Urchin Eating My Hammer

I have just notice that two branches of my hammer coral are being eaten. I assume it is the urchin since he is the only guy in the tank with means of breaking down the hard carbonate skeleton. What is wrong with this urchin?? He has eaten rocks and an anemone and now my hammer coral! Is there anything that can be done to deter him for eating the rest?

Regards

what urchin is it?

Musho3210 said:

what urchin is it?

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Diadema Setosum (long spine black urchin). He is fastcinating to watch, but he is now causing havoc!!

Provide supplimental food for him. They like Algae (as you probably noticed when he likely cleaned your rocks of coraline algae), but will eat about anything. If he's eating your corals try and feed him more. Get some sinking wafers or something and see if he'll eat them.

That may solve your problem. Generally the long spine black urchins won't eat your coral unless they run out of algae and leftover food to feast on. Just like shrimp and crabs, if they're eating your coral or tankmates its often because they don't have enough food. Urchins eat ALOT, which is why why can be a problem in nano reefs. They quickly eat all the algae they can find and unless more is provided, they'll eat whatever else they can find, including your corals.

My advice: Try sinking wafers and see if he eats them, and stops eating the corals. IF he doesn't then you just have a urchin with a taste for flesh and you'll be stuck watching your corals be slowly consumed, or you'll have to trade the urchin in at your LFS.

I saw on aprogramme a while ago that urchins are quite tasty..lol Mr Huge Fernly Whitinstall I believe. So if all fails you can always have him as a snack!

littleme1969 said:

I saw on aprogramme a while ago that urchins are quite tasty..lol Mr Huge Fernly Whitinstall I believe. So if all fails you can always have him as a snack!

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I know, they have an orangey pulp in the middle which is edible raw, but he was far to pricey to have as a snack!! I think it calls for a BIGGER tank (like three is not enough but needs must ). My bedroom is slowly but very clearly become the island of Atlantis; the fish look at me like they do when you go diving (hey what is that strange thing doing in here??) but I have the upper hand since I have the food LOL.
With regards the urchin though seriously I think he was eating the coralline on the hammer and has left big 'bite' marks in the skeleton. The hammer and frogspawn are really thriving and I am just waiting for war to break out between them (very close, polyps touching in places)

Regards