Urchins

Every marine aquarist and hobbyist has experienced how annoying nuisance algae can be. No matter how many times you scrub it off, it is still there making your tank look ugly and covering your corals. There are many solutions to nuisance algae and algae blooms such as doing more water changes, feeding less, and turning down the lights. You can also implement a clean up crew, which is a popular method of getting rid of algae, but it is important that you choose the right critters to do the job. A great option that will dominate in algae destruction is urchins. They are spiky, ball-shaped crustaceans that will spend their time crawling around your tank and finding left over food and algae to eat. The ones sold at AlgaeBarn are completely reef safe and easy to care for. They are fairly priced as well. These particular specimens coming from AlgaeBarn are captive-bred. This means that they are adapted to aquarium life, will be less stressed during transportation and acclimation, and are free of parasites that could harm your corals or fish. Not only are they wondrous for keeping your tank clean and free of algae, they are also interesting to watch as they seemingly glide around the sand bed. You will also see them collecting loose bits of rock or small shells on their spikes. They are somewhat alien looking with no eyes and stringy tentacles that extend from their bodies. Urchins are great for algae control and are easy to care for, so do not miss out and get one for your own saltwater aquarium.