the 1700g stingray reef

Status
Not open for further replies.
dgasmd said:
As far as the clean up crew, forget about snails as it would take 15,000 to make a difference. Get some urchins and you'll be amazed at how clean that tank gets in a week's time. I had 600 snails and 600 crabs in my 750g tank and they never seemed like they did anything. I added 6 tuxedo urchins and in less than one week they had the rocks with nothing but coralline on them. Try them out, but read a little about them before getting them if you have not so you get an idea of what will get you the most bang for your buck. Just an idea..............
Click to expand...

I have to agree with dgasmd, urchins are GREAT. I have 3 in my 75 and that is probably 1 or 2 too many. I have no traces of algae where they can reach. Mine are from Florida TBS rock, they eat coralline algae and they do tend to bulldoze small frags, so those are the only downsides.

Here is a pic when one of them was still small, all are big now:

09042005urchin.jpg


I've been lurking so far Energy, INCREDIBLE system! Someday I'll join the large tank club too :)

Brian
 
Energy, I would stay away from urchins since you have a very expensive acrylic tank. They will eat chunks right out of the acrylic.
 
Oh yea. They will scratch a tank badly. I've heard some varieties however will not scratch acrylic but I don't know if I would risk it.
 
Travis said:
Energy, I would stay away from urchins since you have a very expensive acrylic tank. They will eat chunks right out of the acrylic.
Click to expand...
did you actually see it ? or just heard from friend where it happen to a friend ?
 
If anyone doubts it, they can contact reefcam. He had an urchin in his tank that really did a number to his acrylic. You can also contact Illusion. He is the one that bought the tank from reefcam after the damage was done and then put a lot of elbow grease into fixing it.

So, NO, I haven't seen it in person. I also don't know what type of urchin he had or if all urchins will do the same. But that is enough evidence for me to not try one in my acrylic tank, and to warn others of the possible damage that could be done.
 
Travis said:
If anyone doubts it, they can contact reefcam. He had an urchin in his tank that really did a number to his acrylic. You can also contact Illusion. He is the one that bought the tank from reefcam after the damage was done and then put a lot of elbow grease into fixing it.

So, NO, I haven't seen it in person. I also don't know what type of urchin he had or if all urchins will do the same. But that is enough evidence for me to not try one in my acrylic tank, and to warn others of the possible damage that could be done.
Click to expand...

I would think a glass tank would be fine ?? Yes ??
 
Wow thanks for the info. I have had urchins in the past and noticed that although they did a great job on the algae they were notorious for tipping over frags. I have read long ago that they can scratch acrylic but completely forgot about it. Thanks for bringing it up Travis.
 
Travis,
thanks for the info, i never had problems in glass tanks, but i also never had a acrylic tank, another reason to stay with glass :)
 
I had a rock drilling variety urchin eat the silicone out of the corner of my glass refugium.

Travis, do you know if reefcams tank was scratched or "chunks" taken out? I doubt a tuxedo urchin can scratch my tank more then I do when trying to get the coraline algae off.
 
By the way Energy, unbelievable tank. I love the Stingray in your reef and miss mine. My Blue Spot had the coolest personality. Can't wait to see those corals when it has grown out more.
 
You have to know what you get when it comes to urchins and when it comes to anything else. I would not be surprised if the diadema setosum and event he urchin pictured above did some minor acrylic damage, but that would be it:minor. MOstly secondary to their shape and hardness of their spines. Urchins olike the halloween urchin and the tuxedo urchins have no mechanism to do that. We can also get triggers that rip silicone out of glass tanks and that bit on the wall of acrylic tanks, but those will be the exception rather than the rule. There is one f each. You just have to be educated about them. They don't bulldozer my frags I guess because I have them wedged into the rocks. Otherwise the flow in the tank would throw them all over the place.
 
asnatlas, I've never heard of problems with glass tanks but the comment about the silicone is believeable. However, most urchins are fairly large and due to their shape I think it would be hard for them to get at the silicone in the corners of the tank.

RedEyeReef, it was not scratched, like I think a lot of people are thinking I am saying. I guess I shouldn't have said "chunks" either. From what reefcam told me, the feeding behavior of the urchin was taking "shavings" out of the walls of the tank. The damage was extensive affecting the entire tank. I don't know what their "chompers" are called but it was those that were doing the damage, not the spines. If you think about it, urchins can eat right into rock and rock is harder than acrylic.
 
I had an urchin in my son's 29g, and had an acrylic overflow box in the corner. The urchin left little starburst markings in the acrylic, with 5 lines each 1/8" long equally distanced. If you look at an urchin, it has what looks like a 5 beaked mouth. That is where those came from in that particular situation.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6270050#post6270050 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MAreefer1
Total cost?
Click to expand...

Not to flame you but I think asking this question is a bit like asking people what they make, a bit rude.

Again not trying to flame you, just letting you know why people often don't answer this question. I wouldn't mind telling you what I make or what I've spent on my tank, but other people do.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6272095#post6272095 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kysmith
Not to flame you but I think asking this question is a bit like asking people what they make, a bit rude.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that. It's just kind of personal. Maybe if he'd been more tactful in the way he asked, such as, "If you don't mind my asking, about how much would you estimate spending on a set-up of this scale?"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
Pouch emphysema advice
Replies
2
Views
94
vlangel
vlangel
R
Harlequin Tuskfish, tank mates
Replies
4
Views
103
griss
griss
Brian60077
1 and a half month old nano reef update
Replies
1
Views
76
Brian60077
Brian60077
N
Bristletooth chasing butterfly
Replies
1
Views
112
Reefing102
Reefing102
Brian60077
Big project starting today......
Replies
7
Views
181
Dustin07
D
Back
Top