sea urchin and star
- Thread starter loki
- Start date
A
Anonymous
Guest
Hi,
The main problem with urchins is they tend to eat coralline algae. So if you have nice pink and purple rocks I would think twice about it IMO.
john
The main problem with urchins is they tend to eat coralline algae. So if you have nice pink and purple rocks I would think twice about it IMO.
john
I'd skip the urchin. I've got urchins in most of my tanks, most of them eat coraline, but they also end up spreading it around the tank because some of the small bits they miss get into the water colum, so in large tanks the coraline growth easily outpaces what they can eat. In a nano unless your rock is absolutely covered in coraline and you're seeing good growth on the glass, it may not be growing fast enough to keep up with the urchin, and it will simply strip what you do have then starve to death.
B
B
Well after much reading last night and this morning I think I am better educated about these inverts. I certainly don't know everything there is to know about them though.
I did take the plunge and bought the small "Short Spined Urchin" (Mespilia globulus) I have tons of algae I have been battling on my glass, sand and rock. No I do not have that beautiful coraline algae on my rock, I have horrible algae on my rock so I don't mind at all if this urchin cleans it up for me. I read lots of posts about people supplementing them with algae sheets too. But there is tons in my tank at the moment.
I am also going to turn my 25 gal into marine soon, so I can move everything over to it. But for the meantime, it is small and will have a hay day in there.
I did take the plunge and bought the small "Short Spined Urchin" (Mespilia globulus) I have tons of algae I have been battling on my glass, sand and rock. No I do not have that beautiful coraline algae on my rock, I have horrible algae on my rock so I don't mind at all if this urchin cleans it up for me. I read lots of posts about people supplementing them with algae sheets too. But there is tons in my tank at the moment.
I am also going to turn my 25 gal into marine soon, so I can move everything over to it. But for the meantime, it is small and will have a hay day in there.
From what I understand, they will eat coraline algae if it is there. But I have also read that they will clean all the algae film off the glass, sand and rock. My glass is a sea of gree, it should have fun.
At the moment it is motoring over my rock, I hope soon it discovers the glass so I don't have to scrape it.
At the moment it is motoring over my rock, I hope soon it discovers the glass so I don't have to scrape it.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Hey loki
yea they will clean up undersirable alge as well - so if you have a hair algae problem they may help. Some people even keep them in their FOWLR tanks to help keep the algae down. One thing though - check your water quality - a better solution in the long run, IMO
john
yea they will clean up undersirable alge as well - so if you have a hair algae problem they may help. Some people even keep them in their FOWLR tanks to help keep the algae down. One thing though - check your water quality - a better solution in the long run, IMO
john
You have three, what kind are they?
I have to say, I love mine. What a character and keeps my rocks nice and clean. The rocks before were a dark color, now I have nice looking rock with lots of pink color, quite pretty. I also supplement my urchin with algae tabs a few times a week. I always do this for anything in my tanks. It is not like the ocean where food is plentiful, so many people just plunk things in and hope they survive cleaning the tank. I am the opposite and like to supplement to make sure they don't starve but do their job too.
loki
I have to say, I love mine. What a character and keeps my rocks nice and clean. The rocks before were a dark color, now I have nice looking rock with lots of pink color, quite pretty. I also supplement my urchin with algae tabs a few times a week. I always do this for anything in my tanks. It is not like the ocean where food is plentiful, so many people just plunk things in and hope they survive cleaning the tank. I am the opposite and like to supplement to make sure they don't starve but do their job too.
loki
mikeguerrero
Active Member
I accidently got a really small urchin with my live rock. He's been living in my 12 gallon nano for almost 1 year. I never knew what he ate, just always saw him come out at night and walk around.
I followed him closely in the beginnng to make sure he wasn't eating or damanging my LPS corals. After I saw that he wasn't I ignored him; he has grown a little bigger than when I first saw him.
He does eat my purple coraline aglae but he does transfer it around, as I have seen my tank blossom with the purple coraline. In my opionion they are cool looking little dudes, at least that's how mine is.
Mike
I followed him closely in the beginnng to make sure he wasn't eating or damanging my LPS corals. After I saw that he wasn't I ignored him; he has grown a little bigger than when I first saw him.
He does eat my purple coraline aglae but he does transfer it around, as I have seen my tank blossom with the purple coraline. In my opionion they are cool looking little dudes, at least that's how mine is.
Mike
loki yes i have three i noticed the first one around early january it was about the size of a dime than about a month later i saw a second one then in march the third one showed up. all three are about the size of a quarter.not sure what kind they are?they have a black dome shaped body spines are about 3/4 of an inche they are greenish with pink tips thwy are hard and sharp to the touch.they also have little black feelers that extend from the body. they move around at nite they do eat some of my coraline on the back wall of my cube.would like to put one in my fuge but not really sure about how to move one.