a good urchin

[BarbMazz]

I'm expecting to have an algae outbreak anytime now since my tank is about a month old.

I really like the look of the pincushion style urchins. I've read the "hairy" ones can be toxic. Is there a particular kind of urchin that is safe and good in a new reef tank?

I do like the ones that decorate themselves... what types are those?
Thanks for any suggestions.

[AQTCJAK]

all urchins are toxin however the short spine & the tuxedos will do the best job for you LH require the Black long spines IME

[Dentoid]

Saltwater Aquarium Inverts for Marine Reef Aquariums: Pincushion Urchin, Blue Tuxedo

[goldenmean]

I dont know nothing about no urchins.

I want to know why you think you will have an outbreak of algae?
I only had the smallest touch of cyano (bacteria - not algae) I also have had just a little bit of green hair algae but it has only been behind the overflow prefilter box and around the submersible moon lights that I have.

[BoomerD]

At a month, you may be ready for the start of a diatom bloom, but that's a normal part of every saltwater tank...

[BarbMazz]

Originally Posted by goldenmean

I dont know nothing about no urchins.

I want to know why you think you will have an outbreak of algae?
I only had the smallest touch of cyano (bacteria - not algae) I also have had just a little bit of green hair algae but it has only been behind the overflow prefilter box and around the submersible moon lights that I have.

lol
I guess because most tanks seem to go through the algae blues about now... but the TBS tanks may be different because of all the life, huh?
I did have a mild/moderate diatom bloom that mostly affected the dead Marco rock. The snails and hermits seem to have taken good care of that, and it's subsiding.

[BarbMazz]

Originally Posted by BoomerD

At a month, you may be ready for the start of a diatom bloom, but that's a normal part of every saltwater tank...

I'm right at the end of that..diatoms showed up right after I put in Part 1 of my TBS Package, but it was mostly on the Marco rock. Didn't see any on the sand and hardly any on the LR.

[BarbMazz]

Originally Posted by Dentoid

Saltwater Aquarium Inverts for Marine Reef Aquariums: Pincushion Urchin, Blue Tuxedo

I was looking at that one! That is beautiful! Do you think it's okay to put one of those in the tank now?

Thanks, Scott!

[BarbMazz]

Originally Posted by AQTCJAK

all urchins are toxin however the short spine & the tuxedos will do the best job for you LH require the Black long spines IME

Thanks, Jack! I really like that tuxedo one.

[Dentoid]

Barb, there is a good chance one will eventually show up as a HH from your TBS rock. I had a Black Long Spine Urchin show up about 6 months after I set up the tank. It started out the size of a pencil eraser and is now the size of a tennis ball. It keeps my coraline algae in check. If you do put one in there now, you may need to supplement with Nori.

[goldenmean]

Barb I had no diatoms at all but I did use 99% TBS with about 35 pounds other argonite sand

[cracker]

Originally Posted by Dentoid

Barb, there is a good chance one will eventually show up as a HH from your TBS rock. I had a Black Long Spine Urchin show up about 6 months after I set up the tank. It started out the size of a pencil eraser and is now the size of a tennis ball. It keeps my coraline algae in check. If you do put one in there now, you may need to supplement with Nori.

Dentoid I saw a couple black long spines at the lfs recently. They are very cool looking. Does your's stay on the rock mostly? I would consider one if it would graze over the sandbed a bit.

[Dentoid]

Come to think of it, I've never seen it on the sand bed. It's always on the rock or the glass. The other day it was on the side of my clam! It had to go on the sand bed to get to the clam.

[cracker]

Cool! I didn't think it would work on the glass. One could find plenty to eat on my glass. Thanks.

[Octoman]

Originally Posted by Dentoid

Barb, there is a good chance one will eventually show up as a HH from your TBS rock. I had a Black Long Spine Urchin show up about 6 months after I set up the tank. It started out the size of a pencil eraser and is now the size of a tennis ball. It keeps my coraline algae in check.

Ditto. Keep an eye out, mine was tiny to begin with, now he's a beast. Recently I wondered why the back of the tank on each side of the overflow would alternate filling up with coraline and then receding, then I realized he was farming one side, then the other. Every other week or so he goes in for the harvest.

I had a pretty good hair algae outbreak at first. A little cyano too, but not so bad.