Acclimatizing a tuxedo urchin

[cwatkins]

Hi All,

What's the best (recommended) method of acclimatizing an urchin?

Thinking of picking one up in the next couple weeks but I know they're very sensitive to change.

Thanks!

[ABreefkpr]

I have used airline and airline splitter and dripped tank water slowly into a pail with the urchin.

[foreveringlass]

I used an airline with a knot. I adjusted the knot to a drop per second or slower then increased in slow increments of the course of 3 hours and it seemed to work fine. Although I would have taken longer in hind sight! I was a little excited!

[cwatkins]

So how does dripping 1 drop per second into the bag over 5 hours sound? I'll also have the bag float in water the same temperature as my aquarium?

I had a bad urchin experience in the past so I'd like to make it successful this time.



Thanks!

[foreveringlass]

That's what I would do again! It worked well for me. I floated the bag for 30 min then moved it to a container and started the drip. My tuxedo seems happy with beautiful vibrant reds and blues.

[cwatkins]

Ok, so I picked up a Tuxedo Urchin today, and drip acclimatized it for 7 hours. One drop per second, and temperature is about ~79 degrees.

The only bad thing is the water params are majorly different.

My wayer is perfect, zeros across the board. But the water he came in had some of everything. Nitrites, Nitrates and Phosphates.

We'll see what happens.

[Ron99]

I think the major things to be concerned about are salinity, pH and temperature. The level of nitrates etc. shouldn't be much of an issue.

[cwatkins]

The real test will be the next few days I guess.

SG: They were at 1.025 we're at 1.026
PH: They were at 8.3 we're at 8.4

[foreveringlass]

How are things going? Everyone surviving?

[cwatkins]

Still alive. Which is good!

It scared me when it dropped it's rubble during the acclimitization, but it's picked up lots of stuff now. It looks like a marine version of a christmas tree with all the odds and ends stuck to it.

And it's climbing up the rock, so that's always good.

As for target feeding it algae, I heard of some people's urchins go after the left over nori in the clip on the tank? Does this sound about right?

Thanks all.

[foreveringlass]

I have not seen my urchin doing that, but I wouldn't doubt it! Mine searches for the strip I put in the sand for my sifting star, because I don't completely bury it. It some how manages to get a small chunk of nori stuck to it. Then slowly works it down to it's mouth. Let me know how yours does with the clip!

[cwatkins]

I'll try leaving him a strip in the sand, or maybe see if it'll attach to him.

He's been going around the rockwork picking up junk for the last few days. Hopefully he's finding something to eat in his ventures.

So far so good with this urchin. Fingers crossed.

[cwatkins]

Well bad news.

Last night I noticed he wasn't carrying anything around any more, and overnight he didn't move from the spot where he was. I tried to give him a piece of nori directly, but I think it eventually floated away.

And this morning when I checked, he had lost 80% of his spines and wasn't moving.

What is going on? Water params are all 0. PH 8.4. SG 1.026. Temperature around 80.

Everything else is happy.

Could it be a bad test kit for something?

[foreveringlass]

Sorry to hear about your luck. :sad: I don't have a clue what could be wrong.:confused: My numbers are similar. Salinity 1.026 Ph 8.3 everything else 0. Sorry I can't be of help!