sea urchins, are they bad?

[khilgers]

I've got about a 1/2" black w/ purple tips sea urchin that came as a hitchhiker in my live rock. I was wondering if they are bad at all and if so how can I get it out of the tank?

 

[sw65galma]

Originally Posted by khilgers
I've got about a 1/2" black w/ purple tips sea urchin that came as a hitchhiker in my live rock. I was wondering if they are bad at all and if so how can I get it out of the tank?
Oh yes they are horrible....plz send him to me!

Seriously though, they aren't Bad per say. They get large and knock over stuff and they eat coraline. Also the spines are slightly venomous..
But other than being a nusiance sometimes...they do eat regualar algae and are not a threat to anything directly.
I like mine..

 

[mimzy]

take a pic so we can help u identify - also, do a google search and look on this site - tons of urchin info out there.
I personally love the little guys. so cute, and oddly very comical. They are generally pretty sensetive to salinity, and they do graze coraline off of rocks like little spiny vacuum cleaners. if uve got plenty of coraline, i think ur ok with one little guy...but do try to find out what species he is and get some detailed info.
Some reefers dont like to keep them b/c, as I said, they tend to really go at the coraline.

 

[dburr]

I keep 1 in my sump. It eats the coraline and spreads it round.
Some are poisonous so be careful with the spines. I can pick mine up pretty easy when I try because it doesn't like to be picked up so it moves and disloges itself from the rock. What type do you have?

 

[khilgers]

Heres a pic to help ID this sucker better. And like I said it's only about the size of a dime. I think my coralline is growing faster than he can eat it. So is it poisonous?