Urchin eating snails?

[Aquageek450]

So I have what I believe is a short-spine urchin (Black long spikes) in my tank and I have had it for years.

I've noticed that for a while now I cannot keeps snails alive in my tank for more than a week or a little longer. I have no hermits either so they aren't what is killing them. The urchin stays in one spot of the rock and only roams at night. I started to notice all snails shells were flipped upside down and empty in his daytime hiding spot.

I even believe I saw him eating one out of the flipped over shell the other day. It almost like he traps them down there, flips them over and eats them.

DO urchins eat snails? Anyone else have this issue?

 

[cincyjim]

I haven't seen that with mine and we have the same urchin type. I guess anything is possible but they mostly feed on algae and coraline algae.

 

[mcgyvr]

So I have what I believe is a short-spine urchin (Black long spikes)

long or short splines.. confusing


I believe that snails will eat of the shells (coralline,etc.. growing on them) but don't necessarily go after the snails.. But its possible and has been reported..
Mine would chomp on large barnacles and eat holes in them too though.. You could hear the sound across the room.. A scraping..

Got any fish? I had a diamond goby that would suck snails right out of the shells leaving a pile around his den..

 

[Aquageek450]

well they are kind of medium size spikes :strange:

 

[sde1500]

well they are kind of medium size spikes :strange:

well now you just made it more confusing

 

[Nick_Northern]

I have no experience of urchins eating my snails but a pile of shells sucked clean in one spot does fits the MO of a polyclad flatworm, might be worth setting a trap in that spot to investigate!

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

 

[Pslreefer]

Umm ya, urchins do not eat snails or actively hunt them down.

 

[Aquageek450]

I have no experience of urchins eating my snails but a pile of shells sucked clean in one spot does fits the MO of a polyclad flatworm, might be worth setting a trap in that spot to investigate!

Sent from my F5121 using Tapatalk

Interesting, I will definitely check tonight when the lights are out and see if I can spot one!

 

[Uncle99]

Urchins will eat anything they come across. Had one sit atop a horseshoe crab and eat a hole right through the shell. They also can strip the purple Cora algae from your rock. That being said I have never heard of them attacking snails, that's more of a crab trick. Ever see the teeth? Can bore through rock. Anything possible but snails unlikely.