What Kind of Urchin, and Anenome??

[Mekong]

What kind is this on my TBS rock?

(This isnt my pic but my urchin is EXACTLY the same just smaller, thanks for the pic "Hooked on Salt")

Also here is the aneome

(also not my pic, my aneome is exactly the same tentacl structure, just more brown)

The pics I get of the rocks are horrible due to the fact the rocks are in my scratched up 55 fuge.

 

[dsp78213]

Re: What Kind of Urchin, and Anenome??

What kind is this on my TBS rock?

This looks like an anenome that came on my TBS also. I don't know the name, but mine spends all of its time on the rock work. Whereas, the pink pincushin urchins tend to roam and eat algae all over the tank.

I have heard some refer to the black one as "rock boring" urchins.

Also here is the aneome

I think that is a Curly-cue anenome. They are generally harmless. Many compare them to the aiptasia (glass) anenome. While they might be related, the ones on you TBS don't spread nearly as fast as the other pest aiptasia. The peps that came with my second half took care fo most of mine. If you are concerned about it, jsut take it out with some lemon juice or a kalk slurry. Do not pull it off!! It regenreates that way.

HTH


The pics I get of the rocks are horrible due to the fact the rocks are in my scratched up 55 fuge. [/B]

 

[weedhopper]

I think that that urchin is a Pencil urchin? I had several when I first received my rock. I gave all but 1 away and then Overdosed kalkwasser one night and it died a day or two later. ( Among other things). They did eat a lot of algae though and I would not hesitat to get another one.
That anemone you have is probly a Flower or Rock Anemone. I have one as well and it has planted itself front and center in my tank. It has not shown any bad characteristics, spread, or multiplied. A very cool specimine. It eats whatever I feed it. I'll try and put a pic in my gallery for you.

 

[weedhopper]

I put one pic in there, not very good. I have another a lot brighter but I can't get it to upload. Mabey tommorow I'll try.

 

[weedhopper]

I put another pic in there. check it out

 

[dennisd78418]

The anenome you have is commonly known as a pale anenome. It is of the aiptasia genus, but in my experience does not spread quickly like the pacific species of aiptasia. I have had one in my tank for a couple of months, and it has not spread at all.

I have many of the same urchins. I don't know exactly what they are, but I've experienced no problems with them. I had so many though that I removed most of them.

 

[Iphis]

Yeah, those urchins are wicked common. I never had a problem with them. They leave my corals alone, they get big fast, and they seem to eat algae for the most part.

My largest few are about 3 inches in diameter (with spines), and do not seem to move rocks, knock over landscape, or even irritate corals as they pass by. They are very careful with their spines.

They also seem to dislike lights. They hide under rock, or hang out at the bottom of the tank during the day, and go up the walls at night. When the lights come on, they go running downwards. Its amusing.

Just my observations. I love having them in my tank.

 

[Mekong]

will they eat hair algae or do they just eat coraline?

 

[Iphis]

I don't believe they eat the hair algae, my urchins stay off it for the most part.

Those stomatella snail thingies are awesome for tearing through the hair algae. You get some with your second shipment of the package with TBS.

Lawnmower blennies also work well for ripping it up so it can get sucked up by the filtration.

There are tons of methods of dealing with algae of various types. However, algae only grows because you have extra nutrients allowing it to grow. You may want to look at your feeding schedule, or possibly adding a refugium to add macro algae to export those nutrients, dealing with the problem rather then treating the symptoms.

They seems to eat various "slime" like algae. Those brown diatoms that grow on the substrate, that brownish/green film that grows on the glass, ect.

At one time, they lived on a rock when they were all still young. They kept that rock bright white.

When they moved on to other parts of the tank, the rock grew a brown film on it.

When they came back to the rock, it slowly disappeared.

Some people say they eat coralline algae, but mine haven't touched it from what I can tell.

Anyway, I'll shut up now.

Iphis