Urchins...disappeared??????

[karaim]

I had 3 urchins in my FOWLR tank (2 pencil urchins and 1 longspine urchin). The urchins were about 4 inches in diameter each (including the spines). I have a 4" emperor angel, a 3" tomato clown, a 2.5" purple pseudochromis and a 2" rectangular trigger.

I went on vacation last week (for 8 days). Had my brother in law LIGHTLY feed the fish every day. I came back yesterday and 2 of the urchins (1 pencil and 1 longspine) were missing.

There are NO spines anywhere, no leftover urchin body parts. 2 urchins are GONE without a trace. I realize that a 2" trigger could pick on the urchins and maybe kill them, but not devour 2 urchins 5 times its own size and eat the spines too!!!

The tank is closed shut. I looked under the rocks and everything. I even looked in the sump if somehow the urchins escaped through the overflow - nothing.

How is this possible???

 

[anbosu]

I have had fish completely disappear, so I'm not surprised it happened to your urchins. My guess is either your CUC got the remains or they are stuck under a rock somewhere.

 

[karaim]

Fish I can see, but with urchins, the spines are not edible, so I would see them throughout the aquarium, I think???

 

[Recty]

Do you have a sandbed? Maybe the spines over the course of a week sifted down into the sand?

 

[ILuvTropicalFis]

Sounds like a puzzle to me. I had a long spined urchin that died months ago and I still have spines in my tank. It sounds suspicious to me.

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Maybe they did crawl out of your tank, or do you have any pets? I wouldn't say the spines aren't edible, plently of predators eat them in the wild like groupers. So they can be consumed, but in your case it is kind of weird. Keep searching, they'll turn up.

 

[karaim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14199077#post14199077 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Recty
Do you have a sandbed? Maybe the spines over the course of a week sifted down into the sand?

I have a 2 inch sandbed. I'll sift through the sand when I get home tonight. I didn't really care about the urchins, but this is really WEIRD.

 

[Recty]

I agree with DPS, if you have pets they might have grabbed them if they crawled out.

 

[karaim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14199882#post14199882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Recty
I agree with DPS, if you have pets they might have grabbed them if they crawled out.

No pets here!!!!

I am all out of ideas. I looked through the sand, looked around the tank (even though I have a tight lid), looked in the sump one more time, looked for pieces of spines in the disgusting protein skimmer crap - NOTHING.

Wow, I am at a loss for words. They disappeared of the face of this earth.

 

[Dadof4]

Silly question but is there a chance it is in the plumbing and hasn't made it to the sump yet? I have heard of inverts and smaller fish taking the water slide route to the sump...

 

[karaim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14205062#post14205062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dadof4
Silly question but is there a chance it is in the plumbing and hasn't made it to the sump yet? I have heard of inverts and smaller fish taking the water slide route to the sump...

It's possible. I thought of that, but didn't want to disassemble my plumbing just to check. I guess I might have to. If they are in there (I have no idea how they fit, but...) I don't want them rotting and messing up my water quality.

 

[tank o tang]

2 in the plunbing at once, highly unlikely. Did you ask your brother, maybe he has a new urchin tank.

 

[karaim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14206400#post14206400 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tank o tang
2 in the plunbing at once, highly unlikely. Did you ask your brother, maybe he has a new urchin tank.

LOL. I did ask him, he said he didn't even know there were urchins in there.

I have about 130 pounds of live rock. I have 3 stacks held together by rods, so they can't really be under the rocks because I actually took the stacks out and inspected them - nothing

 

[DamnPepShrimp]

Wow, that is pretty weird. Maybe they are in the plumbing, try forcing some water down there or use some kind of rod that can feel around in there, see if anything is stuck. Hmm if they really don't turn up, I wonder if someone did take them? Your brother have any friends over? That is very strange.

 

[anbosu]

It seems entirely possible to me that your trigger chewed up the spines into little pieces and you just can't find them in your tank.

 

[StayPuft]

I had an urchin in my tank and my queen angel and foxface ate its spines. That's right, I saw it with my own eyes. They were biting and pulling out its spines.

 

[karaim]

Well, I found the urchins, ALIVE.

One of them (the pencil urchin) was actually in the plumbing. How it got in there, I have NO idea!!!!!! I really don't know how it fit in the overflow, since I have about 1 inch between the overflow and the tank cover, and the Urchin, WITHOUT the spines is about 2 inches in diameter (4 inches with the spines). I guess it lifted the cover??? I actually had to cut the plumbing to get it out (I couldn't get it out otherwise). It was squeezed in there - not sure if it was stuck though.

The second urchin was actually upside down on the cover. Yes, it was partially out of water. It was on the back of the cover, so when I lifted the cover, I couldn't see it. Although I still don't know how I missed it for 4 days. It was hanging out by the lights. I thought maybe the water was cold, but my tank temp is fine - 79.

Anyway, this is definately the WEIRDEST story I've experienced (or heard).

 

[barbianj]

They knew you were on vacation and made a run for it?

 

[Dadof4]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14219648#post14219648 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by barbianj
They knew you were on vacation and made a run for it?

Check your sump thoroughly for other college age urchins and "inverts of the evening" .....They may have been trying to set up for a kegger in there! :lol:

 

[kami808]

I just in countered the same problem , I put 2 urchins in my tank. And for the past 4 days I can't find one. The one I see is doing fine . I have no idea what happened to the other . My aqurium is covered . The one I see everyday is always in a different spot so I know it's doing fine , very puzzled . I'll post again when I find the missing one .

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