Urchin spines breaking off

[rogeragrimes]

Long-spine urchin in my 120 gal tank. Fairly big already when I got him 1-2 months ago. He was given to me by my tank mentor when it outgrew his smaller tank. The test is probably 1.5-2 inches big, with spines ranging from 5-8 inches. Has been doing great since I got him, moving around probably more than anything else in the tank other than the fish, eating mostly. Did 1/2 water change yesterday and noticed that today most of his spines were about 1/4 shorter than previously. He's snugged in to a tight space, but he does that all time.

Normal thing or something I need to be worried about?

 

[FirstContact]

Losing a couple spines happens but if he's losing a lot of spines it means he's not doing well. If you don't have enough algae in the tank to feed him try some broccoli.

 

[rogeragrimes]

Losing a couple spines happens but if he's losing a lot of spines it means he's not doing well. If you don't have enough algae in the tank to feed him try some broccoli.

Lotta spines...still kinda long. Just about an inch or so gone on each spine. 2 -4 inches still left on each spine. Plenty of algae, although I did do some cleaning yesterday and removed some algae.

 

[Shivsreef]

It could be a water Chemistry issue then, especially if you've done a 50% water change, did your new water match your old water's chemistry?

 

[rogeragrimes]

It could be a water Chemistry issue then, especially if you've done a 50% water change, did your new water match your old water's chemistry?

For the most part except, of course, the new water had lower nitrates. Otherwise every other measurement is either identical or near identical.

Since I first posted, the urchin in question broke his spines even shorter...they used to be 5-7 inches long and now all are 2-3 inches long. But despite this, he seems to be eating, moving, and thriving.

Is there such a think as he broke his spines shorter to be able to move around the tank easier? He is often jamming himself between rocks and in crevices, and it seems that having shorter spines would help with all the tight spaces he often places himself in?

 

[GimpyFin]

Especially as they get bigger, they break parts of spines off fairly easily roaming around the tank and rocks. Once mine got to about a 3-4 inch diameter body, I had to find another home for him because he started getting a little destructive mowing over parts of corals. I'd have little piles of spine pieces here and there that were broken off, but they'd grow back fairly quickly. If the spines aren't actually falling off of his body and he is not acting funny, he could be just fine.

 

[rogeragrimes]

Update: I ended up getting rid of 2 of my 3 (the biggest) urchins, including the one with the broken spines. They were just being bull in a china shop PIAs. One was constantly uprooting my other soft and hard corals, even if I had them epoxied in (he seemed to enjoy jackhammering them out of position), and the other was poking my colt cauliflower coral (which still hasn't recovered). I have a 3 one that has never grown much. He mostly hides and doesn't bother anything.

The one with the broken spines seemed to be doing quite well after he broke off his spines and they even began to grow longer again.

 

[Grkgod36]

When my urchin was loosing spines and not doing wel in my dt
I think cause it was just to clean , I put him in my fuge and he's a monster now been there a year he eats all the crap in there and my cheato.

He releases these long tentacles all the time ,