Feeding purple urchins
- Thread starter matasw
- Start date
rustybucket145
New member
Mine really like brocolli heads. You can hold it close to their mouths and after they get a whiff of it they will grab onto it and work it to their mouths.
The purple urchins are also called carrier urchins (b/c they like to carry shells/rocks on their back) actually feed on coraline algae most of the time. If you don't have an established growth of coraline the urchin won't have much to eat so it is important that you supplement him with food until your coraline algae is established enough to support him.
The purple urchins are also called carrier urchins (b/c they like to carry shells/rocks on their back) actually feed on coraline algae most of the time. If you don't have an established growth of coraline the urchin won't have much to eat so it is important that you supplement him with food until your coraline algae is established enough to support him.
rustybucket145
New member
sure, that should be fine. Be sure it's not flavored seaweed. There may be some types that they won't eat so a variety would be nice. Seriously though mine like brocolli more than anything else I've fed them. I think it's b/c the algae (especially Nori) will break apart in a short amount of time. However they can carry around the brocolli for a day or two and eat on it as they get hungry.
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
Would brocolli work for feeding a Diadema Setosum?
My long spined black urchin eats well, munching the color right off any rock in his tank and all the red grape caulepra I can put in there but would like to find something else to feed him so he'll let the rocks color back up properly.
My long spined black urchin eats well, munching the color right off any rock in his tank and all the red grape caulepra I can put in there but would like to find something else to feed him so he'll let the rocks color back up properly.
rustybucket145
New member
hahahah, Yeah, seeing as how they would never encounter a glass box, brine shrimp, skimmers, pumps, Metal Halides, Flourescent lights, probably 90% of your other tank inhabitants....... I can see where you're coming from....
These are ALL things that would NEVER occur in the urchins native habitat, but they are all necessary to keep the urchin alive outside it's natural habitat. The seaweed that you purchase is most likely grown on a farm in Japan. Your urchin most likely came from Gulf waters. That said it would never encounter the type of algae you are feeding it in it's native waters.
The simple fact is that it won't hurt your tank. It will benefit your urchin. So unless you can actively and continuously supply them with EVERYTHING that they encounter in the wild (thousands of types of algae) you're gonna have to supplement them with things that aren't found in the wild. With little or no coraline in your tank your urchin is going to need some pretty 'beefy' food until your tank gets established or else he will starve. When he starves he will begin slowly dropping spines... he will do this until he is spineless, then he will sit in one place (b/c the spines are what moves him) and slowly finish starving to death and die.
61scout80
New member
i didn't expect him to eat it, but everytime i fed my chocolate chip star the long spine would come over and steal it. so i started giving the long spine a piece too. he'll sit in one spot on the glass for a day or so to finish it up. i use a bamboo skewer to feed it to him so i don't get to enjoy his venom.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9289281#post9289281 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
hahahah, Yeah, seeing as how they would never encounter a glass box, brine shrimp, skimmers, pumps, Metal Halides, Flourescent lights, probably 90% of your other tank inhabitants....... I can see where you're coming from....
These are ALL things that would NEVER occur in the urchins native habitat, but they are all necessary to keep the urchin alive outside it's natural habitat. The seaweed that you purchase is most likely grown on a farm in Japan. Your urchin most likely came from Gulf waters. That said it would never encounter the type of algae you are feeding it in it's native waters.
The simple fact is that it won't hurt your tank. It will benefit your urchin. So unless you can actively and continuously supply them with EVERYTHING that they encounter in the wild (thousands of types of algae) you're gonna have to supplement them with things that aren't found in the wild. With little or no coraline in your tank your urchin is going to need some pretty 'beefy' food until your tank gets established or else he will starve. When he starves he will begin slowly dropping spines... he will do this until he is spineless, then he will sit in one place (b/c the spines are what moves him) and slowly finish starving to death and die.
Whoa calm down
The urchin doesn't eat the glass or pumps though. I dont see how the glass can hurt him but feeding him wacky foods definantly would. I get your point though You dont think feeding something more natural such as seaweed is more beneficial then feeding them some genetically engineered pesticide filled super brocolli?
rustybucket145
New member
How do you think they grow the seaweed that you buy in the store?
And I didn't mean to come off as 'excited' I was just trying to put things in perspective the best that I could. Sorry if I came off as harsh.
And if it made you feel any better you could get organic brocolli. That would probably be better than anything.
Tru, i suppose i'm assuming that seaweed is grown any better. From a business statement i'm sure they have just as much motive to jack it all up so its as big and hearty as possible. I'll try both and see which one he likes better
I came across this the other day, anybody tried this or something similar?
http://www.stanford.edu/group/Urchin/cookie.html
I came across this the other day, anybody tried this or something similar?
http://www.stanford.edu/group/Urchin/cookie.html
rustybucket145
New member
I can honestly say I've never heard of that. Wow, learn something new everyday. That's a first for me. What in the heck is Agar?
It's from Stanford University so they had to research the urchins needs and formulate the food around them so I doubt there would be any harm with using it. The only problem I see is that it seems like it could really foul the water if left in too long. At least with just brocolli the hermits and snails will finish off what the urchin won't eat, but they might eat the carrot loaf as well. hmmm.... interesting....
That's a first for me. What in the heck is Agar?It's from Stanford University so they had to research the urchins needs and formulate the food around them so I doubt there would be any harm with using it. The only problem I see is that it seems like it could really foul the water if left in too long. At least with just brocolli the hermits and snails will finish off what the urchin won't eat, but they might eat the carrot loaf as well. hmmm.... interesting....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agar
I had never heard of it before this either. Maybe i'll try to throw a batch of that togethor to and see what he likes best. Yes it does worry me though that it says it will foul the water. I dont want carrott water. How often to the urchins need to eat?
I had never heard of it before this either. Maybe i'll try to throw a batch of that togethor to and see what he likes best. Yes it does worry me though that it says it will foul the water. I dont want carrott water. How often to the urchins need to eat?
Clown-N-Around
New member
The urchin should grab it and take care of moving small particles to its mouth.
Wow - brocoli, I never thought of that. Mine is pretty busy munching on coraline, but I might try it to give him some variety.
Wow - brocoli, I never thought of that. Mine is pretty busy munching on coraline, but I might try it to give him some variety.
