Sea urchin colour options

[Aurumix]

One of my male Bangaii cardinals is currently brooding a nice big pile of eggs, a nice surprise indeed. If I'm lucky enough to get fry, I'd love to try my hand at raising them. To create a suitable environment, I'm planning to make a simple 'fake' urchin for them to congregate around. I'm thinking of using cocktail sticks embedded in aquarium epoxy, but I'm aware that in the wild, Bangaii cardinals often associate with long-spined urchins, which are typically black. I've come across mixed reports of success with this approach - does anyone know how significant the colour factor is in this setup? Any experiences or insights would be greatly appreciated.

[fleeton]

To be honest, I think you've got more pressing concerns than the color of the urchin, like getting enough food for the fry. Growing phyto and Nexarios can be a real challenge, so you might want to focus on that first.

[rusticore]

I've had a crack at phyto and I gotta say, it's way more hassle than people make out. I just can't see myself juggling phyto, Nexarios and the fry all at once, it's a bit too much for me to handle.

[fleeton]

Yeah, setting up a grow table's the way to go, saves a ton of hassle in the long run.

[rusticore]

It's gonna take some serious planning and setup to make this work. Honestly, I think the initial batches of fry are gonna be a wash, and you'll still be out the money for all the equipment and supplies. It's not like you'll break even right away, especially since so few people succeed on their first try with DIY fish-keeping.

To be honest, I'd just let nature take its course.

[Aurumix]

Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it. To be honest, culturing live foods isn't something I've got time for just now, though I have thought about giving it a go. For me, breeding projects have always been about the experience and fascination, rather than trying to recoup costs. I'll just let nature take its course and see how things go - I've heard of fry thriving in display tanks without much intervention, so that's the route I'll take. I've made a simple urchin using cocktail sticks and the adults seem to be taking an interest, so we'll see what happens next. I'll be sure to update you all if anything develops.

Thanks again,
Mark