ID req? (urchin?)

[anakjoh]

Hi, guys, I have a newbie q here.

I bought fox coral recently and along with it came something i do not know - kind of round but flat-ish (10 ¢ coin) n fuzzy with spikes - dull in colour - I can only think of urchins.

Sorry, I can't get a digital cam to post picture. Anyway, I'm sure some of u veterans will know what it is.

Is it harmful to introduce into reef tank? TQ in advance.

[Tanzy]

Spikes suggests that it is an urchin but it's a bit too flat, might be a weird sea cucumber.

If it is an urchin, they are reef safe as long as they don't topple your rocks and coral when the grow bigger. They are good algae eaters on the rocks. I have one that came with the LR and only comes out to graze at night.

[anakjoh]

Will the spikes poke soft corals like bubbles?

[BlueTerror]

I also got something fuzzy with spikes. Its like a flower. Lightish brown color.

[Tanzy]

Will the spikes poke soft corals like bubbles?

It will poke a bit but won't do much damage unless it's the long spine diadema sea urchin. They do worse by knocking things over cause they are such bulldozers.

Bubbles are LPS hard coral unless there's a soft coral version. I hate common names.

Blueterror,

I don't know what it is. Does it move around much?

[Achilles Tang]

Yes, hobbyists tend not to keep black long-spined urchins coz they have a tendency to knock things over and their spikes penetrate soft coral tissue. If you are careless... yours too.

A compromise would be to get the tuxedo urchin. It has nicer colours and the spikes are very short, however, they still tend to 'decorate' themselves with stuff that comes in contact with them.

[Sinn]

decorate themselveS?

[Tanzy]

They will 'pin' bits of rocks, algae, sponge, nearly anything they can get their spines on, even corals to their body. They have a dark blueish body and brown spikes. Look really like a pin cushion.

[Sinn]

ok thanx

[anakjoh]

Guess I will dispose it - not taking chances (kiasi) but i don't have the heart to kill it so I will flush it down the toilet bowl like what Sinn did with the crabs

[Sinn]

hahaha....

good memory eh joh

[Tanzy]

I think you can leave it in the tank till it really does start knocking things over because they are very good at clearing algae and it's still so small. In my tank at least, it's the hermit crabs that are super clumsy.

[anakjoh]

Thanks Tanzy - u r a great help in this forum.

Well-deserved resident sea-turtle title!

[Valleyman]

Tanzy,

Will the urchin eats up the coralline algae ? Have 2 of them with the LR. Also, what type of hermit crab to keep as cleaning crew that will not harm clam or softies ?

[Tanzy]

Sea urchins will eat coralline algae but not faster than coralline can grow. The coralline algae in my tank is still there and growing well. Coralline algae doesn't even grow very fast in my tank.

Hermits are quite iffy when it comes to food. Generally, the halloween and blue leg hermits from Hawaii are well behaved, but will attack snails if there are insufficient shells.

[lonteoh]

Tanzy,

The coralline algae on my LR seems to be turning whitish. Is it a sign that it is dying? If so, what can i do to save them? I bought my LR at a very ex price, must do everything to save the lifeforms in it!

[Achilles Tang]

If coralline turns white, it is usually because of a few things:

1. It is not used to exposure to very bright lights.

2. High levels of phosphates in water.

3. Low levels of calcium and alk.

[Tanzy]

Is it totally in white patches or just white specks? The white specks and small white areas are new growth.

[hongqixian]

Hi, guys, I have a newbie q here.

I bought fox coral recently and along with it came something i do not know - kind of round but flat-ish (10 ¢ coin) n fuzzy with spikes - dull in colour - I can only think of urchins.

Sorry, I can't get a digital cam to post picture. Anyway, I'm sure some of u veterans will know what it is.

Is it harmful to introduce into reef tank? TQ in advance.

Have you ever thought whether it might be a sea squirt? Some of them are round, yellow/brown and fuzzy. They swell up more at night and have two round dents which are their siphon openings.