ORA's Captive Bred Tuxedo Urchins Are Back In Stock!
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This regal looking species of sea urchin has formal looking blue bands separating its short, multicolored spines. Available in two color varieties, the Red Tuxedo Urchin has a dramatic red spines in contrast to the Blue Tuxedo, which showcases darker blue. Mostly nocturnal, they will hide out in the rock work, coming out at night to consume all sorts of nuisance algae from hard-to-reach places.
Does your reef aquarium grow hair algae?
ORA's Captive Bred Tuxedo Urchin
Tuxedo Urchins (Mespilia globulus) are a peaceful, reef safe urchin that are relatively easy to keep. They are an omnivore and feed on a variety of nuisance algae, macroalgae, detritus, seaweed sheets, and coralline algae.
Being a smaller species of urchin, Tuxedos only grow to around 2" in captivity and require a minimum tank size of 15 gallons. If cared for properly they usually live for 2-3 years in a reef aquarium. We suggest one per 30-50 gallons depending on how much algae your tank grows.
Tuxedo Urchins need a variety of small items to put on themselves. Bits of rubble, small shells, and even loose coral polyps are used as camouflage against predators. If a Tuxedo Urchin is not carrying something it can be a sign of poor health.
Lastly, Tuxedo Urchins are sensitive to poor water quality and must be acclimated slowly. It is important to drip acclimate your new animal. Poor water conditions and/or unstable parameters will negatively impact the urchin, often causing it to lose spines.
For more information about ORA's captive bred fish, corals, and invertebrates please visit www.orafarm.com or our product collections.
"Barrier Reef recommends one Tuxedo Urchin per 50 gallons as part of your cleaner crew.”
