Pencil Urchins

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-27-2009, 07:22 PM

Are pencil urchins reef safe? I got one from reefscavengers.com, but I am not sure. Different sites have different reviews. Does anyone have personal experiences with them? Thanks in advance.

**Phurst** · 10-27-2009, 07:31 PM

More-or-less. They are primarily algae eaters, but this includes coraline which most people consider desirable. The have ocasionalt been known to munch on corals as well, but as with most questionable critters it depends on the individual.

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-27-2009, 08:05 PM

Hmm, in that case I think I will keep the one I have but not order others. Thanks. Oh and another really quick question, If I have one rock with coralline algae on it, will it spread t the whole tank?

**CarmieJo** · 10-27-2009, 08:27 PM

Coralline will spread to the whole tank. In a few months you will be tired of scraping it off of the glass!

**rayme07** · 10-28-2009, 01:19 AM

I agree with Pearson on the urchin.

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-28-2009, 08:41 AM

Right now though, I have no rocks with visible corrallinge algae, will it stil spring up?

**saxman** · 10-28-2009, 06:31 PM

the "party line" on pencil urchins is that they're predominantly vegetarians, however, this isn't actually the case. i've had them eat zoanthids with gusto. remember, most urchins are onmivores, and won't pass up an EZ meal. my pencil urchins now reside in my sump.

IME, Diadema (longspine) urchins are great algae eaters, but get LARGE and can knock things over.

one final thought on urchins: they will indeed gnaw the coralline off of your rockwork leaving white, bare spots on it.

**CarmieJo** · 10-28-2009, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by Reefy Magreefy

Right now though, I have no rocks with visible corrallinge algae, will it stil spring up?

Don't worry, it will certainly appear.

**lance** · 10-29-2009, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by Reefy Magreefy

Are pencil urchins reef safe? I got one from reefscavengers.com, but I am not sure. Different sites have different reviews. Does anyone have personal experiences with them? Thanks in advance.

Not one bit they eat soft corals and zoanthids don't believe me take look at this photo I took in my system well one of them.

when I removed him after the photo he had a polyp in its mouth and had eaten a good chunk of the colony. So be cautious if you buy one and watch your octocorals

lance

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-29-2009, 09:21 AM

In that case, when i start growing corals I'll put him in the fuge, are pincusion urchins or tuxedo urchins safe?

**saxman** · 10-29-2009, 11:19 AM

i never kept coral with my pincushion (it was in a mantis setup, and the darned mantis eventually ate it!). tuxedos are pretty, but i've never kept one. however, i've never heard of one eating coral...

**Phurst** · 10-29-2009, 11:32 AM

I had a tuxedo for a long time. Fascinating creatures. It never hurt anything in my tank, but they are covered with sticky feet, and pick up bits of whatever it can find to help camouflage itself, including unsecured frags. I traded mine after it picked up my very expensive frag of PPE zoas and hid them somewhere

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-29-2009, 04:49 PM

Hmm, Im not sure, but I am quite taken by the thought of having an urchin in m tank, how would I secure frags? Do tuxedo's require target feeding? Any other reef safe urchin suggestions?

**Phurst** · 10-29-2009, 04:53 PM

I never target fed mine. it mostly grazed the glass for film algae and the rocks for coraline. it would ocasionaly eat a pellet or a strray bit of nori the tang pulled loose. By secured, i mean glued or epoxied down. the ones mine grabbed were either sitting on the sand, or in my frag rack.

**lance** · 10-30-2009, 01:04 AM

tuxedo urchins are the only Urchin I have come across in the years I have been in the hobby that never bothered any of my coral's ever not even a curious bite like Hermit crabs love to do.

lance

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-30-2009, 08:53 AM

Sounds perfect for me then!

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-30-2009, 08:53 AM

should I put more than one in a 120 gallon tank?

**Phurst** · 10-30-2009, 09:23 AM

I only had one in my 120, but it could have supported 2 I think.

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-30-2009, 09:41 AM

ok, thannks all! Just 1 more question, will my LFS sell underwater epoxy, or do I have to order it online? Any recommendations brand-wise?

**Phurst** · 10-30-2009, 10:24 AM

Some do, but you can get the same stuff much cheaper at Home Depot.

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-30-2009, 02:14 PM

Ok, and ONE more thing lol. My tank's ammonia is hovering around .2, but it was decending rapidly before, what gives?

**CarmieJo** · 10-30-2009, 05:52 PM

IMO the ammonia has hovered because things continue to die off and the bacteria has not caught up to the load. Once it does you should see it drop. What is the nitrite doing?

**Reefy Magreefy** · 10-30-2009, 06:10 PM

It's going down slowly, like .1 per 2 days.

**lance** · 10-31-2009, 12:25 AM

the ammonia is probably still a bit of cycling going on your tank could support 2 tuxedo urchins and if you get epoxy at the store check the ingredients on it before adding to tank.

lance