shall i have a sea urchin?

[beeguiles]

So my husband really likes the long spine black sea urchin. The only one he likes actually. But I've been iffy about it bc of my corals. Is it reef safe? Is a 29g too small? I have lots of algae on the back glass and coraline starting to grow it could eat. All my corals are epoxyed and superglued so im not worried about the being knocked over. I'm more worried they will get stabbed? What do you guys think. Go or no go?

 

[Waddi]

I hate them, stepped on one when getting out of a rock pool. Never forgave the species.. aha.
But i dont know about one in a 29, they can get big, up to 11" i think.
I will let someone else chime in. but if i were you i would go with only a small pincushion.

 

[Bifferwine]

A 29 is way too small for them. I used to have one in my 90, and only kept it for a couple months before I had to give it away. It was too big for my tank. It's spines could span the whole tank and touch the front and back walls at the same time.

Why not get a short spine? That's what I traded my long spine in for, and I love the guy!

 

[beeguiles]

Is the short spine all black?

 

[Bifferwine]

Yep. Kind of a blackish-navy blue.

 

[Jmck]

I banished my urchin, he kept knocking everything down :S now I have no problem with my corals staying still ;) so be prepared for that

 

[Sir Alex]

I used to have one in my 90, and only kept it for a couple months before I had to give it away. It was too big for my tank. It's spines could span the whole tank and touch the front and back walls at the same time.

Wow, it got 4' wide? :mrgreen:

 

[DZs]

Wow, I didn't know there was a short spined one.

The long spined has always been my favorite due to the deep purple color and how clean they stay. I've had Spike for over a year now. Cutest darn thing when I got it. Body about the size of a quarter with maybe 2" spines. They do grow fast, but it's not the body, it's the spines that does. I was getting worried because it got to be almost 8" across and couldn't reach into places where it used to travel to eat and sleep during the day. I notice a few broken spines on the sand bed and I got worried about my diamond goby shifting through the sand and getting a needle stuck in her jaw.
It's a little high maintance, but I don't mind and it makes Spike really happy and he's worth it. Once in a while Spike gets a trim. I've been doing this for close to a year now and it doesn't hurt him.

Here he is about 5" across.... you can see his needles are sharp again.

After his hair cut

I turned on the lights.. yup back to eating. It's body is still smaller then all the pinchusion and pencils I've seen so far..

 

[DZs]

I hate them, stepped on one when getting out of a rock pool. Never forgave the species.. aha.
But i dont know about one in a 29, they can get big, up to 11" i think.
I will let someone else chime in. but if i were you i would go with only a small pincushion.

LOL My Mom still won't look at mine after she's stepped on one too years ago.

 

[Bifferwine]

Wow, it got 4' wide? :mrgreen:

Front to back is about 18 or 20" I think. ;)

Here's a pic of the short spine urchin:

 

[cms722]

Wow, I didn't know there was a short spined one.

The long spined has always been my favorite due to the deep purple color and how clean they stay. I've had Spike for over a year now. Cutest darn thing when I got it. Body about the size of a quarter with maybe 2" spines. They do grow fast, but it's not the body, it's the spines that does. I was getting worried because it got to be almost 8" across and couldn't reach into places where it used to travel to eat and sleep during the day. I notice a few broken spines on the sand bed and I got worried about my diamond goby shifting through the sand and getting a needle stuck in her jaw.
It's a little high maintance, but I don't mind and it makes Spike really happy and he's worth it. Once in a while Spike gets a trim. I've been doing this for close to a year now and it doesn't hurt him.

Here he is about 5" across.... you can see his needles are sharp again.

After his hair cut

I turned on the lights.. yup back to eating. It's body is still smaller then all the pinchusion and pencils I've seen so far..

I had no idea you could trim them down like that. I wanted an urchin but in a 55 it doesn't really give them alot of room to move. That's pretty neat.

 

[beeguiles]

I like that short spine biff. Dzs that's a good idea about the trim but too high maintenance for me lol

 

[Bifferwine]

The short spines basically look exactly like the long spines, but with....eh, short spines! :D

 

[beeguiles]

I'll have to look around for one.

 

[Sir Alex]

I think the Halloween and tuxedo urchins are the coolest.

 

[BL1]

I'll have to look around for one.

I got mine from TBS, he's done great in my 28g for over a year.

I think the Halloween and tuxedo urchins are the coolest.

They're great and cool looking until they start knocking over and carrying expensive SPS frags.

 

[DZs]

He's cute!
If I would had known.... LOL

 

[Sir Alex]

They're great and cool looking until they start knocking over and carrying expensive SPS frags.

Don't all of them do that?

 

[Bifferwine]

The short spines don't move corals.