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Home / Shop / Established Tanks / Live Critters & Merch / Purple-Spined Urchin

Sustainably Harvested

Excellent Bio filtration

Fast and Fresh Delivery

TAMPA BAY SALTWATER Critter

Purple-Spined Urchin

Urchins are add-on items for air cargo orders.

$10.00

1

Arbacia Punctulata

The purple spined urchin is an interesting clean-up crew option for mixed reefs, sps tanks and even fowlr tanks housing moderately aggressive fish. These nocturnal prickly creatures will scavenge live rock and aquarium glass eating algae, even coralline algae. 

The Gulf of Mexico has a clean-up crew and so should you!

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Keep It Clean Folks! Add critters to your order.

TBS is the oldest working aquaculture Live Rock Farm. The site is located in the nutrient rich water off Tarpon Springs known as the Sponge Captial of the world. Harvested with care, our Living Rock and Live Sand always travel submerged to preserve life forms vital for your aquarium's health.

Pretty Prickly

Sustainably Ocean Harvested

Algae Eating Machine

Omnivore

Preferred for Tanks over 50 Gallons

Coralline Algae Scrubber

Nursery for Banggai Fry

Handle with Care

Black with Purple Hue

2″ – 5″

Florida Purple Spined Urchin

These urchins arrive as small hitchhikers on our live rock.  When in the holding system, they thrive and grow quickly.  Nocturnal prickly creatures will scavenge the live rock and aquarium glass eating algae (even coralline algae).  They require tanks with a healthy amount of algae or heavily fed fish.  Purple spined urchins will eat left over fish food and nori.  It is said they like to nibble at sponges. 

At full size, we recommend them for tanks 100+ gallons.

Please be careful when working in a tank with long spined urchins. 

Let us know if you are looking for smaller or larger urchin.

*This product is an add-on for air cargo orders. 

*Want them delivered to your door? Check out Critter Getters in the Treasure Chest category.

There is Nothing like Ocean Aquacultured Live Rock

TBS Live Rocks are a visual feast of shapes, sizes, and colors. Bahamian, Philippine, Trinidad, Florida quarried, vintage Pukani and reef friendly Walt Smith are found on the lease site.  Walt Smith Reef Rock is the predominate foundation rock chosen for its sustainability, for its ability to attract and host life, and for its easily stackable unique shapes.
Live Rock will not only provide a natural looking environment for your inhabitants but provide a variety of unseen health benefits.  Beneficial nitrifying bacteria helps process ammonia and work as a natural biological filter.  Tiny holes and crevasses provide a refuge for microscopic critters like pods, filter feeders and other invertebrates to multiply.
We plant and harvest TBS live rock by hand.  From receiving to shipping, each piece is handled with care.  Rocks are selected on the ocean bottom and carefully loaded in mesh baskets where they are hauled up to the boat.  They are inspected and placed in seawater filled barrels for the boat ride in.  The fully submerged rock arrives at the warehouse and is placed in large holding systems filled with natural sea water.  Moderate lighting is provided to maintain life forms until it is then shipped within 3-14 days.

Examples of the Live Critters Found on our Live Rock

IMG_1657

Yellow Ball Sponges

Friendly Freebie

IMG_2381

Bryozoan

Wintertime Friendly Freebie

IMG_1643-600x600

Hydroid

Lovely, but some think Not

How Shipping Works

Most orders ship a few days after harvest and arrive a week after placing your order. 

That’s fast & fresh!

Place Order

01

It all starts with a great product, TBS Live Rock.  Our goal is to provide you with the freshest products.  Very alive from the ocean floor to your door.  Peruse the website and place an order.  We will personally reach out to you within 48 hours.

Secure your order via PayPal or Venmo.  Confirm your aquarium is functioning and reach out to us with any questions.  Good communication is vital for both of us.  We prefer email because it provides a detailed record so we’re on the same page before the anchor drops.

Payment

02

Schedule

03

After your order is received, we will reach out with a detailed questionnaire to learn about your tank and schedule the date.  Air cargo orders are ready for pickup on Mondays, UPS orders arrive to your door on Tuesdays and Saturday tends to be best for local pick up. 

Tracking information is sent via email AFTER boxes have been checked in at Tampa International Airport or Treasure Chests personally delivered to the Tampa UPS Hub.  It is your responsibility to pick up boxes from the airport and to be home for UPS delivery.  

Tracking

04

Delivery

05

WooHoo, it is the BIG day!  Are you ready to get your hands wet?  Is your aquarium prepared to sustain life?  Put on some gloves and crack open the box.  Smell fresh ocean harvested products handled and packaged with great care.  It is an honor to provide natural products sustainably harvested to benefit the health of your marine system.

Now flying rock to 98 airports and counting!

How to Use Our Products

Whether you are setting up your first reef aquarium or having an existing tank, we've got you covered.

Read Guide
Read Guide

Real Reviews from Real Reef Hobbyists

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY

Tampa Bay Saltwater is a proud member of the reefkeeping community. We strive to educate and collaborate with like minded businesses to make a difference environmentally and socially. Let’s do something great.

LICENSES

   .  

Florida Aquaculture Certification: AQ7562049
Florida Facility Location: 52-AQ-049
Florida Fish & Wildlife Wholesale Dealer: WD-191967
Florida Fish & Wildlife Retail Dealer: RC-217774
Saltwater Products License: SP-207626

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