LSU sick? Stressed? Please advise

[MissKate]

Hello!

I have a black LSU, Malificent, whose test is a little less than an inch across. I moved her from another tank at the end of June, and she took to the new tank really well, buzzing around and nibbling on the nori I give my baby foxface.

She lost one of her long spines a week or so ago, but seemed fine until yesterday. Last night I noticed her in the upper corner of the tank, and it looked like she lost a bunch of spines. Upon closer inspection I couldn't find any shed spines, and noticed it looked like she had missing spines because she was holding them together in what I can only describe as clumps- bunching them in groups or bundles. I tried to feed her a strip of nori, which she easily accepted. She held her spines "normally"- spread out- while she moved the nori to her mouth and while she ate.

Today she has been in the same corner, but near the sandbed, and she's been holding her spines in bundles. Also the bundles seem to droop. Again I tried to feed her, and she moved her spines "normally" to manipulate the nori and get it to her mouth.

Has anyone seen this drooping and/or bundling of spines in their LSUs before? Is it something I should worry about, or is she just being a funny invert and I a hovering mom?

40 gal breeder with dsb and live rock (summer home for my classroom tank inhabitants)
Reef Octopus BH-90 skimmer
SG 1.028
pH 8.4
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite .25ppm
Nitrate 10ppm <-- yikes! Big H2O change tomorrow! I get my H2O premixed from Vivid Aquariums and top off with RO

I have a pincushion Halloween urchin and a tiny blue tux who are doing fine- the Halloween seems to be fantastic, in fact. And if you're wondering how I know if she's a she, I scooped out some of her gametes when she broadcast them and looked at them under a microscope.

Thank you I advance for your input!

 

[Betta132]

I'd be a bit concerned about the fact that you have nitrites at all. A cycled tank shouldn't be showing nitrites... Could indicate the aftermath of an ammonia spike.
Not sure about what could be wrong with the urchin...
Is there something on her, by any chance? Copepods or something that could be irritating her? The bunched-spines thing sounds kind of like an attempt at protecting a certain spot or two...

 

[MissKate]

Thank you for your input, Betta!
I think I was an old test kit or contamination on my part because the next day with a different kit it tested at zero.

Having fed her by hand for the past three days, Malificent seems to be doing better! She must not be finding enough to eat in this less established system than she came from. I'll keep feeding her nori soaked in vitamins daily. Fingers crossed she won't continue to cross her spines.
Just goes to show what a good meal can do!

 

[Betta132]

Perhaps she's getting less variety than she wants, if she's in a newer system. You could try putting algae-covered shells and pebbles and stuff in the new tank to add new algae and bio-film species?

 

[MissKate]

This morning I spotted my baby foxface, Roger, rip a spine off of Malificent. It appears as though he's trying to get her nori, even though he gets plenty of his own.
Looks like you were right on the money, Betta, when you said it's like she's trying to protect herself.
I'll rush getting the classroom tank back up to par to and can hopefully move Roger and keep Malificent at my house.
This is odd foxface behavior; I'm going to post in the fish forum to see if this is normal.

 

[Betta132]

Poor urchin. No wonder she's freaked!
Maybe you just have a derpy foxface. Sometimes fish are odd boogers, especially larger and non-minnow-like things. You could try hanging a strawberry basket or similar from the side of the tank and putting him in there if he's little, keep him contained like in those mesh hatcheries for pregnant fish.