Sea Urchin Hitchhiker... ID please?

[TheSwampFox]

No idea what kind of urchin this is.... found it in my new live rock I got.

 

[jworth]

not a great pic but it looks like a pencil urchin

 

[TheSwampFox]

Sorry about the.bad pic, I only had my cell phone camera around.

Are these guys safe in the aquarium? Was wondering if I should keep it or not.

 

[jworth]

wait for some other opinons as well, but yes they are safe. very few urchins are unsafe for aquariums. However, reef safe is a different story.

 

[TheSwampFox]

wait for some other opinons as well, but yes they are safe. very few urchins are unsafe for aquariums. However, reef safe is a different story.

Its not a reef so I think im ok.

 

[Heathd]

Its a pencil. Urchins are great little buggers to have scooting around in the tank. Its black long spine urchins I dont like....

 

[TheSwampFox]

Its a pencil. Urchins are great little buggers to have scooting around in the tank. Its black long spine urchins I dont like....

Well, it looks like I can keep him.

Thanks for the ID guys!

 

[nonstophoops]

Well, it looks like I can keep him.

Thanks for the ID guys!

This guys will be helpful in eating all sorts of algae in the tank. The downside is that they frequently eat coralline algae as well.

 

[TheSwampFox]

This guys will be helpful in eating all sorts of algae in the tank. The downside is that they frequently eat coralline algae as well.

Well hopefully only having one will almost make that a non issue.

 

[SimonL]

I find larger pencil urchins destructive in an indirect way, they knock stuff over or damage coral as they mow algae.