urchin eggs?
- Thread starter reefNewbie
- Start date
reefNewbie":2u5m0t0m said:
reefNewbie,
It's crap. Specifically it's calcium carbonate "balls". Urchins chisel away at rock to get the algae. In the process they take in bits of the rock itself; as well as coralline algae which is partially composed of carbonate. This is a very important natural phenomenon on coral reefs known as bioerosion. The underlying structure of coral reefs is partially composed of urchin crap.
Female urchins will produce eggs in aquariums, but those eggs are supernumerous and buoyant (or at least neutrally buoyant). This means that urchin eggs will float or travel around in the water column suspended upon the current.
I had to chuckle though when you said "he" was dropping the "eggs" :lol:
Interesting bit of trivia: The chiseling mouth parts of the urchin are called.....Aristotle's Lantern.
John Brandt
MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago
If you do want to make urchin larvae, it's very simple. An injection of 5 molar KCl (potassium chloride) directly into the test (body) of sea urchins will induce immediate spawning. Eggs are chunky and large, and sperm is milky. If you have several urchins you can mix all their spawn in a glass and presto! live plankton for your corals! We do it to coldwater urchins and use the larvae to feed our reef tank. I have no idea where you would find KCl, but a chemical supply house would probably have some.
hi.
So my tux. was crapping every other week for 5 hours? I thought my constipation was bad... :lol:
wombat, I wonder it is the K+ or the Cl- or both that do the trick. Have you tried table salt (NaCl), or you can't make it in 5M concentration?
So my tux. was crapping every other week for 5 hours? I thought my constipation was bad... :lol: wombat, I wonder it is the K+ or the Cl- or both that do the trick. Have you tried table salt (NaCl), or you can't make it in 5M concentration?
I have found that I can induce spontaneous spawning in Echinometra sp. by suddenly dropping the tank temp about 6-10 degrees F. I suspect they "think" this is a massive tidal change. Natural selection has maximized their reproduction by following environmental cues.
John Brandt
MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago
John Brandt
MASNA
MAC
CMAS-Chicago
I was thinking of taking my urchin out because he is scraping-eating lots of coralline algae off the rocks, turns them white wear ever he goes. I like the look of the purple coraline algae more. Should I leave him in there a direct benifit having his turds in reef tank?
Sushi anyone?
dave
Sushi anyone?
dave
hi.
I feel you are thinking of KCN or something. KCl is as safe as table salt in solid form (very difficult to keep it anhydrous form... it can suck water from air like sponge), and it is used as IV for people with low potassium level in the blood. It is also used as food additive (table salt substitute) for people with restricted sodium intake, but there are many other alternatives to this nowadays.
I feel you are thinking of KCN or something. KCl is as safe as table salt in solid form (very difficult to keep it anhydrous form... it can suck water from air like sponge), and it is used as IV for people with low potassium level in the blood. It is also used as food additive (table salt substitute) for people with restricted sodium intake, but there are many other alternatives to this nowadays.
vair":2i9npwyj said:
Hi, it is thought that by grazing on the coraline, the urchins will actually help spread it around the tank because they drag the crumbs around with them as they move.
At least that is what dr Ron told me.
If you can keep your calcium and alkalinity within good ranges, you should see much more coraline growth, more than what an urchin can eat. I personally think urchins are cool and am willing to put up with some bare patches in the coraline algae here and there.
Sharkky":1dkpph3t said:John_Brandt":1dkpph3t said:
OOOooooooo, that's a good one!!! :!: :!:
Ampullae of Lorenzini....
Are those found on the Island of Langerhans?
Nerds.
Robin, I'm not sure what does it. I believe KCl is fairly chemically similar to NaCl (?) (Where's RHF when you need him?), so it's strange. I don't know who would have thought to stab an urchin with it to see what would happen. It's cool to watch, though, it only takes 1-2 seconds to work.
The gas chamber uses sodium cyanide (NaCN), I believe.
Robin, I'm not sure what does it. I believe KCl is fairly chemically similar to NaCl (?) (Where's RHF when you need him?), so it's strange. I don't know who would have thought to stab an urchin with it to see what would happen. It's cool to watch, though, it only takes 1-2 seconds to work.
The gas chamber uses sodium cyanide (NaCN), I believe.
Incidentally, (because I want to join the nerds,) if you use this method of spawning on a female purple urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and a male sand dollar (Dendraster excentricus) the larva come out as hybrids of the two. These are both temperate species so I would doubt that anyone has them to try, but it is still really cool.
Mike
Mike
That's really cool Mike, let's make some! Are the larvae hard to rear?
Robin, I believe this reflects common lineages through evolution. At a cellular level, they're both just mammal cells that want to hook up! I don't think I'd want to see the result though :wink:
Robin, I believe this reflects common lineages through evolution. At a cellular level, they're both just mammal cells that want to hook up! I don't think I'd want to see the result though :wink:
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
