Sea Urchin Questions

[bffisme]

I currently have 2 sea urchins, a purple and a pencil.

I've had the purple for about a year now, and it is by far one of my favorite creatures in my tank. It is very active and always freaks people out. However, the past few days it's been sitting in the same spot, and it appears to be growing new barbs. (none are missing, it's just making room for them) I'm going to assume it is just growing, but I know what it means to assume Is it just growing? I mean, it's barbs are still moving, and it will move maybe a half inch to an inch one way or the other, so it is definitely not dead.

The pencil, however, is a new guy. And he isn't nearly as active as the purple. Just wondering if that is normal, or if he should be more active?

 

[Fishfish0001]

Just wanted to point out that Pencil's are Carnivorous incase you didn't know. But I don't really have an answer to your other questions.

 

[bffisme]

Just wanted to point out that Pencil's are Carnivorous incase you didn't know. But I don't really have an answer to your other questions.

Hrm, this made me do some research, and I am unable to find anything that says that. Do you have a link or something I could read up on? As I do have other creatures in the tank, and I want to make sure that he will be ok.

I did, however, find out why the pencil likes to hide and not move as much... at least this is my theory. In the wild they like to hide in crevices to protect them from dangerous waves, and I have a turf scrubber (the inland kind that hangs on my tank and makes constant wave motions)

 

[ackee]

If you have any rockwork a pencil urchin can move things and knock balanced rock down by wedging themselves in an opening and creating a surprising amount of force. They tend to be less active than other urchins during daylight hours, and just in general. Herbivores have to consume much more food, so they tend to be more active.

 

[bffisme]

If you have any rockwork a pencil urchin can move things and knock balanced rock down by wedging themselves in an opening and creating a surprising amount of force. They tend to be less active than other urchins during daylight hours, and just in general. Herbivores have to consume much more food, so they tend to be more active.

We do have rockwork, but so far it has stayed away from it. It migrates back and forth between a few items on one side of the tank.


Anyone have any advice for my purple urchin?

 

[Elysia]

There are a couple different species of urchin that are called "pencil" urchins. I can tell you that the one that I had that was from Florida would eat coral -- soft coral and my gorgonians. I literally had to pull it off one of my gorgs and you could easily see the missing tissue that the urchin had eaten.

In my experience, as long as an urchin is moving its feet and/or spines, they are okay.

 

[bffisme]

Ok, well he is still moving. And hopefully the pencil doesn't cause harm... They told me this one wouldn't so I'll hope they are right