
They did not touch hair algae when I had it, its all gone now.
They do eat alot of coralline though which helps alk consumption some.
I have had both about 9 months now and the back wall was solid coralline and now it is not.

[/QUOTE]

 

[BKLYN651]

Had purple urchin for 5 years, one of my favorite items in 55 gallon.

 

[John08007]

I am looking for clarification on the hair algae... Did the urchins eat it? I have a hair algae issue and the foxface doesn't touch it



QUOTE="90's reefer, post: 8146026, member: 108122"]
I have a halloween and a tuxedo.
They did not touch hair algae when I had it, its all gone now.
They do eat alot of coralline though which helps alk consumption some.
I have had both about 9 months now and the back wall was solid coralline and now it is not.

[/QUOTE]
I'd get emerald crabs, mine goto town on it.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Do it. I have a tux, and it's an algae destroyer. Does more than an army of snails. I can see the path it clears on the rocks. That being said, I hope you don't like coralline because they'll eat that too. Most destructive thing mine does is steal nori off the clip and wears it.

Planning on getting a Halloween myself in addition to the Tux.

 

[Spieg]

They are great algae eaters, mow it right down to the bare rock! Won't get another long spine as they get huge and it's very painful to get stabbed (felt like an electric shock every time, and took days to remove the barbed spine tip). I have a Halloween and a Pencil now (both have been reef safe for me so far). As others have said they will eat Coralline too, but I don't care since it grows back so fast in my tank. I would avoid urchins if you have an acrylic tank though as they can leave a trail of permanent bite marks ( a friend had to replace his tank because it got so damaged).

 

[mattzang]

i like them a lot. i have 2 purple short spine ones, a pincushion, a blue tuxedo, and a halloween. they don't seem to want to eat whatever algae has popped up in my tank, but they do a good job elsewhere.

i haven't had issues with them eating corals or snails?! and i don't care about coralline

coral theft is minimal and easily retrieved. and that's usually only stuff that i leave hanging around the sandbed. if it's in a frag rack or glued i really haven't had issues

 

[najer]

They are great algae eaters, mow it right down to the bare rock!

I hate coraline and have four or five in my big tank, I love that my rock can breathe again and yes they do eat cyano!

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I had two Tuxedos, and they Bred, and they Bred, and those Bred. Seems they Bred every time I did a water change. They ate everything, including power heads. They were the Rats of the Aquarium. Never again, I gave a bunch to a friend, they made a Trigger Fish Very Happy.

 

[GoVols]

Love Tuxedos and Pinchusins, they do a great job.