Urchin Recommendations.

I'm interested in picking up a sea urchin for the tank. What type do you recommend? Also if you don't recommend getting an urchin of any type please post you input as well.

Thanks,
Sean

 

I had a blue globe in my nano and it died and I have no idea why...i've been told in my new tank to not get one as they will start losing spines and create havoc in my tank. (ammonia etc.)

I too am interested in the concensus of this forum as well though.

Mike

 

Just know that urchins will eat algae, including your coralline algae, leaving nice white trails through your pretty purple. They are also bulldozers for the most part, knocking over rocks and frags and such. ;D

Why did you want one?

 

BL,

Well, I just got back from my honeymoon in Hawaii and did some snorkeling and there were urchins all over the reefs in Hawaii. My wife saw them and actually got to hold one at the Maui Ocean Center and we've been talking about getting one ever since.

But, I do know how smart it is to do some research before I run out to the lfs and buy one and possibly regret it.

S

 

I have an urchin in my reef tank. It came with the live rock, and has since grown significantly. It is about 1.5 inches in diameter. To date, it has been harmless. I like it personally.

 

I too had an urchin come in with my live rock. It started out smaller than the nail on my pinkie finger and has since grown to about the size of a fifty cent piece, if your in Oz, if not about about 30mm, if you use metric and if not again well its so many inches

I have on occasion seen small patches of my coralline go white but not too much, it usually grows back pretty quickly.

As for knocking things over i've never really had that happen but maybe it is still to small to do so.

 

I would avoid urchins in a reef tank. If they don't knock your corals and such over, they will stick anything within reach to their backs for camoflage. I had a tuxedo urchin that once attached a 2" maxima clam to itself. Luckily, I was able to grab the clam before the urchin retreated to the back of the tank. More trouble than they're worth IME.