Care Level: Easy
Temperament:Â Peaceful
Reef Compatible:Â Yes
General Description: The Shortspine Urchin has a black body covered in hundreds of short, uniform spines that are dark in color with pale tips. Shortspine urchins grow to a size of 3″, making them a more sought after urchin species for their compact size. Shortspine urchins are excellent at controlling algae in a reef aquarium. More of a nocturnal animal, the Shortspine urchin will seldomly be active during the day as it burrows into a hole in the live rock. The Shortspine urchin is safe to handle.
Diet Requirements: Shortspine urchins are voracious herbivores. They consume various algae on the live rock, including hair algae. If insufficient algae is present, we recommend supplementing sheet algae to prevent starvation.
Tank Requirements: An established, minimum aquarium size of 30 gallons is recommended to house a Shortspine urchin. Maintaining stable water parameters is a component to the success of keeping this invertebrate; urchins are intolerable of high nitrates and shedding of its spines is a sign of poor water quality. Generous live rock with some crevices will mimic the Shortspine urchin’s natural environment and give it ample places to graze off of. Loose corals can be accidentially knocked over by the Shortspine urchin as it moves around. It is imperative to take time acclimating a Shortspine urchin; we suggest via drip acclimation. Recommended water conditions: 76-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.024-1.026.
Purchase Size: Small: 1″ to 1-3/4″; Medium: 1-3/4″ to 2-1/2″
Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase size is approximate.