{"product_id":"rock-urchin","title":"Rock urchin","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe rock urchin (Echinometra mathaei) is a compact Indo-Pacific sea urchin with short, blunt spines, usually dark purple to brown, that wedges itself into a hollow in the rock and grazes outward from there. In the wild it excavates its own burrow in reef rock. In an aquarium it is an effective algae eater with a bulldozing streak, and both halves of that description matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAquarium care\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBody diameter is typically 4 to 6 cm, plus spines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA grazing herbivore that works hard on film, coralline and hair algae.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWill pick up and carry small frags, shells and rubble around on its spines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrong enough to shift unstable rockwork, so secure the aquascape before adding one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNeeds an established tank with real algae growth or it will slowly starve.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVery sensitive to copper and to salinity swings; drip acclimate slowly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eBest suited to a fish-only tank with live rock, or a robust reef where corals are glued down and the rockwork is stable. It is a poor choice for a display built around delicate frags. Handle it carefully — the spines are sharp, and the urchin comes off worse in a struggle than you do.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is available for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. More in the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/saltwater-fish-1\"\u003esaltwater collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tank Pets","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44777170731208,"sku":"98044","price":26.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0659\/9724\/2568\/files\/photocomingsoon_a2f29f79-4158-404f-be33-2dcbbf13ecbc.jpg?v=1759521882","url":"https:\/\/www.tropicalfishimports.com\/products\/rock-urchin","provider":"Tropical Fish Imports ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}