Learned something new today
- Thread starter Highway66
- Start date
Here is some helpful info for people wanting Urchins: Please note whats in RED!
Reef Safe Urchins:
Common Name: Long Spine(v)
Scientific Name: Diadema
Max size: 8+ Inches
Tank size: 50 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed!
Notes:
Spines are venomous and getting stuck hurts alot so handle with care
The spines can puncture some corals
Very good for controlling filamentous algae including hair algae
Common Name: Short Spine/Rock
Scientific Name: Echinometra
Max size: 3 Inches
Tank size: 30 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed!
Notes:
Very good at controlling hair algae
Common Name: Tuxedo (blue or black)
Scientific Name: Mespillia Globulus
Max size: 2 Inches
Tank size: 15 gallon+ (with feeding)
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed!
Notes:
Will pick up debris/shells/rocks/etc as camouflage. If it isn't then it may be sick or dying
May need supplemental feeding with nori if in 30+ gallon tank and will need supplemental feeding if in smaller tank
Common Name: Pin Chushion
Scientific Name: Lytechinus Vaniegatus
Max size: 8 Inches
Tank size: 30 gallon+ when small 75 gallon+ when over 5 Inches
Reef safe: Yes
Food: All kinds of algae
Notes:
Will pick up debris/shells/rocks/etc as camouflage. If it isn't then it may be sick or dying
May need supplemental feeding with nori
Special Needs Urchins
(need special conditions or will eat your coral and fish)
Common Name: Sand Dollar
Scientific Name: Clypeaster, Encope, Mellita
Max size: 6 Inches
Tank size: 30 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae, bacteria, and diatoms
Reef safe: Yes
Notes:
Needs a deep sandbed 4"+
may suffocate in fine sand/mud
Verify origin before purchase (Caribbean Sand Dollars are OK in Reef systems!) as cold water species will die in reef temp tanks
This is a hard to keep species so be aware of that before purchase
Common Name: Pencil
Scientific Name: Eucidaris Tribuloides & Heterocentrotus Mammillatus
Max size: 6 Inches for ET & 13 Inches for HM
Tank size: 100 gallon+
Food: Omnivorous but trends towards carnivorous
Reef safe: No
Notes:
Will eat sessile(corals) animals and will try to catch mobile ones as well
Good for a species specific tank with lots of room
Urchins to avoid unless you know what you are getting into and are comfortable with the risks:
Common Name: Flower (vv)
Scientific Name: Toxopneustes
Max size: 6 Inches
Tank size: 100 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae but needs occasional meat feedings
Reef safe: yes if well fed
Notes:
CAUTION! HIGHLY VENOMOUS AND POSSIBLY DEADLY!
May need supplemental feeding with nori
Common Name: Fire (vv)
Scientific Name: Asthenosoma
Max size: 6 Inches
Tank size: 100 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed
Notes:
CAUTION! HIGHLY VENOMOUS AND POSSIBLY DEADLY!
May need supplemental feeding with nori
Reef Safe Urchins:
Common Name: Long Spine(v)
Scientific Name: Diadema
Max size: 8+ Inches
Tank size: 50 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed!
Notes:
Spines are venomous and getting stuck hurts alot so handle with care
The spines can puncture some corals
Very good for controlling filamentous algae including hair algae
Common Name: Short Spine/Rock
Scientific Name: Echinometra
Max size: 3 Inches
Tank size: 30 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed!
Notes:
Very good at controlling hair algae
Common Name: Tuxedo (blue or black)
Scientific Name: Mespillia Globulus
Max size: 2 Inches
Tank size: 15 gallon+ (with feeding)
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed!
Notes:
Will pick up debris/shells/rocks/etc as camouflage. If it isn't then it may be sick or dying
May need supplemental feeding with nori if in 30+ gallon tank and will need supplemental feeding if in smaller tank
Common Name: Pin Chushion
Scientific Name: Lytechinus Vaniegatus
Max size: 8 Inches
Tank size: 30 gallon+ when small 75 gallon+ when over 5 Inches
Reef safe: Yes
Food: All kinds of algae
Notes:
Will pick up debris/shells/rocks/etc as camouflage. If it isn't then it may be sick or dying
May need supplemental feeding with nori
Special Needs Urchins
(need special conditions or will eat your coral and fish)
Common Name: Sand Dollar
Scientific Name: Clypeaster, Encope, Mellita
Max size: 6 Inches
Tank size: 30 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae, bacteria, and diatoms
Reef safe: Yes
Notes:
Needs a deep sandbed 4"+
may suffocate in fine sand/mud
Verify origin before purchase (Caribbean Sand Dollars are OK in Reef systems!) as cold water species will die in reef temp tanks
This is a hard to keep species so be aware of that before purchase
Common Name: Pencil
Scientific Name: Eucidaris Tribuloides & Heterocentrotus Mammillatus
Max size: 6 Inches for ET & 13 Inches for HM
Tank size: 100 gallon+
Food: Omnivorous but trends towards carnivorous
Reef safe: No
Notes:
Will eat sessile(corals) animals and will try to catch mobile ones as well
Good for a species specific tank with lots of room
Urchins to avoid unless you know what you are getting into and are comfortable with the risks:
Common Name: Flower (vv)
Scientific Name: Toxopneustes
Max size: 6 Inches
Tank size: 100 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae but needs occasional meat feedings
Reef safe: yes if well fed
Notes:
CAUTION! HIGHLY VENOMOUS AND POSSIBLY DEADLY!
May need supplemental feeding with nori
Common Name: Fire (vv)
Scientific Name: Asthenosoma
Max size: 6 Inches
Tank size: 100 gallon+
Food: All kinds of algae
Reef safe: Yes if well fed
Notes:
CAUTION! HIGHLY VENOMOUS AND POSSIBLY DEADLY!
May need supplemental feeding with nori
I had a VERY well fed tuxedo urchin go straight for my yumas. Repeatedly.
As with anything that is theoretically reef safe with caution, I now err on the side of "nevermind, I'll find something else." Thanks for sharing this info- I think it might explain the loss of my feather dusters at about the same time as the tuxedo was introduced to the tank.
As with anything that is theoretically reef safe with caution, I now err on the side of "nevermind, I'll find something else." Thanks for sharing this info- I think it might explain the loss of my feather dusters at about the same time as the tuxedo was introduced to the tank.
Good info
My experience with a black spine urchin.... (pin or tuxedo) it eats the purple/red coralline algae way faster than any healthy tank grows it. After about a month, it looked like I had base rock in a 72gal. Fun to watch except it pulls everything and anything that's not glued down (likes to rearrange your reef). Needless to say I traded him back into the pet store about 6 weeks in.
My experience with a black spine urchin.... (pin or tuxedo) it eats the purple/red coralline algae way faster than any healthy tank grows it. After about a month, it looked like I had base rock in a 72gal. Fun to watch except it pulls everything and anything that's not glued down (likes to rearrange your reef). Needless to say I traded him back into the pet store about 6 weeks in.
Had my big black long spine eat a tiny sps off a rock that had a thick layer of coraline. Then I caught it I think eating a tiny frag of pollicipora. I've been feeding nori directly to it as I've had to stick it in tanks with not that much to eat due to the move. Might try it back in the 55 now that it's got good build up, but hard to tell if it eats any coral as I've got so much in there.
I'm a bit worried that it lists the little pencil urchins as not reef safe? Mine seems to barely move, a few inches in a few days. But now I'm worried about if it ever leaves the back of the rocks??
I'm a bit worried that it lists the little pencil urchins as not reef safe? Mine seems to barely move, a few inches in a few days. But now I'm worried about if it ever leaves the back of the rocks??
