urchin for my reef - suggestions?

drex

Member
ive always wanted one, but have heard many horror stories. any recommendations on which kind to get? do they constantly knock corals over like people say? anyone had any good or bad experience? would be going in a decently full 90 gallon reef.thanks.
 

mech-a-nic

Member
I have a Long Spine Urchin in my 46 Gallon. I love him
The only problem I have had it he stuck me once when I was cleaning
I gat startled by that mean ass clown and jerked back right into the Urchin. But he is cool to watch. Hers a Pic a little ruff but its the best I can get at without lights on

 

drex

Member
long spines are awesome but i have hear they knock ALOT of stuff over? i have alot of brain corals and now quite a few SPS frags arouind in my tank so i dont want all this getting tossed around alot..any experience or advice to that? thats my main concern..
 

mech-a-nic

Member
Every once in a while he will clip somthing, mostly when I shoo him away from a area so i can work or clean there. The hermits have knocked over more than him though
 

drex

Member
that is what i was leaning for if any at all.thanks for the help people im stilll undecided.
 

jawdubb

Member
I really enjoy the ones I have. I have a white pincushion and 2 pencil as well as 2 hitchiker urchins. I highly recommend them. If you are worried about things being knocked over the pencils, which are housed in my smaller tanks never seem to knock things over.
 

mech-a-nic

Member
My long spine is realy good at not knocking stuff over. The slighest touch of his spines and he changes direction. The only time is when I mess with him and get him Stampeding
 

drex

Member
i picked up a pincushion that is purple and orange at my LFS last night. hasnt mowed through anything yet,just stayed on the glass. thanks for the help everyone.
 

tbcseod

Member
I think urchins are a hit or miss - my tuxedo is the most careful and gentle thing in my tank - my pencil, well we call him "Dozer" and well, its fitting because he almost seems to look fro stuff he can push around or knock over
But they are both super cool in my book
 

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by hambone
http:///forum/post/2712229
Forgive my ignorance, but are they good for anything? Or just for looks?
No ignorance here, just unasked questions

I had 2 pincushion urchins in my 90g reef. I enjoyed both "Timmy and Prissy". Very stubbron little inverts. Urchins are basically algae lawn mowers. The main problem with them is that they knock over and trample your underwater landscaping. So you need to make sure everything is glued down~litterally.
 

retired

Member
I have a pincushion urchin and just came on the site to see if I can put him in the refugium because he is knocking all my rocks around and causing me to lose corals. If I saw him doing it I could stop him but he does it at night. Today i caught him knocking over my largest rock along with about 5 corals. Can he go in the refugium
 

rykna

Active Member
Originally Posted by retired
http:///forum/post/2713361
I have a pincushion urchin and just came on the site to see if I can put him in the refugium because he is knocking all my rocks around and causing me to lose corals. If I saw him doing it I could stop him but he does it at night. Today i caught him knocking over my largest rock along with about 5 corals. Can he go in the refugium
Do you have any super glue gel? i wouldn't have believed it if i hadn't seen it in person. Now many people here online like me use super glue GEL, it must be gel, to attach coral on rocks...and to secure rocks. That's what I used to secure my loose rock and corals to keep them from tumbling when my urchins were grazing.
The only reason that I can currently think of for not putting your urchin in your refugium is that the refugium is for growing macro algae that stimulates the pod population to grow increasing the bio-filtration your DT has. If you place the urchin into the refugium you'll have the happiest urchin in the world because it will have prime algae to munch on. However, with in the month, the urchin will deplete the macro algae to almost 0. Causing your pod population to take a huge dive, which leaves a big chance for a Tank crash. So I'd head to your nearest store and get some super glue gel tubes
 
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