cracker Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Hey Pie, do you have any of these in your tank? And is it an Urchin? It is the size of a 20cent piece and was crawling up the back of the tank glass! The spines are hard as a rock, but the centre body is softish and sticks to hard surfaces with immense force! I couldnt move it out of the cup!! It was stuck so hard!! The hard spines wiggle slowly all over the place. COOL!! Good, or bad in my tank....It is sitting in a net until further notice!! I noticed it this morning at 4AM just before starting my 25% water change that was 2 weeks overdue!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petplanet Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Yes it is an urchin. Who the hell does a water change at 4am? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 yep tropical kina apparently some of them eat corraline algae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Couldnt sleep, water needed changin'...what the hell!! Should I keep it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Should I keep it? Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Anyone else got these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveA Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Couldnt sleep, water needed changin'...what the hell!! Should I keep it? Yes again. Wish I had one, you lucky bugger. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 what benefit do they provide? just another janitor, part of the clean up crew i assume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 I'll answer my own question Did you know that: - Sea urchins are used as indicator organisms in public aquariums to determine if the system is functioning properly? Because these animals are so "picky" about water quality and cleanliness in an aquarium, they are the first to show signs of stress, seen when their spines are laying down or falling off. - There are numerous varieties found in both tropical and colder water oceans around the world? - Urchins are generally referred to as Wana (sounds like vawna) in Hawai'i? - It is not unusual for some urchins to house tiny, species associated shrimps within their spines? - Triggerfishes and Puffers will pick the spines off sea urchins, turn them over, then break open their shells to eat them? - Prior to the early 1970's, sea urchins in California were considered nothing more than pests, but now the export value of California's sea urchin fishery is a multi-million dollar industry? - Many species enjoy eating coralline algae? This is not necessarily bad, unless you place too many in number and/or of large size in a tank where their appetite can exceed the amount of coraline growth available for them to feed on. If this is a concern, you might think about placing a few urchins in the sump to help remove excess coraline, micro and macro algae growth there, like John Rice did with some Variegated Urchins (Lytechinus variegatus). - Some species are particularly predatory, and many do not eat algae at all? - Long-spined members of the Family Diadematidae, such as Diadema and Echinothrix species, have venomous stinging spines? - Large growing species can be cumbersome and act like little bulldozers, causing damage and the rearrangement or destablization of rock and coral scapes? (from saltaquarium.about.com) It appears to be a pale rock-boring urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - it's about the closest resemblence I could find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 I have one in my tank. They consume coraline algae. Mine only comes out at night. Would I keep it? Yes particualy if your tank is big enough that a little loss of coraline isn't a big deal to you. If you want to find it a new home sing out, i'd take it. Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 surely you dont want to ship it all the way to wellies,... conveniently cracker im just around the corner from ya, my tank is just singing out for a sea urchin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Hey thanks for the info Chim......I think I may hang on to this little puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RnB Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Its amazing what comes out at night........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Isn't the Crown of Thorns" eat the reefs?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Isn't the Crown of Thorns" eat the reefs?? Crown of Thorns is a type of starfish. This is an urchin. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Oh, Layton you seem to know your stuff. I've not got a reef tank yet but I'm working on reducing my freashwater so within 12months would like to start is there a chacne in the coming months I could have a look at your set up. Hard to understand what you guys are talking about sometimes not having one of my own and you only get one chance with reef tanks so would like to get it close to rigth first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 There is a reef club meeting this Sunday (the very first chch one) you should come along. Eventually I will host one at my house. No problem coming around to see my tank. Pomereef, all go for this weekend, for once I don't have too much work on. (Finally) Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 There is an urchin that is a problem on the reefs, big, black, things about the size of a soccer ball (inc spines), in Thailand I helped the locals go out killing them a couple times, they just poke them with a stick and let the fish eat them. There are hundreds of them that arrive every few days, they eat/kill the staghorn corals and are poisonous if you are unlucky enough to stand on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 When and where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 send "noodle" a PM, it's at his house. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Well we were talking about urchins at the reef meeting on sunday, and how cool it would be to have one, and what did I find in my tank today? Not my tank, but the urchin is the same species it think, black long spine. It's about 1.5 inches. I wonder how many more there are? Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtman Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 hey cool, so how bigs ur 1...man that looks wicked,wldnt wanna step on or even touch it Newt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeveus Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Looks good. I can't wait till I have my tank in use to put all these fellas in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 The problem is you can't buy these particular fellas. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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