Urchin eating Kenya Tree?

Picked up a little kenya tree frag a few days ago and had a mishap with one of our pencil urchins. He was on the frag the next morning and I could not tell if he was eating it or was just hanging out there, removed him and half of the frag was shrivled up. After a few hours it was back to normal and everything was cool for about 24 hours. Woke up again today to find the same urchin stuck to the frag and this time its totally gone. Is it normal for them to eat these things? We have a couple other urchins, one being another pencil and none of them bother anything. Even the one that comitted the crime has never shown any interest toward any of our coral. Any ideas? I love the look of the Kenya Tree but dont want to by another if it will just end in death.

 

I don't know if they like Kenya Trees or not, but I have a blue tuxedo urchin and he ate my zoas... so....

 

Was the kenya firmly attached? Urchins are notorious for uprooting corals. It could be that it just dislodged the kenya and it floated somewhere else in your tank. I've had kenyas come loose only to find one pop up somewhere new in the tank a week later. The urchin was probably just going for any new food that was on the new piece.

 

Yea it was very firmly attached, the bottom piece of the stalk is still attached to the rock.

 

Pencil Urchins eat corals...they are no way shape or form coral safe...kinda like Choc Chip Stars...they will mow down coral, and once they taste it..they will go back for more.

 

I have 2 Black or Rock urchins and tons and i mean tons of Kenya trees and never had an issue with them bothering anything, and belive me there is enough Kenya tree in there now that I wish it would eat some of it!

 

if it did eat it its for the best,Kenya tree reproduce like mad.i think you could put it in a blender,dump it in your tank and with in two weeks your tank will be covered.more of a nuisance than a coral.Just my opinion.JOE