Urchin advice!?!

[angela&landon]

Hello! We're interested in getting an urchin to add to our 46 gallon tank... We have 2 clownfish, 3 damsels and 10 hermit crabs. Good idea? What type would you recommend? We plan on eventually getting an anemone... hope this wouldn't be a problem... Thanks so much!

 

[michaeltx]

royal urchins are good algae eaters the ones to stay away from are the pencil urchins. there are some more cant remember all the names of them though. some grow huge so youll have to find out how big they get.
Mike

 

[angela&landon]

Thanks for the help!

 

[lionstorm]

why avoid the pencil urchin? I have one that is about the size of a baseball and he is a fantastic algae eater! He never bothers my bubble tip anemone or my mushrooms, I think they are great. But thats just my opinion.
-Allison

 

[michaeltx]

there is different species but most of them are meat omnivours and will eat anything they come across there are a few that dont though.
Mike

 

[lionstorm]

i've heard that some would eat through metal filings if they could, but mine never has...granted he's come a little too close for comfort to one of my biggest mushrooms but I just move him and he's fine. Mine doesn't even spore or do any of that mess, he's fantastic. Especially when he cleans the glass.
At first I hated him because he came with the tank and I really didn't like him, but he's grown on me. He's really fascinating and I've heard its hard to get them as big as he is. But thats just my experience, I didn't really choose the urchin but compared to the black and purple ones I think the pencil still looks the coolest as far as shape and color go.
-Allison

 

[bioreefer]

urchins like to eat coraline aglae also but for most people can grow it back faster than it eats it and some do not even notice. but that never stopped me from having them I like urchins but they like to knock over coral and what not. only problem about them IMO.