long spine URCHINS reef safe????????

[sjfishguy]

I want to hear from people that have them and have no problems, in addition to people that have seen them eat things. I have heard in the past they esp like zoos and xenia once they run out of food. I have always heard they are not reef safe, but I am now getting conflicting reports. Thanks so much.....

 

[lllosingit]

I kept one in my 120, Never had any problems other than it eating a slight coralin path around the tank and knocking over frags on occasion.
Never ate a single coral.
Mine grew very large very fast so I guess the damge done will depend on the size of the tank, any coralin that he ate was replaced before it noticeable, That might not be the case in a smaller system.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I used to have one in my 75... He was so cool, favorite thing in in the tank. I traded him to someone with a 180 when he outgrew my 75, and then he traded it to an LFS when it outgrew the 180!

 

[Holmie_D_Klown]

I have a diadema and he is also my favorite creature in my tank. I have quite a few coral (no small frags though) and he has yet to disturb a thing (eating or knocking them over). Very cool looking and surprisingly active. I think they get a bad rap for corraline eating. Mine doesn't put enough of a dent in the corraline to be at all noticeable.

 

[RobbyG]

Mine went from a 1/2" center mass to about 2" in less than 3 months. They grow fast! Had to get rid of him at that size because he started knocking over stuff every night.
They are fantastic looking. I want another baby one as soon as I find it.

 

[stereomandan]

They are one of those blessings/curses type of tank inhabitants. They are very cool looking, and one of the first things that people will notice. The downside is that whenever you have your hand in the tank, you have to be very careful not to get spiked. They also tend to grow super fast and bulldoze everything in the tank that isn't anchored down. I don't ever plan on getting one for those reasons. They are completely reef safe however.

Dan

 

[Lordhelmet]

i've had mide from the size of a golf ball since the begining of sept and now it's about the size of a baseball. i don't want to get rid of it cause it's so cool but you never know with how fast it's growing.

 

[sjfishguy]

So there is no one on here that has seen it eat zoos of xenia? For those of you that have responded, do your tanks contain zoos or xenia? Thanks.

 

[Kgoarmy17]

I have a 2 inch long spine and also a 2inch pencil in a reef tank. Never had any problems with either. I have enough corraline growing to sustain both.

My Striped Clingfish love em.
BTW i multiple colonies of zoos, all over the place.
Cheers

 

[lllosingit]

I had both

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8340370#post8340370 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjfishguy
So there is no one on here that has seen it eat zoos of xenia? For those of you that have responded, do your tanks contain zoos or xenia? Thanks.