Longspine Urchin experience

[Seggsy]

Trying to sell a longspine urchin for a friend....but he is very cool, seems well behaved in the 30g frag tank, and keeps his spines to himself when he moves around.  Thinking of moving him to the 75g display and seeing how he does.  The Liveaquaria seems to indicate that he would be cool in a community mixed reef.

Anyone have any experience with these guys?  Their spines ever puncture LPS?  Ever bother delicate fish like a mandarin or big fish like a tang?

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

i have 2  black ones  they just the whole tank ..the rocks the glass  ..they can post a plug or rock over if its not glued but not as bad as the fish do  just watch yur hands when yu stick it in the tank near the glass in case there right there ..they never bother anything

 

[crazybizzle]

I had one before ..sent him to my sump..hated it  everything got stuck to him food, algae, sand, pinned my jawfish once in his cave for days..cool at first but becomes a huge pain in the ass imo.

 

[shipwreck]

They wil strip the coralline from your rock, knock over small frags or rocks that aren't secure. Be very careful when in the tank as their spines are extremely sharp and very brittle(designed to break off) and just an quick brush and you will have them embedded in your hand. The one I had grew very big probably 12" diameter and was neat to watch. It never hurt an fish or coral (other then knocking corals into each other or dark crevices). In the wild bengai cardinal babies actually seek out these urchins and hid amongst the spines for safety.

 

[Seggsy]

I was worried there would be complications.......

 

[chuckm]

they don't mix well if you have anemones-puncture wounds!

 

[Poseidon]

They actually had a dedicated tank to theses guys with bangai cardinal at the Vancouver aquarium. Was really cool to see small Bangai hiding in the spines

 

[chuckm]

go with a blue tuxedo/globe urchin, much more "reef friendly"

 

[shipwreck]

Other then the long spines all urchins have the same issues. Not saying they're good or bad just all the same.

 

[chuckm]

put up against a pencil, diadema, or fire urchuin i would take a globulus urchin anyday....IME

 

[Seggsy]

I have a blue tuxedo in the basement - I let him wear his hat of green zoas and he leaves most other stuff alone.  That guy cracks me up.  I think I will leave the DT urchin free for now