Sea Urchins

lumpy

Reefing newb
I'm new to saltwater aquariums (building my first right now) and I have 3 fish shops in my area. Unforunatly I get different answers to my questions from each shop.

My latest inquiry is for Sea Urchins. I read in a book that they are not safe for reef aquariums because they eat calcerous algae. However, the local shops are saying that they arent a problem.

My primary interest is the corals and if an urchin is going to cause issues for the corals then I dont want to get one. However; if there is a species of Urchin that isn't a problem then I'd love to add it as a part of my cleanup crew.

Can you folks tell me if I should stay away from Urchins or not.
 
Urchins are generally reef safe.
But they can be annoying. I have found pencil urchins to be bulldozers, knocking stuff over as they move around, and Tuxedo Urchins take it a step further and physically pick up and carry your stuff all over. I've lost nice sps frags due to this. And I don't mean they died, I mean they got dropped and disappeared within the rockwork. Grrrr.
But I did have a purple short spine urchin that was nice and peaceful as well as several black long spine urchins that got pretty huge and were never a problem.
 
They eat calcareous ALGAE. That is true. That doesn't mean they eat corals -- they normally don't. Tuxedo/halloween urchins, short spines and long spines are the most common reef safe ones, and many people keep urchins and love the critters. There are a few people that have had problems with urchins munching on corals, but like any animals in this hobby, they are individuals and there's no 100% guarantee when you put anything in your tank.

I would highly recommend them. They are awesome additions to a reef tank.
 
I had a purple short-spine who munched coral; they are pretty but not worth it. If you like that purple spines on a white body color combo, go with a hairy pincushion instead. I also have a pink pincushion who totes frags all over and bull doses rocks. Have haven't gotten rid of it yet, but have seriously considered it. I do have a small red tuxedo urchin that is pretty mellow. So far he's only toted around cerith snails, but stays pretty much in one area of the tank and hasn't bothered my corals at all. I really liked my urchins when I first got them, and they have been great cleaners, but now that I have more coral in the tank, I'd prefer not to have the urchins. Bottom line, you win some, you lose some when it comes to urchins.
 
Thank you for the advice. Sounds like the Tuxedo Urchins may be a bit riskier. I was hoping to get one of those long spined black ones anyway. Also one of the guys at my lfs said something about clipping it's spines. Is this something I should do? What would you use to clip the spines? What happens if you dont?
 
The long spine will be too big for a 75. I had one in my 90, and it easily reached from the back of the tank to the front and was touching both walls at the same time. I don't know about clipping the spines -- in a tank that size, you are better off just getting a short spine.
 
The bodies stay small -- the pincushions and short spines are tennis ball sized or smaller. But the spines on the long spines can be like 6+ inches long. They have them sticking out in all directions, so they can be 12 inches around if you count the spine length. My long spine got stuck in places all the time in my 90. I'm sure he hated being in that tank.
 
That must be why the guy suggested clipping the spines. When I read 12 inches I was thinking from spine tip to spine tip. Thanks for the info BitterWine. I'd hate to have gotten one only to have it be miserable. :)
 
I got some as babies with bodies the size of a pencil eraser and it took a couple years for them to get that big. Just look for a small one and watch them grow. Then trade it in or trade to a friend for frags. :)
 
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