quick question for you
 

i was looking for your input into your experience with urchins. i'm looking for a good reef safe urchin to help with a little hair algae. none of my tangs touch it and it is only in small certain areas of the tank and it annoys the living hell out of me so i was thinking of trying an urchin. i really dont want to go the sea hare route and have him die off when these little patches are gone. any advice would be cool, thanks

Hi,
I have a long spinned (black) sea urchin. It does a great job and doesn't upset my tank.
I also have a crowned urchin which I have now put in my sump. It does a great job in the sump but was too distructive in my tank.

I have three long-spined black urchins. One that hitchiked in with the rock. I suspect that they do eat some hair algae, but I wouldn't say they seek it out. I think they'll eat coraline as well.

In my old tank tried both the long black spine and the tuxedo urchins (separately) for a Lobophora problem. Neither touched the algae but they sure did go through the coralline and I don't think they ate anything else.

To bad because lack eating of algae aside, they are rather interesting, just my coraline growth couldn't keep up.

The long-spined urchin (diadema setosum) that I had ate all manner of algae, but it grew fairly quickly. I remember seeing online someone selling one the size of a basketball! So just be aware of that.

our tank was covered we got a pincution urchin (spelling doesn't count)he cleaned the tank really good

awesome guys thanks. even if they do eat coralline that would be a good thing too. it grows like crazy in my tank

I won't have one in my main display because they are bulldozers and "rearrange the furniture" so to speak. I have 2 in refugium though.:wink:

I have a tuxedo urchin, I'm not sure he is good for anything at all other than the "wow is that an urchin" comments I get from nonreefers :lol: . But he doesn't hurt anything either so he stays

I have a hitch hiker that does more knocking off frags than algea eating.
Not worth the problems in my opinion.

J