Urchin eating my xenia!!!

So my lfs sold me a pencil urchin a couple days ago. they said that it would not eat my xenia. I woke up this morning before i went to work and found it huddled on top of my xenia. i am pretty sure that it was chewing on it because now my xenia looks pretty shrivled up.

Anyone else find that pencil urchins eat corals? are there any urchins out there that truely dont eat corals, i used to think the pencil urchins were the only ones but i guess i was wrong.

Tomorrow i am going to my lfs and demand a new xenia (what a nice business, sell you something, sell you another something that destroys it) and a refund on my urchin. what do you guys think?

 

Pencil Urchin

i would take it out and give it back... also print that link out, and take it to them. see if they will refund your xenia... good luck!

 

That sucks!!! Im so tierd of hearing about people getting ripped off by the LFS. I know they have to make money, but they should know they will eat stuff like that. A small warning, or somthing would be nice. They dont have to be blunt about it, but they should have a labble stating that urcins like to eat small polyps, somtimes xenia, coralline algea, and stuff like that. I hope you get the xenia back!!

 

Try a Diadema or a Blue Tuxedo Urchin next! They are herbivores mostly and will eat algae. I had one in my tank for almost a year before I sold it because it grew too big(really the only draw back IMO).
One things about Urchins is that they will become omnivorous if they run out of food(algae). I have never had that happen to me though thank goodness!
They really don't go for corals though, but may go for small fish and shrimp and other urchins. My guess is that it was on top of your Xenia to get the algae on the rock in between your Xenia.

 

I had a tuxedo once and although it was beautiful, it used to love taking my coral frags for a ride. The final straw was when I saw my 2" maxima stuck to it back. Luckily, I had a chance to grab it before it dropped it behind my rockwork!

 

OOOOPs, That isn't good. That is right they do like taking shells etc. fo the ride as protection! Good point Annik!!! Kudos neighbor, though I cant give it to ya!:LolLolLol :yelrotflm :thumb_up:

 

I haven't had an urcin in my tank since that happened for good reason

PS. One of these days, you and I are going to show up at the same club meeting for once!!

 

You know, it may have been eating the algae between the xenia.. I have read in some places that the pencil urchin may eat corals- you have to be careful.. since i saw it on my xenia this morning some xenia stalks seem very shriveled and discolored but i see no actual bite marks. however, some stalks are acting quite ill. I will give it one more chance and monitor my tank a little bit longer and see what happens.. I would really like to keep both the urchin and my xenia.

Do you think i should offer it a chunk of food? Apparently the pencil urchin is omnivorous. Maybe i should put a piece of shrimp next to it. Do you think it will be all right if i feed it a piece of cooked shrimp?