sea urchins...good or bad

tigerseyes01

tigerseyes01

Member
hiya all .. i on the advice of my lfs put a sea urchin into my reef tank and now all the pretty colors thet were once there are just about gone ... is this normal or is it that i just got a mean one .. also i have noticed it trying to eat my snails .. i thought it was just cleaning them but then i saw it turn the snail around and try and suck him in right from his shell ... luckily we saved the snail
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
I have a Tuxedo Urchin in my tank and have had no problems but I have observed other types eating coraline algea.. I guess some are ok and some are not..
 
2

25gator

Guest
my pencil urchin loves to knock things over! strong as an ox. hate him!!!!! <img src="graemlins//evilwhorn.gif" border="0" alt="[Evil Horn]" />
 
predator

predator

Active Member
There are some that are reef safe, but you never know. Look into a royal urchin if your detemined to get one. I know several people who have them in there reefs.
I'd get that little guy out if you have not already.<a href="http://hometown.aol.com/flmeangl44/index.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO SEE MY REEF.</a>
 
tzetze

tzetze

Member
I just returned my pink pin cushion today...she's left a trail where she was eating my coraline and I caught her terrorizing one of my feather dusters this morning....so cool looking, but a little pain in the butt.....to boot, she has left me a tank full of eggs...I am hoping you need to have a male for them to hatch....I really don't want to deal with these things.... <img src="graemlins//silly.gif" border="0" alt="[silly]" />
 
tigerseyes01

tigerseyes01

Member
thanks everyone ... would it be ok in a fish only tank that has some live rock .. i really dont think the store would take it back i have had it for a couple of weeks .
 
tzetze

tzetze

Member
my lfs will take back most things that have been bought there and substitute it with something else
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

Member
urchins are bad news if you ask me! yeah, we all know that they eat coraline and inverts and stuff. thats one thing, but heres the bad stuff! i saw one that ate the power cords to a powerhead in a tank!!!! <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> take a wild guess at what happend next. <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />
 
angief

angief

Member
I have a purple urchin and he's been in my tank since I found him in the live rock I bought right at the very start of setting my tank up. He's been no bother what so ever up to now.
 
chevron tang

chevron tang

Member
about the only urchin i know to be reef safe is the royal urchin. if i were you i would look into getting one of those. they are really pretty. they are kinda like a royal purple color. as for any other urchin i wouldn't dare put one in my tank. every now and then i hear of someone getting lucky and getting a passive one but not often enough to chance it. if i were you i would get him out before he destroys your tank
 
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