Urchins

[JLight]

Ive heard some mixed reviews on these guys. In a reef tank are they benefitial or a pest?

 

[Blake11rebel]

I had a longspined black urchin and everyone said they were fine for reef tanks. I put him in a softie tank and he went thru leathers, zoas, and toatstools like a man on a mission! Idk about sps or lps tanks. Who doesnt want zoas in there tanks tho. I wouldnt risk it

 

[JLight]

Well i dont have any zoas in the tank i would put one in but i do have a show piece toadstool I couldnt think of losing.

 

[Blake11rebel]

I thought maybe he didn't have enough natural algae so I gave him bits of nori and table shrimp but he kept on so I banished him to the sump

 

[Salty heart]

I had a long spine and a pin cushion--they didnt seem to bother anything except the occasional using a coral frag as a disguise(the pin cushion).My longspine got too big for my tank(125 gal) it was difficult to work in the tank without the possibility of being stung(which actually did happen once). But i think the small urchins like pin cushions and tuxedo should be fine--just know that they do eat corraline algae off your rocks-so if thats important to you i wouldnt get one.

 

[scsdukefan408]

Ive got one in my 20Long not sure which species it is,but it hasnt bothered any of my coral what so ever(have LPS and zoas) it does have alot of coraline algae to eat tho...they can be a pain tho bc they will try and squeeze through small space and if they can make it they have knocked over rocks in my tank before

 

[JLight]

Ok yeah because I've been told that they work wonders on hair algae or any algae for that matter so that's what I'm the most interested in.

 

[FishyPapa]

I have a blue tuxedo and he's fantastic at cleaning algae on rock and glass. He's never bothered any of the coral except at times he's knocked some of them off the live rock (hadn't glued it down) but its not his fault. One of my favorite tank inhabitants.

 

[FishyPapa]

IBut i think the small urchins like pin cushions and tuxedo should be fine--just know that they do eat corraline algae

Yes they do but I still have a good amount growing, just not covering everything super fast. Mine like algae tabs.

 

[rworegon]

I have a Blue Tuxedo. The only drawback is occasionally he will pick up a snail or hermit and carry it around with him. Then it rescue time. Other than that he's fine. I have a 90 gal mixed reef.

 

[JLight]

Sweet thanks for all the feedback everyone! Definitely want one now. Just don't know if I should because I just started biopellets. How much algae do they need to feed them sufficiently?