Tuxedo Urchin , my lesser known friend.

[yikai]

With all the new topics on algae problems, i decided its time i showcase my hardworking friend the tuxedo urchin (Mespilla globulus). these guys are extremely hardworking and consume most kinds, i want to say all, (but i'm not sure) kinds of algae. From brown diatoms, green hard algae, CYANOBACTERIA (yes red slime even), bryopsis, to the purple coraline algae. these guys eat them all. and they are hardworking unlike turbo snails.

they are by no means dull creatures. Tuxedo urchins will collect bits of rocks and debris from your tank and stick it on themselves. I have seen mine stick rubber bands, cable tie and other pieces of things found in my tank (purposefully or accidently >.<) Here are my urchins. One of them has a frag of eagle eye zoos and a pipe organ that it picked up and stuck to itself. Now who says they are boring! imagine that. zoas moving around your tank

so those looking for a way to control nuisense algae biologically, please do consider the tuxedo urchin. hardy, reef safe with plenty of character. Henry has some now and coral farm occasionally has them. Ahbeng has some of them sometimes too.

[comycus]

Dunno what urchin mine is, but I must say they are really hardworking! And entertaining. My sunflower frag is on it now... grrr gonna try to take it out later tonight

[yikai]

Dunno what urchin mine is, but I must say they are really hardworking! And entertaining. My sunflower frag is on it now... grrr gonna try to take it out later tonight

hehe ya i wanna remove my eagle eye too yes hardworking and entertaining i must say! yous looks like a Tripneustes gratilla. a closely related but equally hardworking species.

[comycus]

hehe ya i wanna remove my eagle eye too yes hardworking and entertaining i must say! yous looks like a Tripneustes gratilla. a closely related but equally hardworking species.

wow thanks for the ID! hmmm it's reef safe with caution... will cya tmr morning yeah bro? thx for holding the frag for me

[pokmingsheng]

wow thanks for the ID! hmmm it's reef safe with caution... will cya tmr morning yeah bro? thx for holding the frag for me

hmmm.. its not entirely reef safe???

how abount mine...

dont really know the name...

anyone has any experience with this???

is this species hardworking in terms on cleaning algae???

[yikai]

hmmm.. its not entirely reef safe???

how abount mine...

dont really know the name...

anyone has any experience with this???

is this species hardworking in terms on cleaning algae???

hmm. looks like a Echinometra viridis to me. but the spines look abit blunter. also a black specimen too. could also be a pencil urchin? but the spines do not look blunt enough. anyway, most urchins are good algae eaters and this should be no exception.

my best guess is Echinometra lucunter

[yikai]

wow thanks for the ID! hmmm it's reef safe with caution... will cya tmr morning yeah bro? thx for holding the frag for me

no problem bro. maybe when they say with caution, it means when it gets hungry, it might eat stuff u dont want it to eat :0 feed it nori when u run out of algae. they love nori/

[comycus]

no problem bro. maybe when they say with caution, it means when it gets hungry, it might eat stuff u dont want it to eat :0 feed it nori when u run out of algae. they love nori/

lol my tank got no shortage of algae ever since I started flooding my tank with food in my furtile attempt to get the yellow clown goby to eat.

waah bro u walking dictionary for scientific name sia... thx for identifying my true octo too!

[yikai]

lol my tank got no shortage of algae ever since I started flooding my tank with food in my furtile attempt to get the yellow clown goby to eat.

waah bro u walking dictionary for scientific name sia... thx for identifying my true octo too!

welcome

[TayHongSiang]

my tank has all softs of corals on the sand bed and on the live rocks plus recent elegance added, so you think the urchin will cause a mess topping over the corals? looks like its very effective!

[yikai]

my tank has all softs of corals on the sand bed and on the live rocks plus recent elegance added, so you think the urchin will cause a mess topping over the corals? looks like its very effective!

there is always a risk with inverts like these. snails and hermits are no different. make sure all corals are secured and epoxied especially those above the elegance. coral drop in elegance will die.

[stevenkoh08]

where got sll tuxedo urchins the bro

[yikai]

where got sll tuxedo urchins the bro

henry got some now.

[stevenkoh08]

tks bro how much will it be?? is it i must complete the tank cycle first ??

is it zoa safe and mushie

[yikai]

tks bro how much will it be?? is it i must complete the tank cycle first ??

is it zoa safe and mushie

yes please complete cycle. being inverts they are very sensitive to water chemistry (high NO3 and fluctuations). zoas and mushies are safe unless they decide to remove ur frag to stick on themselves. in that case, u can leave it or remove it from them and stick to the rocks.

the urchin cost slightly less than 1 red note

[comycus]

tks bro how much will it be?? is it i must complete the tank cycle first ??

is it zoa safe and mushie

Should let your tank finish cycling before adding in anything. Even if it survives, its cruel to put them in a toxic environment. My urchin doesn't disturb any of my corals so far. Their spines are constantly searching ard, and usually leave the corals alone when they 'feel' them.

[stevenkoh08]

tks for all the bro reply

[yikai]

since we are on the topic on urchins, many of them are highly toxic to the touch and will result in extremely painful wounds. their spines are

1) hollow. which means they break easily and get stuck in your flesh

2) poisonous, which causes extreme pain

3) some have rouch surfaces which makes it difficult to remove. like a barbed thorn

4) and number 4, very sharp.

i dunno if tuxedo urchins are toxic, but its better not to touch them. and be careful when u do

[stevenkoh08]

so u try already

[stevenkoh08]

[yikai]

try touching them? no way =x dont dare

[stevenkoh08]

so u use net to chaught it

[comycus]

haha i have handled them before... i guess is at your own risk...

When they feel threatened, the spines turn from soft to hard n quite possibly, sharp. And once you get a hold of them, they are super sticky, had to shake quite hard to get it out of my fingers. btw, trying to move them off a rock is almost impossible... their spines like super glued to the rock!

Then again... I heard that if your urchin's spines are falling off, not sticky anymore, it means it's not healthy. Hope it helps

[yikai]

i have not handled them since day 1 of introduction.

when the urchin drops a few spines, its ok it will regrow. check ur water chemistry.

however, if all the spines are not straight and start dropping all at the same time, it means that ALL spines are going to drop off and this means the urchin is dying. no way to save it anymore.

[yikai]

haha i have handled them before... i guess is at your own risk...

When they feel threatened, the spines turn from soft to hard n quite possibly, sharp. And once you get a hold of them, they are super sticky, had to shake quite hard to get it out of my fingers. btw, trying to move them off a rock is almost impossible... their spines like super glued to the rock!

Then again... I heard that if your urchin's spines are falling off, not sticky anymore, it means it's not healthy. Hope it helps

the sticky things you are feeling is not the spine, but their tube feet! they are echinoderms and have tube feet like starfishes. look closely and u can see they are soft with a suction at the end to stick to glass and rock