urchin versus starfish

[alharrison]

I have a 54 gallon reef aquarium. I put a couple of spiney urchins in it as as part of a cleanup crew for algae. I just put in two star fish. Will the urchins harm the star fish? I put in a couple of turbo snails also as part of the cleanup crew, and I found the urchin sucking one of the snails out of it's shell.

 

[Bifferwine]

Were they long spine or short spine urchins? It is odd that it'd be eating the snail. They normally are not predatorial like that -- they are reef safe (typically).

 

[Smitty]

Yes, for the most part, urchins and starfish and snails get along. The snail was probably already dead and the urchin was checking out the carcass.

 

[alharrison]

They are long spined urchins. My lfs told that the snail probably fell off something and couldn't turn itself over before the urchin got ahold of it. The snail only cost $5.00 the star fis h cost almost $50.00 so I want to make sure it will be ok.

 

[Smitty]

You are paying WAY too much for your livestock. :)

 

[Bifferwine]

What kind of starfish are they? The urchins shouldn't bother them.

 

[alharrison]

I don't know what kind of starfish they are. My wife just went to the fish store I deal with and bought them. As far as the price for the livestock, is there some type of resource on the net where I can compare prices of what I buy.

 

[d2mini]

Reef Cleaners| Clean up Crews and Macroalgae for snails and stuff.

 

[Bifferwine]

Different types of starfish have different dietary needs... You should find out what kind of starfish they are so you know if and what you have to feed them, or else they could starve to death. You can post a picture here and we can help ID them.

 

[FishyReef]

I had a rogue short spine urchin that ate anything it could get its spines on - coral, snails, etc. He eventually went to back to the LFS :)