Urchin

[clowningaround]

My girlfriend bought a rose urchin for my tank since she added it it has been a cleaning dynamo. It is polishing my live rock within an inch of it's life. Do I have to worry about this eating machine destroying anything of importance in my tank, or does it just eat algae?

[dark horge]

Hi clowningaround

Many urchins will mow down attached algae and plant material mindlessly, along with any attached animal life that happens to be in there. Small coral buttons, ascidians, tunicates, even very small sponges are likely to be (partially) consumed.

Some species are less thorough, but well, you get the picture.

If the rock is turning out TOO bare, then there is probably too much urchin for the real estate you have. Get more rock, so that the urchin's attentions are dissipated over a larger surface area

[clowningaround]

I have over 100# of LR in my 120 gal. The urchin is just going to town has cleared off two whole rocks and taken a fair amount of coraline algae off one of the spill overs. I'm thinking it's back to the LPS with him. Any thoughts

[Harpo]

I have never had an urchin, but I understand they tumble rocks, tip corals, and destroy coraline. I have also read on other forums, that if they crawl over a coral with soft tissue, damage is done to the tissue as it gets punctured. That's enough to make me stay away from them.

Harpo