My crazy cool tuxedo urchin

[clorox]

So this morning I wake up and as I do every morning I survey my tank making sure everything is looking good.

To my disbelief I noticed that my tuxedo urchin, not only detached my 'two little fishes' magnetic algae clip, but he put it on his back while my magnificent foxface was following him nipping at the last remnants of nori. :lolspin:

My urchin is my aquarium roomba, he mows nuisance algae like a champ.








And a macro sequence of his mouth opening and closing













And a video....for some reason the quality on photobucket gets dramatically downsampled. The source is in 4k.

http://vid1107.photobucket.com/albums/h391/twistepixel/Urchin_zpsshzbclai.mp4

 

[Bent]

My pincushions are some of my favorite critters.

 

[CStrickland]

I got a "robo fish" for christmas (don't ask)
my urchin has not let go of the stupid thing since
heres a bad pic from last month

 

[Colorado1]

It so funny how they pick things up- thinking they are disguised

 

[clorox]

Yeah they are fun to watch...I wanted to record my foxface chasing it while nipping at the nori, but I missed the opportunity.

 

[clorox]

I got a "robo fish" for christmas (don't ask)
my urchin has not let go of the stupid thing since
heres a bad pic from last month

That's funny!

 

[elietania]

I love them i have 4 different one

 

[deweyhowell]

Here is my gladiator. This is Sparta!

 

[Squibege]

I was on the fence about an urchin... but seeing all the crazy stuff they decide to pick up and haul around the tank is hilarious. Now I just have to decide which one!

 

[BrianKC]

 

[elietania]

 

[jonwright]

Mine picked up a loose bunch of polyps. Roving Zoas. At first I was annoyed. Then I realized how cool it was.

 

[CStrickland]

Not to be all Debbie downer, but they do it in nature too. Like this little guy hiding under trash in the ocean. Idk, maybe trash is good camo where he lives...

 

[kyle.nagel13]

If not good camo, it sure makes good armor.

 

[lespaul339]

I would love to get an urchin, but not with my acrylic tank. I've seen acrylic tanks that had them and they get scratched up pretty bad.

 

[reef tank 2.0]

Iv'e seen the blue tuxedo, and the red tuxedo urchin.........what kind is the one you posted? He doesn't look like either.

Does anyone know what the highest level of nitrates are that this urchin can live with? I saw if the trates are high, they will start losing needles

for tanks that don't have algae for them to feed on, can anyone recommend a dried seaweed food source for them? I see quite a few options but not sure whats best

 

[CStrickland]

Mines a pincushion urchin, and the big black ones in elietania's pic are longspines.

 

[BrianKC]

Not sure who you were asking so I'll chime in; mine is a purple pincushion

 

[reef tank 2.0]

I was asking the OP, but i'm curious to know what everyone has as well.

 

[fairl80z]

Pincushion urchin , craziest thing ever!