New Urchin And Starfish.. Reef Safe Or Not? Plz Help Asap! Pics!!

[N_Sarno]

I went on vacation to south carolina.. Returned today.. yesterday when walking the beach I ran into a crowd of people frantically running around I look and I notice washing up on the beach TONS of star fish, and urchins.. all the same kind.. like I collected.. people were taking them and "drying them out" I felt horrible so I started grabbing all of them that I could.. and took them out as far as I could swim.. and released them.. hoping that they'd be able to live.. however im sure they ended up washed up again.. but regardless.. I couldnt let them all go.. I decided to keep an urchin and star due to the fact that everyone else was to kill them.. and I have a tank at home so I figured what the heck, and that I'd give it a shot.. so I had them in a container overnight and then took them carry on my flight today.. and just returned home.. put them in bags and I'm floating them now..

I dont know if its legal or not what I did.. I dont really care to get into all of that.. but I just want to know if these are reef safe or not.. Here are the photos

 

[LeslieH]

That was really noble of you but you might have created more problems for your tank! Both of them are omnivores. Sea stars are big eaters & will rapidly go through everything edible in your tank from either your sand or your rock depending on their preference. These urchins will gnaw away at sponges, sessile animals, & algae including corallines & even leave teethmarks on plastic surfaces.

 

[Sk8r]

You could put them in together in a small salt tank and just watch their behaviors, then sneak down to a deserted beach and let them go.

I know the one is called a 'common' star, and I don't know the others.

 

[N_Sarno]

I have a long spine sea urchin now.. so you are saying this urchin would be like the same.. and the star fish.. is it like a linkia or fromia or somthing of that sort? Safe as far as it wont eat my corals?

Pleaes be a little more specific.

Thanks

 

[Sk8r]

No, it's one of those starfish they dry for decorations, alas. I don't know the scientific name. I fear it would eat just about anything it was offered, probably including your corals. If you fed it a bit of shrimp, it would probably take that.

Try this site: www.saltcorner.com/sections/zoo/inverts

and you may find both of them.

 

[WALKINGTHUNDER]

If you decide to put them in your tank make sure to quaratien them in a sepperat tank and probbly would be a good idea to treet them with a copper solution. Do to the fact that ocen going creatures carry deseases that can cause problems for your tank.

 

[N_Sarno]

I thought that you cannot treat inverts like stars and urchins w/ copper...? They are in my 10 gallon QT now.. the star I think is not reef safe but I feel like the urchin would be ok so I think im going to try the urchin

I think the urchin is one of these

http://www.saltcorner.com/1024/index1024.htm

and the star is

http://www.saltcorner.com/1024/index1024.htm

 

[Sk8r]

DO not treat inverts with copper.

 

[N_Sarno]

didnt think so lol..

I put the urchin in my 75 reef..

we'll see what happens..

He's been dropping a few quills or whatever you want to call them.. but so did my long spine when I first put it in.. We'll see what happens.. all is well so far

 

[bchristie]

The urchin is Arbacia punctulata, it is primarily an herbivore, though you may want to keep an eye on it as it has also been known to feed on sponges, soft corals, sand dollars, and is carnivorious in cases.

The sea star is Echinaster sentus, it feeds on sponges and tends to avoid bright light, hiding in shade under algal drifts, in reef crevices, and under mangroves in the wild.

Both species are very common on the Carolina coast, though I would keep an eye on the urchin in a reef setting. For more info see:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15...ref=sr_1_1/103-8783915-3967806?_encoding=UTF8