Where is the best place to buy live rock? im looking for some for my 12 gallon nanocube.
its also been suggested to me to have it shipped overnight? according to the pinned thread under this subforum. they also state that they placed the live rock directly in the tank? doesnt sound right to me...
thanks
nitro
Full Version: best place to order live rock?
Sealifeinc is probably the most diverse live rock. And yes you put it directly into the tank.
you are darn fast jacob lol.
ok so walk me through this...... (im a noob sorry)
i order the live rock
pick off the dead stuff
put it in the tank (which has been running for a few days with SW in it)
let the tank cycle, and pick off pests if i see them to be pests (lighting on regular timed cycle?)(weekly water changes?)
add other inverts after cycling (which means ill let it sit for a month or so)
and tank is all set up and awesome?
ok so walk me through this...... (im a noob sorry)
i order the live rock
pick off the dead stuff
put it in the tank (which has been running for a few days with SW in it)
let the tank cycle, and pick off pests if i see them to be pests (lighting on regular timed cycle?)(weekly water changes?)
add other inverts after cycling (which means ill let it sit for a month or so)
and tank is all set up and awesome?
Premium Aquatics IMO has the best stuff. especially their Timpora and Alor rock.
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 2 2009, 05:17 PM) 
you are darn fast jacob lol.
ok so walk me through this...... (im a noob sorry)
i order the live rock
pick off the dead stuff
put it in the tank (which has been running for a few days with SW in it)
let the tank cycle, and pick off pests if i see them to be pests (lighting on regular timed cycle?)(weekly water changes?)
add other inverts after cycling (which means ill let it sit for a month or so)
and tank is all set up and awesome?
ok so walk me through this...... (im a noob sorry)
i order the live rock
pick off the dead stuff
put it in the tank (which has been running for a few days with SW in it)
let the tank cycle, and pick off pests if i see them to be pests (lighting on regular timed cycle?)(weekly water changes?)
add other inverts after cycling (which means ill let it sit for a month or so)
and tank is all set up and awesome?
You basically just put it in your tank, the dead stuff is what starts the cycle. It is debatable whether or not to do water changes during the cycle, its really up to you. But not necessary. I would run your light, not on a normal cycle but on a little bit atleast, there will most likely be some coraline on there you might want to keep alive.
QUOTE (nanoreefnate @ Oct 2 2009, 05:28 PM)
Premium Aquatics IMO has the best stuff. especially their Timpora and Alor rock.
You could be right, all of my rock is from locals
I have just heard really good things about sealife.
sealife is quarried rock that they put in the ocean for 3 years...IMO not Real LR.
QUOTE (Jacobnano @ Oct 2 2009, 07:34 PM)
You basically just put it in your tank, the dead stuff is what starts the cycle. It is debatable whether or not to do water changes during the cycle, its really up to you. But not necessary. I would run your light, not on a normal cycle but on a little bit atleast, there will most likely be some coraline on there you might want to keep alive.
You could be right, all of my rock is from locals I have just heard really good things about sealife.
You could be right, all of my rock is from locals
I have just heard really good things about sealife.thanks alot
it looks like sealifeinc only has aquacultured LR. checked out premium aquatics. they have fiji live rock, yet it is cheaper than the nano live rock, and more colorful. but it is uncured, but i think that the nano rock is uncured too, but yet it comes with corals and critters?
does it matter if i buy cured or uncured and put them in the tank?
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 2 2009, 06:37 PM)
thanks alot it looks like sealifeinc only has aquacultured LR.
checked out premium aquatics. they have fiji live rock, yet it is cheaper than the nano live rock, and more colorful. but it is uncured, but i think that the nano rock is uncured too, but yet it comes with corals and critters?
does it matter if i buy cured or uncured and put them in the tank?
it looks like sealifeinc only has aquacultured LR. checked out premium aquatics. they have fiji live rock, yet it is cheaper than the nano live rock, and more colorful. but it is uncured, but i think that the nano rock is uncured too, but yet it comes with corals and critters?
does it matter if i buy cured or uncured and put them in the tank?
also, doesnt uncured live rock smell really bad while its curing?
QUOTE (nanoreefnate @ Oct 2 2009, 05:35 PM)
sealife is quarried rock that they put in the ocean for 3 years...IMO not Real LR.
So... how do they get live rock without destroying an existing coral reef?
(This is a real question. I purposely bought aquacultured rock because I couldn't easily find an answer and I didn't want to be directly responsible for causing more coral reef damage. On the other hand, maybe there is some way to get live rock without damaging reefs. I don't know.)
Oh, and I bought my rock from sealife. I'm quite happy with it.
live rock n reef
ok. those sites look quite nice to buy from. my LFS sells base rock for 8 dollars a pound. BASE ROCK! i guess that explains why no one buys it.
so cured or uncured? i can get cured rock for the same price as uncured on premium aquatics.
can someone run me through the steps again? ive done it with jacob, but now that this discussion has continued, im not sure if its changed or not.
so cured or uncured? i can get cured rock for the same price as uncured on premium aquatics.
can someone run me through the steps again? ive done it with jacob, but now that this discussion has continued, im not sure if its changed or not.
Why cure live rock?
Live rock must be properly cured to create a healthy marine environment. The biodiversity found on all transported live rock undergo some degree of natural die-off, especially delicate or damaged fauna and flora. As these encrusting organisms go through this process, they produce a large amount of waste materials. Without proper curing, pollutants and toxic compounds such as ammonia are released into the water and compromise the health of your entire aquarium system. Whether pre-cured or uncured, it is crucial to never introduce any live rock to an established aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals unless it has been properly cured.
Curing Live Rock
Important: Do not place uncured live rock directly into an aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals.
Note: Be sure to use gloves when handling live rock to prevent accidental cuts and potential infection.
There are many different ways to cure live rock, however, at Drs. Foster & Smith we have found the following methods to be the most effective:
Method A: Curing process of live rock for the established display aquarium that already contains fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can. Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
Completely cover the rock with freshly mixed saltwater, with a specific gravity of 1.021 - 1.025.
Use a heater and keep the water temperature near 80 degrees to speed die off.
Provide constant water movement with a power head or air stone.
Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
Perform 100% water changes twice weekly.
Gently scrub the rock with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush between water changes to remove any white film or dead material.
When the water conditions stabilize and ammonia and nitrite tests are zero, the rock is ready to be placed into the display aquarium.
Most live rock will be fully cured in 1 - 3 weeks, at which time it is safe to add to the display aquarium.
Method B: Curing process of live rock for the new aquarium that DOES NOT contain fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Live rock may be used to cycle a new marine aquarium. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the installation of all filtration devices and accessories. Fill aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025. Activate all filtration equipment, check for leaks, and set heater and/or chiller to the desired temperature of 72-78°F.
Note: Mechanical filtration will need frequent cleaning during this cycling process.
Rinse each piece of live rock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose organic matter, debris, or sand.
Place live rock into the aquarium to create a stable foundation for corals or decorations.
Keep the lighting system off during the cycling period in order to reduce the likelihood of undesirable algae growth.
Gently scrub the rocks periodically with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush to remove loose white film or dead material.
Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
Measure and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
When both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.
Most aquariums will cycle within 2-4 weeks using this technique, depending on the equipment that is installed.
Helpful Tips for Controlling Unwanted Pests:
Submerse the new rock into a bucket filled with saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.035 to 1.040 for one minute. Any invertebrates including mantis shrimp, bristle worms, and crabs will quickly evacuate from the rock and into the bucket of water.
Remove the live rock from the bucket and sort through the invertebrates in the bucket. Determine those you want to add to your system and discard unwanted pests. Bristle worms still attached to the rock can be removed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. This technique can be used to remove unwanted pests before or after curing your newly arrived live rock.
Curing Live Sand
Live sand should be rinsed in saltwater to remove any organic matter that may foul the water in the aquarium. After rinsing, the sand may be placed directly in any marine aquarium.
Remove the bag(s) of sand from shipping box and dump sand into a new 5-gallon bucket, filling the bucket 1/2 full with live sand.
Add saltwater from the aquarium until the bucket is 2/3 full of water and sand.
Slowly stir the sand by hand until the water within the bucket becomes cloudy with debris.
Discard the dirty water in the bucket and place the sand back into the shipping bag.
Lower the shipping bag to the bottom of the aquarium. Disperse the sand slowly and evenly across the bottom of the aquarium.
Repeat the above steps until all of the sand has been placed into the aquarium.
Live rock must be properly cured to create a healthy marine environment. The biodiversity found on all transported live rock undergo some degree of natural die-off, especially delicate or damaged fauna and flora. As these encrusting organisms go through this process, they produce a large amount of waste materials. Without proper curing, pollutants and toxic compounds such as ammonia are released into the water and compromise the health of your entire aquarium system. Whether pre-cured or uncured, it is crucial to never introduce any live rock to an established aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals unless it has been properly cured.
Curing Live Rock
Important: Do not place uncured live rock directly into an aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals.
Note: Be sure to use gloves when handling live rock to prevent accidental cuts and potential infection.
There are many different ways to cure live rock, however, at Drs. Foster & Smith we have found the following methods to be the most effective:
Method A: Curing process of live rock for the established display aquarium that already contains fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can. Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
Completely cover the rock with freshly mixed saltwater, with a specific gravity of 1.021 - 1.025.
Use a heater and keep the water temperature near 80 degrees to speed die off.
Provide constant water movement with a power head or air stone.
Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
Perform 100% water changes twice weekly.
Gently scrub the rock with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush between water changes to remove any white film or dead material.
When the water conditions stabilize and ammonia and nitrite tests are zero, the rock is ready to be placed into the display aquarium.
Most live rock will be fully cured in 1 - 3 weeks, at which time it is safe to add to the display aquarium.
Method B: Curing process of live rock for the new aquarium that DOES NOT contain fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Live rock may be used to cycle a new marine aquarium. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the installation of all filtration devices and accessories. Fill aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025. Activate all filtration equipment, check for leaks, and set heater and/or chiller to the desired temperature of 72-78°F.
Note: Mechanical filtration will need frequent cleaning during this cycling process.
Rinse each piece of live rock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose organic matter, debris, or sand.
Place live rock into the aquarium to create a stable foundation for corals or decorations.
Keep the lighting system off during the cycling period in order to reduce the likelihood of undesirable algae growth.
Gently scrub the rocks periodically with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush to remove loose white film or dead material.
Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
Measure and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
When both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.
Most aquariums will cycle within 2-4 weeks using this technique, depending on the equipment that is installed.
Helpful Tips for Controlling Unwanted Pests:
Submerse the new rock into a bucket filled with saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.035 to 1.040 for one minute. Any invertebrates including mantis shrimp, bristle worms, and crabs will quickly evacuate from the rock and into the bucket of water.
Remove the live rock from the bucket and sort through the invertebrates in the bucket. Determine those you want to add to your system and discard unwanted pests. Bristle worms still attached to the rock can be removed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. This technique can be used to remove unwanted pests before or after curing your newly arrived live rock.
Curing Live Sand
Live sand should be rinsed in saltwater to remove any organic matter that may foul the water in the aquarium. After rinsing, the sand may be placed directly in any marine aquarium.
Remove the bag(s) of sand from shipping box and dump sand into a new 5-gallon bucket, filling the bucket 1/2 full with live sand.
Add saltwater from the aquarium until the bucket is 2/3 full of water and sand.
Slowly stir the sand by hand until the water within the bucket becomes cloudy with debris.
Discard the dirty water in the bucket and place the sand back into the shipping bag.
Lower the shipping bag to the bottom of the aquarium. Disperse the sand slowly and evenly across the bottom of the aquarium.
Repeat the above steps until all of the sand has been placed into the aquarium.
QUOTE (Trolldoll @ Oct 3 2009, 05:10 PM)
Why cure live rock?
Live rock must be properly cured to create a healthy marine environment. The biodiversity found on all transported live rock undergo some degree of natural die-off, especially delicate or damaged fauna and flora. As these encrusting organisms go through this process, they produce a large amount of waste materials. Without proper curing, pollutants and toxic compounds such as ammonia are released into the water and compromise the health of your entire aquarium system. Whether pre-cured or uncured, it is crucial to never introduce any live rock to an established aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals unless it has been properly cured.
Curing Live Rock
Important: Do not place uncured live rock directly into an aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals.
Note: Be sure to use gloves when handling live rock to prevent accidental cuts and potential infection.
There are many different ways to cure live rock, however, at Drs. Foster & Smith we have found the following methods to be the most effective:
Method A: Curing process of live rock for the established display aquarium that already contains fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can. Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
Completely cover the rock with freshly mixed saltwater, with a specific gravity of 1.021 - 1.025.
Use a heater and keep the water temperature near 80 degrees to speed die off.
Provide constant water movement with a power head or air stone.
Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
Perform 100% water changes twice weekly.
Gently scrub the rock with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush between water changes to remove any white film or dead material.
When the water conditions stabilize and ammonia and nitrite tests are zero, the rock is ready to be placed into the display aquarium.
Most live rock will be fully cured in 1 - 3 weeks, at which time it is safe to add to the display aquarium.
Method B: Curing process of live rock for the new aquarium that DOES NOT contain fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Live rock may be used to cycle a new marine aquarium. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the installation of all filtration devices and accessories. Fill aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025. Activate all filtration equipment, check for leaks, and set heater and/or chiller to the desired temperature of 72-78°F.
Note: Mechanical filtration will need frequent cleaning during this cycling process.
Rinse each piece of live rock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose organic matter, debris, or sand.
Place live rock into the aquarium to create a stable foundation for corals or decorations.
Keep the lighting system off during the cycling period in order to reduce the likelihood of undesirable algae growth.
Gently scrub the rocks periodically with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush to remove loose white film or dead material.
Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
Measure and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
When both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.
Most aquariums will cycle within 2-4 weeks using this technique, depending on the equipment that is installed.
Helpful Tips for Controlling Unwanted Pests:
Submerse the new rock into a bucket filled with saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.035 to 1.040 for one minute. Any invertebrates including mantis shrimp, bristle worms, and crabs will quickly evacuate from the rock and into the bucket of water.
Remove the live rock from the bucket and sort through the invertebrates in the bucket. Determine those you want to add to your system and discard unwanted pests. Bristle worms still attached to the rock can be removed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. This technique can be used to remove unwanted pests before or after curing your newly arrived live rock.
Curing Live Sand
Live sand should be rinsed in saltwater to remove any organic matter that may foul the water in the aquarium. After rinsing, the sand may be placed directly in any marine aquarium.
Remove the bag(s) of sand from shipping box and dump sand into a new 5-gallon bucket, filling the bucket 1/2 full with live sand.
Add saltwater from the aquarium until the bucket is 2/3 full of water and sand.
Slowly stir the sand by hand until the water within the bucket becomes cloudy with debris.
Discard the dirty water in the bucket and place the sand back into the shipping bag.
Lower the shipping bag to the bottom of the aquarium. Disperse the sand slowly and evenly across the bottom of the aquarium.
Repeat the above steps until all of the sand has been placed into the aquarium.
Live rock must be properly cured to create a healthy marine environment. The biodiversity found on all transported live rock undergo some degree of natural die-off, especially delicate or damaged fauna and flora. As these encrusting organisms go through this process, they produce a large amount of waste materials. Without proper curing, pollutants and toxic compounds such as ammonia are released into the water and compromise the health of your entire aquarium system. Whether pre-cured or uncured, it is crucial to never introduce any live rock to an established aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals unless it has been properly cured.
Curing Live Rock
Important: Do not place uncured live rock directly into an aquarium containing fish, corals, or other marine animals.
Note: Be sure to use gloves when handling live rock to prevent accidental cuts and potential infection.
There are many different ways to cure live rock, however, at Drs. Foster & Smith we have found the following methods to be the most effective:
Method A: Curing process of live rock for the established display aquarium that already contains fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Place the live rock in a new 30-gallon plastic garbage can. Consider adding bottom drains to the container to speed draining and water changes.
Completely cover the rock with freshly mixed saltwater, with a specific gravity of 1.021 - 1.025.
Use a heater and keep the water temperature near 80 degrees to speed die off.
Provide constant water movement with a power head or air stone.
Keep the area dimly lit to prevent algae blooms.
Perform 100% water changes twice weekly.
Gently scrub the rock with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush between water changes to remove any white film or dead material.
When the water conditions stabilize and ammonia and nitrite tests are zero, the rock is ready to be placed into the display aquarium.
Most live rock will be fully cured in 1 - 3 weeks, at which time it is safe to add to the display aquarium.
Method B: Curing process of live rock for the new aquarium that DOES NOT contain fish, corals, or any other marine animals.
Live rock may be used to cycle a new marine aquarium. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the installation of all filtration devices and accessories. Fill aquarium with freshly mixed saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.023-1.025. Activate all filtration equipment, check for leaks, and set heater and/or chiller to the desired temperature of 72-78°F.
Note: Mechanical filtration will need frequent cleaning during this cycling process.
Rinse each piece of live rock in a small bucket of saltwater to remove any loose organic matter, debris, or sand.
Place live rock into the aquarium to create a stable foundation for corals or decorations.
Keep the lighting system off during the cycling period in order to reduce the likelihood of undesirable algae growth.
Gently scrub the rocks periodically with a new nylon bristle brush or toothbrush to remove loose white film or dead material.
Perform 50% water changes weekly while siphoning out any organic matter and loose debris that accumulates at the bottom of the aquarium.
Measure and monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the aquarium weekly.
When both ammonia and nitrite levels are zero, perform a 50% water change on the aquarium.
After 24 hours, check the pH of the water and adjust as needed to achieve the desired level of 8.1-8.4.
Most aquariums will cycle within 2-4 weeks using this technique, depending on the equipment that is installed.
Helpful Tips for Controlling Unwanted Pests:
Submerse the new rock into a bucket filled with saltwater with a specific gravity of 1.035 to 1.040 for one minute. Any invertebrates including mantis shrimp, bristle worms, and crabs will quickly evacuate from the rock and into the bucket of water.
Remove the live rock from the bucket and sort through the invertebrates in the bucket. Determine those you want to add to your system and discard unwanted pests. Bristle worms still attached to the rock can be removed with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. This technique can be used to remove unwanted pests before or after curing your newly arrived live rock.
Curing Live Sand
Live sand should be rinsed in saltwater to remove any organic matter that may foul the water in the aquarium. After rinsing, the sand may be placed directly in any marine aquarium.
Remove the bag(s) of sand from shipping box and dump sand into a new 5-gallon bucket, filling the bucket 1/2 full with live sand.
Add saltwater from the aquarium until the bucket is 2/3 full of water and sand.
Slowly stir the sand by hand until the water within the bucket becomes cloudy with debris.
Discard the dirty water in the bucket and place the sand back into the shipping bag.
Lower the shipping bag to the bottom of the aquarium. Disperse the sand slowly and evenly across the bottom of the aquarium.
Repeat the above steps until all of the sand has been placed into the aquarium.
thanks
QUOTE (nanoreefnate @ Oct 2 2009, 05:28 PM)
Premium Aquatics IMO has the best stuff. especially their Timpora and Alor rock.
+1 for Premium Aquatics. The Alor rock is terrific. Very lightweight, porous, and will give you lots of coralline colors. I have about 20 pounds in my tank.
all of my rock came from yourreef they have great stuff and free shipping for you i would tell you to get the 15lb pack for 67.50 shipped
http://www.yourreef.com/LiveRock.html
http://www.yourreef.com/LiveRock.html
QUOTE (TheresaB @ Oct 2 2009, 07:49 PM)
So... how do they get live rock without destroying an existing coral reef?
(This is a real question. I purposely bought aquacultured rock because I couldn't easily find an answer and I didn't want to be directly responsible for causing more coral reef damage. On the other hand, maybe there is some way to get live rock without damaging reefs. I don't know.)
Oh, and I bought my rock from sealife. I'm quite happy with it.
I believe it's illegal for the live rock suppliers to collect anything but live rock that has been naturally broken from the reef by storms.
(This is a real question. I purposely bought aquacultured rock because I couldn't easily find an answer and I didn't want to be directly responsible for causing more coral reef damage. On the other hand, maybe there is some way to get live rock without damaging reefs. I don't know.)
Oh, and I bought my rock from sealife. I'm quite happy with it.
QUOTE (scottyreef @ Oct 3 2009, 11:13 PM)
all of my rock came from yourreef they have great stuff and free shipping for you i would tell you to get the 15lb pack for 67.50 shipped
http://www.yourreef.com/LiveRock.html
http://www.yourreef.com/LiveRock.html
looks like a sweet deal.
+1 for SeaLifeInc
I got mine from SeaLifeInc and it is hands down the most amazing rock I have ever seen. I bought it because I found the general consensus to be that SeaLifeInc was the very best. My rocks are completely covered in life. Every day I find something new sprouting off my rocks (i.e. sponges, macro-algae, etc.). It also came with a number of hitchhikers (pencil urchins, crabs, pistol shrimp, snails, worms, etc.).
I got mine from SeaLifeInc and it is hands down the most amazing rock I have ever seen. I bought it because I found the general consensus to be that SeaLifeInc was the very best. My rocks are completely covered in life. Every day I find something new sprouting off my rocks (i.e. sponges, macro-algae, etc.). It also came with a number of hitchhikers (pencil urchins, crabs, pistol shrimp, snails, worms, etc.).
The rocks from Fiji or the south pacific are generally more interesting to look at, lighter and porous. But there is really no way to get all the life on the rocks from Fiji alive to your aquarium - so there is less life and fewer hitchhikers. I believe there also may be some laws regarding this. Florida LR is farmed rock that has been thrown in the ocean for a couple years, then they pull it out and fedex next day it to your house. That's why it can be sent uncured and there should theoretically be minimal die off. So it depends what you want in your tank. Some people like all the critters that come with Florida aquaculture (some good, some bad).
QUOTE (chilyb @ Oct 4 2009, 10:49 AM)
The rocks from Fiji or the south pacific are generally more interesting to look at, lighter and porous. But there is really no way to get all the life on the rocks from Fiji alive to your aquarium - so there is less life and fewer hitchhikers. I believe there also may be some laws regarding this. Florida LR is farmed rock that has been thrown in the ocean for a couple years, then they pull it out and fedex next day it to your house. That's why it can be sent uncured and there should theoretically be minimal die off. So it depends what you want in your tank. Some people like all the critters that come with Florida aquaculture (some good, some bad).
thanks for this tidbit of info. im more or less looking for less critter hitchhikers, and more macroalgae and coral hitchhikers.
bump
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 4 2009, 08:38 AM)
thanks for this tidbit of info. im more or less looking for less critter hitchhikers, and more macroalgae and coral hitchhikers.
My rocks are covered in Halimeda, Shaving brushes, Mermaid's fans and more that I have not yet identified. No corals that I have seen so far, but definitely sponges.
QUOTE (rizakaniza @ Oct 5 2009, 09:47 AM)
My rocks are covered in Halimeda, Shaving brushes, Mermaid's fans and more that I have not yet identified. No corals that I have seen so far, but definitely sponges.
sounds great to me
I've ordered some rock for one of my tanks from intmarinefish.com and the rock wasn't all that great. I've just picked up a biocube 14 and been looking at yourreef.com or even reefcleaners or bulkreefsupply for some dryrock. I guess the choices depends on your cash flow.
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 5 2009, 04:06 PM)
sounds great to me
Did I mention featherdusters!
QUOTE (rizakaniza @ Oct 5 2009, 08:26 PM)
Did I mention featherdusters!
elaborate
QUOTE (rizakaniza @ Oct 5 2009, 08:26 PM)
Did I mention featherdusters!
although im not sure i want many live critters from florida hitchhiking on my rocks, since most likely, they will not make it into my tank, and therefore they would be dying or something of that nature
mostly still looking for live rock covered in macroalgae, sponges, and possibly some coral, with a minimum, or no hitchhikers. atm, premium aquatics in the lead....
You can always try Craigslist for local reefers getting rid of rock. I did this once and ended up with about 20 pounds of fully cured coralline encrusted pieces. Paid about $1.50 a pound.
QUOTE (rics4me @ Oct 5 2009, 10:14 PM)
You can always try Craigslist for local reefers getting rid of rock. I did this once and ended up with about 20 pounds of fully cured coralline encrusted pieces. Paid about $1.50 a pound.
dont think ill be doing that. sorry, cant always trust CL
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 5 2009, 08:25 PM)
although im not sure i want many live critters from florida hitchhiking on my rocks, since most likely, they will not make it into my tank, and therefore they would be dying or something of that nature
mostly still looking for live rock covered in macroalgae, sponges, and possibly some coral, with a minimum, or no hitchhikers. atm, premium aquatics in the lead....
mostly still looking for live rock covered in macroalgae, sponges, and possibly some coral, with a minimum, or no hitchhikers. atm, premium aquatics in the lead....
bump this. what to do with unwatned hitchhikers? do they all get thrown away? my lfs wouldnt take them....
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 5 2009, 07:25 PM)
although im not sure i want many live critters from florida hitchhiking on my rocks, since most likely, they will not make it into my tank, and therefore they would be dying or something of that nature
mostly still looking for live rock covered in macroalgae, sponges, and possibly some coral, with a minimum, or no hitchhikers. atm, premium aquatics in the lead....
mostly still looking for live rock covered in macroalgae, sponges, and possibly some coral, with a minimum, or no hitchhikers. atm, premium aquatics in the lead....
Actually, since it comes directly from Florida and sees an extremely minimum out of water time compared to rocks from Bali or Tonga, many more hitchhikers will survive than from any other LR seller. The surviving hitchhikers I got were an astrea snail, nassarius snail, pistol shrimp, 2 pencil urchins, small crab, numerous worms (me likey), featherdusters, and who knows what else. As far as macro algae and other things, mermaid fans, halimeda, gracilius (sp?), orange sponge, completely covered in coraline (purple, pink, red, orange, and green), some weird orange thing, and others to be identified.
The "aquacultured" rock is high in aragonite and called "miami oolite." It is the very best LR I have ever seen and the cost with shipping comes to about $5.75/lbs. This doesn't just look like some rock that was thrown in a vat for a while. The rock sits in the ocean for 2 years and is completely covered in life and stays mostly that way because it only ships from Florida. I lost less than 5% of visible life as my tank cycled (the process I used to cycle the tank definitely helped with that). Also, you can tell them the kinda aquascape you want to do and what size rocks you want and they will hand select them for you. I have 0 complaints. Every day I am finding new living creatures that burrowed deep inside the rock and survived the trip. That's my last pitch. I'm only saying all this because I sincerely believe this is the best looking live rock that can be bought. I searched and searched, because I wanted the best looking rock available. Good luck with your search.
BTW, I got rid of most the bad hitchhikers by doing a high salinity dip. Then I picked the evacuated creatures out that I wanted to keep and threw most of them in my fuge. When my urchins and crab get a little bigger I might try to trade them out with someone who wants them. Hitchhikers can be good for trading with someone for frags and whatnot.
QUOTE (rizakaniza @ Oct 6 2009, 01:20 AM)
Actually, since it comes directly from Florida and sees an extremely minimum out of water time compared to rocks from Bali or Tonga, many more hitchhikers will survive than from any other LR seller. The surviving hitchhikers I got were an astrea snail, nassarius snail, pistol shrimp, 2 pencil urchins, small crab, numerous worms (me likey), featherdusters, and who knows what else. As far as macro algae and other things, mermaid fans, halimeda, gracilius (sp?), orange sponge, completely covered in coraline (purple, pink, red, orange, and green), some weird orange thing, and others to be identified.
The "aquacultured" rock is high in aragonite and called "miami oolite." It is the very best LR I have ever seen and the cost with shipping comes to about $5.75/lbs. This doesn't just look like some rock that was thrown in a vat for a while. The rock sits in the ocean for 2 years and is completely covered in life and stays mostly that way because it only ships from Florida. I lost less than 5% of visible life as my tank cycled (the process I used to cycle the tank definitely helped with that). Also, you can tell them the kinda aquascape you want to do and what size rocks you want and they will hand select them for you. I have 0 complaints. Every day I am finding new living creatures that burrowed deep inside the rock and survived the trip. That's my last pitch. I'm only saying all this because I sincerely believe this is the best looking live rock that can be bought. I searched and searched, because I wanted the best looking rock available. Good luck with your search.
BTW, I got rid of most the bad hitchhikers by doing a high salinity dip. Then I picked the evacuated creatures out that I wanted to keep and threw most of them in my fuge. When my urchins and crab get a little bigger I might try to trade them out with someone who wants them. Hitchhikers can be good for trading with someone for frags and whatnot.
The "aquacultured" rock is high in aragonite and called "miami oolite." It is the very best LR I have ever seen and the cost with shipping comes to about $5.75/lbs. This doesn't just look like some rock that was thrown in a vat for a while. The rock sits in the ocean for 2 years and is completely covered in life and stays mostly that way because it only ships from Florida. I lost less than 5% of visible life as my tank cycled (the process I used to cycle the tank definitely helped with that). Also, you can tell them the kinda aquascape you want to do and what size rocks you want and they will hand select them for you. I have 0 complaints. Every day I am finding new living creatures that burrowed deep inside the rock and survived the trip. That's my last pitch. I'm only saying all this because I sincerely believe this is the best looking live rock that can be bought. I searched and searched, because I wanted the best looking rock available. Good luck with your search.
BTW, I got rid of most the bad hitchhikers by doing a high salinity dip. Then I picked the evacuated creatures out that I wanted to keep and threw most of them in my fuge. When my urchins and crab get a little bigger I might try to trade them out with someone who wants them. Hitchhikers can be good for trading with someone for frags and whatnot.
youve been great help
my only issue with critter hitchhikers is that, i dont have anyone to trade them with. i turn around with them sitting in a high salt bath, and its corn field, i dont want to kill them just because i cant take them, so id rather the rock come without them, yet, id still like as much corraline growth as possible.
and i think its great you added that part about how you can have them pick out pieces like that, cuz i wonder if they would do a high salt bath for me b4 they shipped it.
Actually, they will cure the rock for you at no additional charge.
Obviously, it will just take longer to get the rock to you. As far as trading hitchhikers, you can always mail them to someone. Just like getting livestock from an online retailer.
Obviously, it will just take longer to get the rock to you. As far as trading hitchhikers, you can always mail them to someone. Just like getting livestock from an online retailer.
QUOTE (rizakaniza @ Oct 6 2009, 08:19 AM)
Actually, they will cure the rock for you at no additional charge.
Obviously, it will just take longer to get the rock to you. As far as trading hitchhikers, you can always mail them to someone. Just like getting livestock from an online retailer.
Obviously, it will just take longer to get the rock to you. As far as trading hitchhikers, you can always mail them to someone. Just like getting livestock from an online retailer.
i dont really have a place i can mail them to, or the materials to mail them. however, i may be able to take them to my lfs.
but like i said, i dont want to kill a bunch of inverts just because i have nowhere to take them. thatd be cruel for me to do that. but i like corals
pencil urchins reef-safe? i can get those locally
nvm, they wouldnt be
bump
I got my LR from liveaquaria.com, they have lots of grades and it was on sale. I thought it was really good looking, many awesome shapes, very porous. I just washed it off really good and put it in my tank and let it cycle- it kickstarted the whole thing! cycle went HARD and FAST...no problems later on because of it.
No hitchhikers, bad OR good, which I'm actually happy about...too many horror stories, and good luck getting something bad OUT of the tank!
It may be a little more expensive, but you ALWAYS get what you pay for. PERIOD. :-)
No hitchhikers, bad OR good, which I'm actually happy about...too many horror stories, and good luck getting something bad OUT of the tank!
It may be a little more expensive, but you ALWAYS get what you pay for. PERIOD. :-)
premium aquatics still ahead atm
shot premium aquatics an email. they said i can still get my live rock with sponges and corals etc. if i order it cured. however, there is no guarantee of no critters, they said most likely there would be a few crabs or something of the like on them. but sounds like the deal closer to me
sealife inc. ftw. don't listen to these noobs saying otherwise.
QUOTE (DHaut @ Oct 7 2009, 02:27 PM)
sealife inc. ftw. don't listen to these noobs saying otherwise.
agreed.
QUOTE (DHaut @ Oct 7 2009, 03:27 PM)
sealife inc. ftw. don't listen to these noobs saying otherwise.
+1
QUOTE (matty0206 @ Oct 7 2009, 10:08 PM)
+1
they r still in the running. both premium aquatics and sealifeinc have great offers, but pricewise, sealifeinc is top
bump b4 work
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 7 2009, 08:34 PM)
they r still in the running. both premium aquatics and sealifeinc have great offers, but pricewise, sealifeinc is top
bump b4 work
bump b4 work
Quality-wise too. You won't regret it.
QUOTE (rizakaniza @ Oct 7 2009, 09:36 PM)
Quality-wise too. You won't regret it.
im not gonna lie, right now im more leaving towards sealifeinc.
the timora rock that i was going to order from premium aquatics is around 6 dollars a pound, and this rock looks about as full of life, and i can get it cured for free vs. a 50 cent extra charge for cured rock.
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 7 2009, 10:38 PM)
im not gonna lie, right now im more leaving towards sealifeinc.
the timora rock that i was going to order from premium aquatics is around 6 dollars a pound, and this rock looks about as full of life, and i can get it cured for free vs. a 50 cent extra charge for cured rock.
the timora rock that i was going to order from premium aquatics is around 6 dollars a pound, and this rock looks about as full of life, and i can get it cured for free vs. a 50 cent extra charge for cured rock.
i thought i posted here...
i got 35 lbs of the timpora from PA about 6 weeks ago... i was disappointed. granted, it was uncured, but there were no viable sponges, corals, or macroalgae visible (plenty of dead macro though), and 6 weeks in still nothing. even the coralline was so-so. i've gotten from them before and this is the worst i've seen, in the past i've gotten a lot more life from their rock. maybe my perception is off from working with incredible LR fresh out of the ocean in indonesia for research this summer, but i'm pretty sure the quality at PA has gone down... i DID get a mantis shrimp as a hitchiker though!
QUOTE (MrAnderson @ Oct 8 2009, 08:46 AM)
i thought i posted here...
i got 35 lbs of the timpora from PA about 6 weeks ago... i was disappointed. granted, it was uncured, but there were no viable sponges, corals, or macroalgae visible (plenty of dead macro though), and 6 weeks in still nothing. even the coralline was so-so. i've gotten from them before and this is the worst i've seen, in the past i've gotten a lot more life from their rock. maybe my perception is off from working with incredible LR fresh out of the ocean in indonesia for research this summer, but i'm pretty sure the quality at PA has gone down... i DID get a mantis shrimp as a hitchiker though!
i got 35 lbs of the timpora from PA about 6 weeks ago... i was disappointed. granted, it was uncured, but there were no viable sponges, corals, or macroalgae visible (plenty of dead macro though), and 6 weeks in still nothing. even the coralline was so-so. i've gotten from them before and this is the worst i've seen, in the past i've gotten a lot more life from their rock. maybe my perception is off from working with incredible LR fresh out of the ocean in indonesia for research this summer, but i'm pretty sure the quality at PA has gone down... i DID get a mantis shrimp as a hitchiker though!
im still looking for close to no hitchhikers. yet if i get some shrimp or crabs, alright. was considering a pencil urchin but found out that they sometimes munch on shrimp, and get huge.
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 8 2009, 05:36 PM)
im still looking for close to no hitchhikers. yet if i get some shrimp or crabs, alright. was considering a pencil urchin but found out that they sometimes munch on shrimp, and get huge.
thatd be the invert id want the most though is a pencil urchin. however i saw on premium aquatics or the like that there is a nano pencil urchin, although there was no name to go with it, so i couldnt confirm that it would stay small.
QUOTE (nitrofish1 @ Oct 8 2009, 05:37 PM)
im still looking for close to no hitchhikers. yet if i get some shrimp or crabs, alright. was considering a pencil urchin but found out that they sometimes munch on shrimp, and get huge.
thatd be the invert id want the most though is a pencil urchin. however i saw on premium aquatics or the like that there is a nano pencil urchin, although there was no name to go with it, so i couldnt confirm that it would stay small.
thatd be the invert id want the most though is a pencil urchin. however i saw on premium aquatics or the like that there is a nano pencil urchin, although there was no name to go with it, so i couldnt confirm that it would stay small.
this was on sealifeinc btw.
http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/product_info...products_id=197
let me know ur opinion, or if i should ask this on the invert subforum
it is a pencil urchin that is young, rather than a pencil urchin that stays small. Will grow to the diameter of about a baseball.
QUOTE (johnmaloney @ Oct 8 2009, 05:45 PM)
it is a pencil urchin that is young, rather than a pencil urchin that stays small. Will grow to the diameter of about a baseball.
would that be too big? i have a 12g, and i know this from observation, that they arent that agile....
Here's a few pics of my LR after only about a month...
i have a pencil that came on my sealife rock. love it. i'm still having things pop up out of that rock.
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