Urchin

[TRIX]

Hey all. I would like to get a Urchin. What type would you guys suggest

[christyf5]

Depends what you want it to do. I wanted mine to eat algae. I've had both the tuxedo (Mespilia globulus) and a "colored" urchin (Tripneustes sp). The tuxedo cruises around the tank, eats algae here and there. The colored urchin ate coralline and made a mess (plus he grew huge). Eventually I took him into a LFS for credit as he was getting too big and knocking over corals.

The ultimate urchin (of those that are commonly available) is the longspined urchin (Echinothrix diadema/Diadema setosum). While the spines are sharp and somewhat venomous (to some, not so much to others). They certainly are gorgeous.

Also it would be dependent on your tank size as the diadema urchins get kind of big.

[TRIX]

would the spines on the urchins be a problem for softies like the open brain. Would they pearce the tissue.

[christyf5]

I doubt it, even though it doesn't seem so, the tissue is pretty tough (well relatively tough anyways). I think the urchin would have to achieve ramming speed which is unlikely I don't know what kind of grip they'd get on a soft coral either.

[muck]

I dunno Christy... those urchins can really motor when they want to.

[fkshiu]

I have a blue tux urchin with softies and LPS (incl. bubble and open brain) for several years with no problems. Granted the blue tux doesn't have the longest or pokiest spines you can find on urchins, but I don't see any issues with any other urchins.