urchin hitchhiker help

[Kirsty]

I have found in the night that I have a purple pencil urchin, don't really know how long or when it arrived, but it sure explains a few things. Anyone know if I should take it out of my reef? It is small right now, about 2" or so. I can't find any reading about it eating corals. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's a great article on urchins. I don't know much about the pencil urchins, except that everyone fears they will rearrange rockwork in the tank. I believe it because I've got a tuxedo urchin (generally considered reef safe) and he bites right into the rock. I love when he hangs over the side and poops it out. He's very careful about hanging sideways.

I know the long spines of the pencils are potentially hazardous to us and our rock and corals.

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/june/wb/default.asp

 

[Minotaur15]

Kirsty,

Most urchins are quite omnivorous, with only a few exceptions - and even those are occasionally suspect. Follow the info in the FAQ with regard to the relatively safe species - which doesnt include pencil and slate urchins.

HTH,

 

[H@rry]

From my experience unchins will "bulldoze" into your rock work and rearrange it. I also read somewhere that they have been known to eat through the insulation on powerhead cords.

 

[31-2c]

Are you sure its a pencil urchin?

I got a purple urchin as a hitchiker with my live rock. It has grown to about 3" now. It has never harmed anything. It is a wonderful purple color under a good bright light. I have never researched to see exactly what kind it is. When I feed the tank, he has dozens of black "arms" that reach out around the spine and grab anything that floats by.

 

[Andrew_Adrian]

Ahhhh, rock boring urchin. Has purple spines with a dark purple-black body and is a common hitchhicker on gulf rock. I have 3 and 2 of them have eggs. I love them, they do a good job at creating sand from the rock and eating various types of algae! Keep Them!! (If you do not want them,..I do!)