Inverts for substrate?

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# judging by the picture they are whats called the spinny sea urchin... also some times called the long spined urchin. they are very good at algae control but need to be in a large tank to have enough algae. Interesting fact about these urchins is that they are whats called a keystone species, basicaly if they where removed completly from an ecosystem the system would collaps (sp). The long spined urchins eat so much algae on the reefs they live on that if they were removed the algae would very rapidly over take the reef killing most of the other inhabitants.just an interesting but little known fact i thought you all might enjoy.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[PhatBrdr427]

well not only are they a key stone species, they play a huge role in kelp forests. if over populated in a certain aeas, they destroy it and if not enough then there is not enough food for sea otters.

[pass1over]

Yea, Tigersax7's guess is as go0d as mine. Like I said, they came with the live rock im guessing, because i didnt buy them. When we first noticed them they were real tiny.
Had 3 to start, lost the 1st one due to some strange illness goin on in my tank. Lost almost all my fish, then the starfish ate some of a dead fish and he died, then the sea urchin ate some of the starfish and then he died. So I dunno what was up with that.
Lost the 2nd one in the move. Had to move my tank and my g/f's goldfish tank approx. 900 miles from FL to KY. Only thing that died was my female banded coral and the sea urchin. Not bad i guess.

[kmmahan]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Is that a reef safe sea urchin? Are any sea urchin's reef safe?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pass1over]

I dont have any corals, so i dont know. He crawls all over the LR and the glass. From what I can tell, he eats just the algae.
So, to answer your question .... i dunno. LoL

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#As far as I know they are reef safe...they are strictly herbovors (sp). I ave how ever seen blue tuxedo urchins in the coral tanks at my LFS.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[jerryc]

Yes Urchins are reef safe Thea do a good job as part of your clean up crew
but Thea will eat the algae you wont as will as Algae you don't

[dakar]

For the most part they are condsidered 'reef safe', though troublesome.... as from what I heard they have a tendancy to knock over stuff like frags and smaller rock as they graze, I have not heard of any that will actually harm coral.

[pass1over]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My urchins never knoscked anything over in my tank. However, they are not strictly herbivores, I have seen my urchin eat many non-plant things. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#