Sea urchin and turbo snails

[baruchbl]

I have in my reef aquarium some sea urchins and i want to add some turbo snails.
My question is: Do thay eat the same food?
I dont want one of tham to starve.

[Julio]

Yes they both eat algae, they can normally coexist in a reef tank though.

[fppf]

Urchins will eat coralin at an alarming rate.
1 of my larger Urchins can eat a piece of LR white in less than a day.

I got the last laugh when my Red African Sea Star ate the Urchin.

[NoSchwag]

I'm going out on a limb here and say your urchin will eat your snails.

[Julio]

Urchins are not Carnivorous, not the ones that we see in the trade anyway.

[bkwudzjeep]

Urchins will also bulldoze anything that is not attached.....on top of eating coralline at a quick rate.

I put one in my fuge to get it out of my tank and it ate most of the chaeto I had in there....(that is the only explanation I can come with why my chaeto was disappearing so fast)

[NoSchwag]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6973277#post6973277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Julio
Urchins are not Carnivorous, not the ones that we see in the trade anyway.

Can I see a link?

I have watched all of the urchins I have owned flip over Astrea (turbo snail) and suck the meat right out of them.

[NoSchwag]

check this.. I have NO algae in my tank since the original "new plastic" outbreak. This is 3 months and over 100 snails later.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/9833/urchin10sz.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2891/urchin22yl.jpg

[NoSchwag]

This guy was the worst. A snail assassin.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5638/pic0047ww.jpg

[NoSchwag]

This is the best behaved one.. Although I do see him mounting empty snail shells.

http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/4986/tankupdate0169lk.jpg

[NoSchwag]

I have watched my urchins go from snail to snail, flip them over, and eat them. I have pics somewhere.

Actually I'm pretty sure that all urchins are carnivores.

[Joao Monteiro]

by NoSchwag
This is the best behaved one.. Although I do see him mounting empty snail shells.
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/4986/tankupdate0169lk.jpg

That´s a Mespillia globulus, I have one of those, too.
It´s strickly herbivorous - voracious microalgae eater -and does not attack snails nor eat coralin. I think its the best option for a reef.
But, as you said, anything not attached to the rocks, will be (sooner or later) attached to its back...Mine has two residente mushrooms that he carries around the tank

[razzmatazz]

I have one of the above urchans and it consumed almost all of my coraline in no time. Never seems to eat any other algae. Must have a taste for coraline. Alwasy had snails stuck to him and anything else it could carry.

[NoSchwag]

voracious microalgae eater

What if there is no micro algae in the tank?

I would think urchins would need some sort of protien.

[REEF-DADDY]

Found you in the advanced forum again eh?

Based on what I am hearing that big black one will LOVE my sump!

[fppf]

If you really don't like your Urchins I can loan you my Sea Star.
He will make quick work of them, and any snails that cross his path as well.

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6973631#post6973631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NoSchwag
This guy was the worst. A snail assassin.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5638/pic0047ww.jpg
That's one good looking urchin

[GPB]

I have 5 diadema urchins in my 38G that came on my TBS rock as microscopic hitchhikers. Now they are the size of a half dollars. They eat algae like crazy. Won't touch bubble algae though. They do like to eat coraline. I'm planning on giving all but one away. Maybe that will let mt tank "Purple Up" a little bit.

[Gallandro]

They will eat Nori seaweed

[gussy]

I have about 5 Urchins in my 55 gallon fish plus something else tank. They have not bother the snails. I've got the Tuxedo, Pencil, Slate, and Pacific. I don't have the Diadema as they grow big. I've got lots of large brittle stars too.

[gussy]

By the way, I feed the tank those algae disk at night as I don't have much algae in the tank. They must be eating something as they've been there close to a year.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6973631#post6973631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NoSchwag
This guy was the worst. A snail assassin.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5638/pic0047ww.jpg


Funny, I have one of those exact ones in my tank and he hasn't bothered a single snail. eats hair alage all day long. :rolleyes:

I also have some others ones in my other tanks that look similar, just dark bodies and no purple on the spines. All I've seen them eat too is hair alage. I have seen them on occasion with a live snail attached to their body. I just knock them off and the snail goes back to work in the sand.

[Arik]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6973035#post6973035 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NoSchwag
I'm going out on a limb here and say your urchin will eat your snails.

That could not be farther from the truth. I think you are mistaking what you are seeing in your urchins behavior for carnivorous behavior when they are simply searching for algae or more camouflage to put on their backs. Urchins simply aren't built for eating snails. Ask Dr. Shimek to explain if you are interested in a detailed explanation.

[Paul79936]

I have seen mine eat limpits. They seem to be built adequately for the job.

[Sicklid]

They DO eat snails.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/10512IM002996.jpg

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7123538#post7123538 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sicklid
They DO eat snails.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/10512IM002996.jpg Does that urchin live on your nice blue drapes? :D

[Sicklid]

That is actually the blue back liner of my aquarium. He pulled the snail off of the inside of the tank, and turned him over.

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7127029#post7127029 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sicklid
That is actually the blue back liner of my aquarium. He pulled the snail off of the inside of the tank, and turned him over. Well I figured it was something like that but I was just picturing him living in the den or something - would be weird, huh?

[Sicklid]

Actually, he spends most of his time in the weight room training for the Olympics. :D

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/10512IM002278.jpg

[RayMartini]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6974620#post6974620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joao Monteiro
That´s a Mespillia globulus, I have one of those, too.
It´s strickly herbivorous - voracious microalgae eater -and does not attack snails nor eat coralin. I think its the best option for a reef.
But, as you said, anything not attached to the rocks, will be (sooner or later) attached to its back...Mine has two residente mushrooms that he carries around the tank

Mine carries around sheets of GSP.

[garvondavis14]

noschwag- what kind of urchin is that colorful one?

[jumpincactus]

here are two documented genus of urchins that are carnivorus and will eat meat..............

But as someone mentioned earlier most urchins sold in the reef hobby usually wont be this type. If someone tries to sell you one of these avoid them as they will eat anything smaller than them. Including corals.

Pencil Urchins
Eucidaris tribuloides (Caribbean)
Largely carnivorous; will eat many decorative animals, also can eat “sleeping� fish, or shrimp.

Eucidaris metularia (Pacific) Largely carnivorous.

[pactrop]

nice picture. did it actually eat the snail or clean the algae off its shell?

[NoSchwag]

I don't know for sure what urchins eat what kinds of food, I just know that the 3 I have/had cleared my tank of about 200 Astrea snails.

Plus I am just regurgitating stuff I saw posted somewhere..

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=6289793#post6289793

[NoSchwag]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7192506#post7192506 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pactrop
nice picture. did it actually eat the snail or clean the algae off its shell?

Mine would suck the meat right out and leave an empty shell. I have a keg cup full of shells. :(

[NoSchwag]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7135045#post7135045 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by garvondavis14
noschwag- what kind of urchin is that colorful one?

I was told it was a "fire urchin". Not really sure of the exact type.

[Angel*Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7228501#post7228501 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NoSchwag
I was told it was a "fire urchin". Not really sure of the exact type. Keep us posted as to his behavior I'd love to have one of those they are beautiful.

[garvondavis14]

yeah, they are pretty sweet..how long have u had it?

[tibbs2]

My diadema has taken bites out of my montipora and my fox coral as it passes over them.

And be careful with the fire urchin. It's sting can put you in the hospital.

[mthedude]

will any urchins eat coraline off the walls?

[mthedude]

will any urchins eat coraline off the walls?

[ljsreptiles]

you will have no problem keeping them together at all

[garvondavis14]

anyone knokw of any online places that sell the fire urchins?

[NoSchwag]

I just put about 100 snails in my tank and my longspine urchin had a field day. As much as my girl and I love it, it was banished to the sump. :(

[baruchbl]

Do you feed your coral ?
I nave 6 sea urchin in my 110 g reef tank, do i need to feed my sea urchins?

[NoSchwag]

I feed my tank well, yes.

garvon here...

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=498&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4

[garvondavis14]

thanks, i'll check it out

[akrimmel]

if you have the comon black/purple urchin i always have seen mine skimming the LR for coraline as well as the glass and go right over everysingle snail species i have with no casualties. but like anything what work for most there is always a few exceptions out there, so take a chance.

[racrumrine]

My Long Spine will eat coralline on the glass; but, it won't clean the glass.

Best of luck,

Roy