urchins

jessie

jessie

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Mar 3, 2004
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i have a freind that really likes urchins. he has a 55 gallon reef tank and would like to know how many of what type urchins he could have. i dont know anything about them so i told him i would ask here. he only has 2 percs, a pygmy angel, and snails and crabs in his tank. he is interested in long spine urchins and tux-urchins. anything you guys can say would help. hes just looking for a little general info from anyone who has kept them.
 
To add to this question about urchins..... I have noted that the sea urchins native to the Pacific Northwest seem to have a knack for being able to dig themselves niches in the rocks so they have their own little spherical indentation/hole to live in. Does this characteristic exist with other sea urchins? and if so, how does the sea urchin function in the tank? Do they have a potential of "nestling" through the glass and wreaking havoc that way?
 
Any corals in the setup? How much algae is available? Urchins often starve in newer tanks, and poor acclimation claims many. I prefer to avoid the long spine urchins, because those spines can be very destructive in a tank, and are a hazard for the fish and any corals in with them. Otherwise, care is simlar to a starfish--make sure they have enough food, and that no one will pick on them.

In terms of nesting--some urchins grind through rock and coral for food. Not only have I have never heard of one going through glass, I doubt it's even possible.
 
I just wondered because it would seem to me that any creature dedicated to grinding through rock might also be able to grind through glass.
 
Able and motivated are 2 different things. The urchin is looking for food--once he gets through the algae or food source on the sides, he'll move on. There is potential for marring of an acrylic surface, but I'd consider it a low risk at best, and easily preventable with regular maintenance.
 
he has some mushrooms, zoos, star polyps and something that looks kinda like xenia except it is black, and no pulse. his tank is about 10-12 months, he has always has hair algae problems, so theres a bunch of that if thats what kind of algae they eat,lol.
 
I'd go with the tuxedos rather than the long spines, although the common black urchins are great grazers as well. JMO, but a longspine in a 55 just won't really work.
 
Algae munching, rock scraping urchins.
Be advised, I have seen some urchins, coldwater, temperate, tropicals, etc. appear to release poisons/toxins into the water column, usually when they expire, and some of these guys are quite venomous. I would probably not trust any large urchin(s) in the same tank with a prized collection of fishes but that's just me. On the friendly side, my favorites are the gorgeous red slate urchins Heterocentrotus mammillatus, also the clunky old pencil urchin Eucidaris tribuloides which I have collected a lot of here in Florida over the years.
Not sure anyone would ever want to ship in bags or keep in tanks the long spined Diadema variety; those guys are nasty!!! I have always avoided them while diving for good reason; those long needles are extra painful/easily broken/embedded and once broken off the little pieces can actually work/twist their way into your flesh until they disappear, sometimes for a year or so until they surface again elsewhere.
 
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