Tuxedo urchin stealing frags

[mrcote1]

So I had a bubblegum millepora that was doing very poorly in my tank. It almost definitely wasn't going to make it anyway so I moved it lower on my rocks to see if a new placement could help it. I didnt bother gluing it to the rock. This was about a week ago. I completley forgot about it because it was out of sight so I forgot it even existed. Well I look over at my tank and my urchin has some new camouflage... and yes the frag is stuck to the urchin and moving with him

 

[kgstei]

It's pretty fun to see what he picks up ............................... ..............................until it isn't

 

[mrcote1]

It's pretty fun to see what he picks up ............................... ..............................until it isn't

Well now I know to always glue down frags

 

[Chris A.]

From what I’ve read , they literally pick up things to camouflage themselves. Don’t matter what it is as long as they can bear it lol

 

[mrcote1]

It looks pretty ridiculous! It usually has a snail or 2 and some hermits stuck to it as well as lots of small rock pieces. It's pretty funny

 

[Chrisnnemo]

My son has one that you will occasionally see carrying a hermit crab lol. I read when they are carrying things they are happy and healthy. We do have a urchin in my gfs 55 that we just caught eating frags. It’s not a tuxedo but very similar.

 

[Chrisnnemo]

He ended up exiled to the 32 cube

 

[Dekon]

Mine has been strolling around the tank with two good size toadstools on him. My toadstool released three pieces and he got two.

 

[mrcote1]

Jeez, are you able to pull the toadstools off to save them?

 

[gobyvin]

I never keep urchins in a tank that has power cords from any equipment below the waterline, I had urchins chew the cord insulation and even the power head’s plastic molding for the shroud of a Koralia powerhead.

 

[mrcote1]

I never keep urchins in a tank that has power cords from any equipment below the waterline, I had urchins chew the cord insulation and even the power head’s plastic molding for the shroud of a Koralia powerhead.

Wow really? I've never heard of that before. I have wires from my powerheads in the tank. Was it a tuxedo urchin?

 

[gobyvin]

It was not a tux, but they can all do it if hungry. They also will destroy the fillet bead of silicon in the corners between glass panes too...

 

[gobyvin]

This all happened when algae went scarce.

 

[mrcote1]

It was not a tux, but they can all do it if hungry. They also will destroy the fillet bead of silicon in the corners between glass panes too...

Have you actually witnessed an urchin doing this? That's nothing I want to mess with and if there is remotely a chance of that I would not want to keep the urchin. I do not want my tank seams to fail over keeping an urchin.

 

[Dekon]

Jeez, are you able to pull the toadstools off to save them?

Yes, but right now the urchin looks like it has a head of long green hair. I'll pull them off if they stop opening.

 

[gobyvin]

I have witnessed it on all surfaces I posted on. They leave tell-tale star shaped tooth marks due to the 5-tooth arrangement and symmetrical mouth. They may not make a tank fail, but if you like your silicon fillets in tank corners to remain clean, then beware.

 

[mrcote1]

I have witnessed it on all surfaces I posted on. They leave tell-tale star shaped tooth marks due to the 5-tooth arrangement and symmetrical mouth. They may not make a tank fail, but if you like your silicon fillets in tank corners to remain clean, then beware.

First mark I see in my silicone or wires and hes out

 

[Chrisnnemo]

My tuxedo urchin that I had in a 35 hex would eat the hell out of the coraline algae in the corners. I think some of silicone fell prey to him, nothing that caused a leak. Although if I ever go to use the hex tank again I’ll feel better if I re silicone it.