My urchin keeps picking up coral frags that I super glue to the rocks. Is there a better method of gluing the frags to the rocks so the urchin can't peel them off and wear as a top hat?
Urchin Troubles
- Thread starter 207Meg
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Nothing keeps a full sized urchin from picking out its hats of the coral isn't a massive colony
That's what they do. They try to camouflage themselves. Maybe give it some macro algea or little rock to use instead. Mine was very happy with its patch of red macro algea and a old hermit she'll.
If you have a 3D printer, try this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5214885
It worked for me and is very amusing.
You can buy little hats for them or scatter some empty hermit crab shells around and/or adjusting your light as they do this for shade/camouflage. https://www.etsy.com/listing/931890708/
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Mine wears the "accidental" frags of purple monti cap, or it likes to pick up my urchins and wear them.
If you pick an Urchin up, you will notice it is very light weight. They are not so much looking for camouflage or shade, but they are trying to weight themselves down to keep from being blown around in the current. Otherwise, they can’t move to the higher places in the tank. Also, I think picking up corals is more an accidental event verses a planned action. If they are trying to get to a small bit of algae at the Frag base (and it’s not glued down well) it ends up dislodged. It’s actually forced me to learn how to do a better job of glueing down frags. Superglue-epoxy-superglue and force it down well and twist. My big turbo snails will also knock one off if it’s not secured properly.
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