Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

I didn't think about an urchin that sounds like a good idea, I can pick one up the next time I go diving, and the best thing it will be free. I'm going to get some for liz the next time I go diving around here. I'll be more that happy to get some for anybody else. I'll post a message before I go so that if anybody want some I'll know. We just have the black kind and the Pink-purple collector unchins around here.

I wouldn't mind a couple for my 55G refuge Snakeman... cool deal!

The short spiny ones collect all the trash on their backs and (to me) look rather cluttered. I like the black (deep purple) long spiny ones. That's what I suggest!

I put a collector urchin in my tank that I had caught and it picked up everything. I had to get rid of it. The black kind that we have don't pick up anything and there is one about every 2 feet at Alabama point. You can just go down on the jetties and pick them up without even getting you head wet.

I would think an urchin would stay tangled up in all of the macro-algae, and wouldn't be able to move around.

I'll break all of its spines off so it will be more streamline, it will not need them anyway. It will just me a round ball.

LOL!! Like one of those hamster balls.. just a round ball with a mouth.

Those tuxido urchins have very short soft spines. They had one at water World but probably wanted an arm and a leg for it.
I don't know a thing about them, what they eat or etc.. just that they have very short spines.

i dont think you should break off its spines, but i belive that he'll have no problem moving around the tank...

I saw the one at Waterworld too and laughed at the price. They are too cool though.

I was just kidding about breaking the spines off.

I really dont think you can every own enough critters in your tank.

Has anybody ever had any luck raising shrimp? I would like to get some of those cheap cleaner shrimp and put them in my refuge and see if they will reproduce since there wouldn't be any fish in there to eat the young. Is this possible?

Well.. the good thing about breeding shrimp is the fry will help feed your tank. The bad news is the fry will feed your tank.. your tank will eat all of the babies. You would need to set up a brine shrimp hatching station to be able to feed the newly hatched fry with nauplii. You will need progressively larger brine shrimp to feed the shrimp you are trying to raise as they mature. Sounds like a lot of work.
They would provide some great food for your fish and corals... I can see shrimp fry in my tank occasionaly at night when the lights are off, they seem to be attracted to the light. They never grow past the spec stage though.

More info:
http://www.breeders-registry.gen.ca.us/ ... shrimp.htm

I would like to give up my black (deep purple) long spin urchin. I'd like to trade it for a piece of macro algae if possible. I just added new rock and he's eating the purple coraline algae pretty fast. If you pick him up, you can have him. LMK.

Josh may want the Urchin if it is not promised out.