# longspine urchin - good for clove polyp removal?



## corpusse (Jan 3, 2011)

Looking for a non chemical solution to removing clove polyps which are slowly covering more and more of my rocks and corals. I have been brushing them off but it's slow going. I have been reading these urchins seem to eat them. Just wondering if anyone has any experience and what the success rate is.


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Don't know about long spine, but I have a pin cushion and a tuxedo, and neither touch the clove polyps. Cleaned out my red macro algae, but nothing else. Didn't even touch the bryopsis.


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

Crayon said:


> Don't know about long spine, but I have a pin cushion and a tuxedo, and neither touch the clove polyps. Cleaned out my red macro algae, but nothing else. Didn't even touch the bryopsis.


I agree with Ms Crayon about what urchins eat
I have a black long spine, tuxedo and 2 short spines and none of them touch corals, polyps etc of any kind


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## corpusse (Jan 3, 2011)

Hmm. Maybe I should try a few and hope one of them does.

I'd love to get some nudibrachs that eat then but I've never seen them.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Weird I have a tuxedo urchin and it finished off all my chaetos but hasn't touched the red slime algae that I have.


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## corpusse (Jan 3, 2011)

I got one at SUM's sale so we'll see assuming it survives QT. I have him in my frag tank where there is cheato, macro, and of course coraline for him to eat. If he's doing okay in a few days I will move a small rock that has some clove polyps just in case. I know it's a shot in the dark, but the urchin is really cool anyway.


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## Kooka (Feb 8, 2011)

I can confirm that long spine urchins DO eat the really small invasive purple clove polyps. Unfortunately they also have a penchant for eating pocillopora 

Currently have two; one has successfully eradicated all the PCP from my frag tank within a few months.


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