Urchin info & algea

[stuckinfla]

I am starting to notice a grass type alge in my tank. Its very short, close to rock. When I broke down my 55, it was covered with green grass....this rock did not go into my 180. I searched & searched and the closest I can come is Turtle grass. Long spine black urchins are supposed to be good for this, but are they reef safe? All I know is that they eat the grass and possibly coraline, but can their spines hurt corals? Ill have to post a pic later when I get batteries for the camera.
Just a note, the only similarity between the two tanks, is Fla Aquacultured rock....All water parimeters are normal with phos - "0". I am literely ready to pull my hair out!!
This stuff is still very short, no way to grab and pull.

 

[57chev]

Stuckinfla, You'd be doing the right thing by adding long spinny urchins to your tank for the algea prob. They will tip a rock over from time to time, but its well worth it for the benifit, and they rarely die no matter what the conditions of the water. They will chew a little of your purple corline algea when they go over it but not completly. I have had a dozen in a 150 reef for a few years. One thing thats kinda cool that I've tried that works is if your real careful you can pick up an urchin without breakin the spines off and drop em right were you want them to munch!

 

[stuckinfla]

Thanks....how many for a 180? This is just starting, it s*cks cause you dont really notice it until it starts growin good. Got the pics, first is looking normal, second is just starting on another rock, third is as close up as I can get!!

 

[stuckinfla]

This is what happened in my 55!!!

The only thing I can figure is that it's coming in on the rock Im buying(the case of the 55) now on the 180, I think maybe there were some spores in the sand? That is the only thing I added from the 55 & corals. The shrooms & stuff I pryed off the rock & re-attached to rock in the 180, and the others (brains, bubble) had not a drop on them.......unless I missed it :thinking:
Either way, urchins it will be!

 

[ophiura]

FWIW, it is NOT turtle grass which is a true plant, with broad blades not all that unlike the grass in the front yard.
An urchin may still help with it though.

 

[stuckinfla]

Found a great website on alea id...describes alge, shows pic, and recommeds herbavores(sp) to help with the problem ones. Turtle grass was the closest I could come to. This is the pic from the website, and its exactly how the grass in the 55 looked when I pulled it off. In clumps with actually chunks of coraline and/or rock stuck to the "roots" Either way, off to the store......I always like that!!

 

[mudplayerx]

I just read an issue in Coral Mag on urchins. They all have a feeding device called Aristotle's Lantern made up of very hard, sharp teeth called pyramids. When your urchin devours all of that microalgae, it WILL eat your coraline algae.

 

[stuckinfla]

Unless you have gone through what I have in my 55.......coraline is not an issue.