sea urchin vs starfish

Kazarko

Reefing newb
I recently added a tuxedo sea urchin to my tank. I had a chocolate chip starfish in there already. I'm writing this post to share my very short lived experience as a tuxedo urchin owner.
From the first day the urchin looked good, no problems at all and eating well.
That night I saw the starfish slowly touch then grab onto the urchin. I did not think much of it then, my bad. Next day the urchin was just an empty shell. Seriously did not think my star fish would eat a sea urchin but I was wrong.
It was a clean meal, nothing left but a big star fish and an empty hollowed out shell with one hole at the top and one at the bottom.:shock:
 
The first shrimp I bought (don't remember what kind) for our old tank was well behaved the first day until the lights went out. The next morning, every single one of my green star polyps had been eaten. The jerk. I felt like such a noob.
 
Thanks for sharing that story. I didn't know they would eat an urchin. :shock: Just thought they ate corals. I hope you had it put down. :lol:
 
Wow not bad right there, didnt know a starfish could do that! But im thinking of getting rid of my sea urchins and starfishes because they knock all my sps over and are killing things XD it pisses me off
 
I really dislike the chocolate chip starfish. From day one I was warned about them and all I remember them saying was they kill everything. I really like all kinds of starfish even the choco's but, I would never have one due to all of the negatives of them. I am soooo sorry to hear about your urchin, I think they are really cool.
 
I have many urchins, most are peaceful. Star fish are never a good idea. Green brittle stars are known as death stars. They eat anything they can catch. I have several tuxedo urchins. They are small and peaceful. I've never had anything knocked over by an urchin. ???

Most star fish die unseen in a tank in a short time anyway, always a bad idea in my mind.
 
There's nothing wrong with serpent stars. They're great actually. I have both a cool velvety smooth purple one and a dark brown bristly one. They consume uneaten food and detritus, they are reef safe, non-violent... just overall good members of the tank.

Linkias can be hard to care for, chocolate... well you know what happens there, sand sifters supposedly can wipe out your sand bed's good stuff over time... you just have to stick to the good ones.

I also have several urchins. A purple pincushion and a couple black short spines. Had a black long spine but he died in the great heatwave of 2010. If I had a choice, i'd rather have the stars since they don't pick anything up or move things. They seem pretty gently and non destructive. The urchins are clumsier.
 
I have a black long spine and my invert-eating picasso trigger never messed with the urchin. Spike, the urchin, moves around the floor and sides of my tank but doesn't get on my rock very often at all so I've lucked out in regards to him moving anything.
 
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