Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
03-04-2002, 02:31 PM
|
#1
|
|
Shark
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Independence, KY
Posts: 1,033
|
urchin's safe or not
Hello all,
I have been looking at a few different types of urchins. I found a flower pot that I really like. Would it be safe to put in my tank? Mostly just have live rock and cleaner shrimp, 1 star and snails. Eventually want to put a few more critters in tank, but really liked the looks of him. Will he be safe to put into tank?
Thanks
Jim
|
|
|
|
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
|
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 02:37 PM
|
#2
|
|
Klingon
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Forest Grove, OR
Posts: 1,808
|
Hi had a pencil urchin once and had to take him back kept knocking over rocks. 
Have as good of a monday as possible! 
__________________
40g 3' BB tank * 2 Seio 820's * 250w 14kk light * 190w actinic/10kk * DIY recirc skimmer.
~If I could only remember half of what I've learned~
~Jimbo~
|
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 02:40 PM
|
#3
|
|
Shark
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Independence, KY
Posts: 1,033
|
Hello Jimbo, did he have a blade on the front of him? He must have thought he was a dozzer  |
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 03:31 PM
|
#4
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 74
|
My urchin hitched a ride into the tank on some live rock
My thoughts:
* Very Fast growers
* Knock things over all the time
* Bulldose coralline algae - now this is good and bad, I am starting to notice that this is helping it spread quickly
* Mostly move at night |
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 03:41 PM
|
#5
|
|
Xenia Master
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Livonia, MI
Posts: 162
|
I love my "random type" urchin. I have not really noticed him knocking down much (I dont really have an SPS tank which may be part of it). He does a great job at keeping the algae down. Not sure about they type your are looking at but I wouldn't have a tank without one now.
__________________
The sooner I can start, the sooner I can fall behind.
|
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 06:06 PM
|
#6
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 61
|
Awesome link for urchins.
I have a blue tuxedo and love him! He'll stay small and his spines are small so he doesn't get into trouble. I've had him about 6-8 months and he's never caused a problem. And he's so cute when he poops little rocks out of the top of his head.
__________________
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us - Tolkien
And Jimmy there's still so much to be done - Buffett
|
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 06:38 PM
|
#7
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Nicholasville,KY USA
Posts: 399
|
Pencil urchins are not a good thing in a reef tank. They are carnivores, read they will eat you corals. The "tuxedo" urchin, Mespilia globulus, is an excellent addition. As tangirl said, their spines stay short and are flexible. They also like tocamoflage themselves. Mine carried around a frilly mushroom for a couple of weeks. Also, check out this and this for more information on urchins. HTH |
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 06:58 PM
|
#8
|
|
Nothing to See Here
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Montana
Posts: 5,815
|
Like tangirl and SteveNichols has stated, a tuxedo sea urchin would probably be your best bet. I have a sea urchin and it has black spines and is a beautiful red at night but can moved rocks very easily. I have had this one for a long time and would not part with it. Johnny |
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 10:07 PM
|
#9
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 61
|
How could I forget the comouflage part?!? That is awesome! When I first put him in, I was having an algae problem and he used algae as a camouflage.  Now he'll carry around shells, little pieces of rock or whatever garbage he finds. Don't know where half of it comes from. And it's always hysterical to see a blue leg hermit strapped to his back.
__________________
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us - Tolkien
And Jimmy there's still so much to be done - Buffett
|
|
|
|
|
03-04-2002, 10:19 PM
|
#10
|
|
Reefer D' jour
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: lansing, mi
Posts: 791
|
I've had a tuxedo urchin for a bit now, he's great, a regular garbage man So far it's not knocked anything over, and hasn't even dented the coralline. It's fun to try to find where he went. Always in the most obscyre places. Wouldn't have a tank without one.
__________________
nickg<br />LIFE TASTES GOOD!
55g display, 10g sump, 5g refugium
single, siphon overflow to sump, rio 2100 return, ref is pumped from sump, and returned via gravity/bulkhead. Big in-sump skimmer w/cap 2200 pump, various maxijets in display. temp 82
<a href="http://www.nickg309reef.iwarp.com">MY TANK SITE</a>
|
|
|
|
|
