How do you 'dump' a critter?

[Mnesarchus]

Well, it's official. My sea urchin is a terrible klutz. I was watching him climb vertically up my rock to get some algae from the top of the tank last night. He must have 'slipped' or something, but he fell, spike first into my candycane coral. The coral is fine, the polyps have reopened, but I think I need to ditch the urchin (he's getting big anyways). How do I get rid of him? Will my LFS take him back?

 

Thanks,

[tinyreef]

'make him an offer he can't refuse'

 

or put up a trade offer, maybe the lfs will even let you post it in his store.

[Korbin]

Tie a little leash to one of his spines so if he falls he wont get far.

[Crakeur]

send the urchin back to rock climbing 101. That is one of the reasons why urchins are not always so good in small reef tanks. See if the lfs will exchange it for something else, see if anyone wants to trade for it or, as a last resort, get some styrofoam, draw a target on it (I can forward a target drawing of my mother in law) and fire that little urchin at the target. See how many times you can hit the head or heart before the spines all break off.

[printerdown01]

An LFS should take 'em... You can also just talk to people when you are there, a lot of people (especially with larger tanks) would be happy to take a free long-spine urchin !!!

[chufa]

give him a shave:P

 

seriously now, small, family-run LFS (not the chain ones like Petco) will very likely take anything you give them if it is in good health.

[Crakeur]

here's a thought, take the urchin out of your tank and leave your house with it. "accidentally" bump into a stranger and covertly drop the urchin into one of his or her pockets. Follow said stranger until they notice the pin cushion in their pocket. Laugh till soda come out yer nose.

[Pikelet]

Here's another thought ...

 

Get a ride home with your worst enemy at work and slip it under the front seat. They'll get the message after about a week.

[Brianc_4]

Give it to your LSR......Local Sushi Restaurant :o

[EclipseAgent]

I have had purple urchin before and it was pretty good. Just throw the ###### in your pot, boil it and eat the meat

[Mnesarchus]

Gee guys... thanks for all the .... ... ... help...

 

 

:|

[Dave ESPI]

Watch IRON CHEF on food network. Cable TV. They do some amazing things with Urchin Roe.

ummmmmm yummy.

[tinyreef]

these kids have it all wrong! jeesh! just tell it you want to be 'friends' and it just isn't working out. all that other stuff will just lead to tears and guilt. :*(

[SteveC]

I'm sure somebody with a bigger reef will take it off your hands and even pay for shipping if you post about it on reefs.org or reefcentral.com. People even manage to find homes for their mantis shrimp that way.

[SeaFish]

hey steve, i notice you have two 36watt pc. what kind are they? are they retrofits? is there a website about them?

[SteveC]

The kit itself is from AH Supply, installed into one of their enclosures (because I'm too lazy to make one and I'd probably screw it up anyhow). The bulbs themselves are from Hellolights, one 03 Actinic and one 10000K daylight.

 

If I had to do it again I'd seriously consider using a 4-tube 96 watt PC instead. I'm definitely happy with the amount of light I presently have over my tank, but I agree with Tullock that you really can't have too much light, unless you're using a megawatt pulse laser or something.

 

Steve