SpareParts Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Hi all, I posted the following over in the beginners forum. I want to thank the folks who responded there, but I'm not sure how many of the Forum regulars troll the beginners area. So- I thought I might post this topic here as well in order to generate a bit more discussion. Hello all - I recently decided to get back into the hobby after a 18 year absence. Yes, you read that right. Last time I was into SW was 1989-90. I had a crushed coral bed on top of an undergravel filter. I knew very little about nitrates, nitrates, etc. Never did a water change and had a plain old fluorescent bulb for lighting. And how did I do with all that, one might ask? If my intent were to kill fish and invertebrates, then I would say marvelously well! Eventually went off to college and my parents promptly emptied the fetid mess I left behind and that was it. Fast forward to today - now I'm married with 4 kids, got a house to take care of, 2 cats a demanding job and all the other usual domestic stuff. So- to keep my sanity I want to get back into the hobby. One aspect of the hobby I dearly miss is the peaceful feeling I had when sitting and looking at the tiny organisms inhabiting the live rock. I personally require peace and quiet from time to time, so I think the best substitute is going to be getting back into the hobby. Which now leads me to my question. I'm in the research stage right now for system setup. Pretty much decided on a Red Sea Max. Am reading several books on the subject, including Tullock's Natural Reef Aquarium and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. I'm looking to do this thing right the first time. Since I enjoy live rock so much, I'm hoping you all can give me a recommendation as to where and what I should buy when I get the RSM. I've read all of you talk about the hitchhikers on your rock and THAT is what I want. I go to these LFS's in my area and they have rock that looks like it was cast in concrete molds about 2 weeks ago. I want rock that: 1) Has LOTS of hitchhikers/algae/coraline(not sure of the coraline) 2) Is very porous 3) Won't have been harvested by dynamite or other unethical methods I know this is probably asking a lot, but I'm also willing to pay a premium for it. Ok, let's see what happens! Link to comment
dshnarw Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 1) Has LOTS of hitchhikers/algae/coraline(not sure of the coraline)2) Is very porous 3) Won't have been harvested by dynamite or other unethical methods I know this is probably asking a lot, but I'm also willing to pay a premium for it. Ok, let's see what happens! My recommendation, based on those criteria, is the cultured rock from tampa bay saltwater. It's my favorite live rock source for both the fact that its a cultured product, and because of the quality and diversity of the rock. There are TONS of hitchhikers including corals, plenty of macroalgaes, and a fair amount of coralline. It's not the most porous rock out there, but not the most dense either (the downfall of most cultured rock). You can always very porous base rock to go behind the cultured rock. No dynamite, no unethical methods. Depending on your location, you can probably find an LFS that carries their live rock, or cultured rock from a similar place. It's usually a bit more expensive, but adding the base rock behind it will cut down on the cost a bit. Good luck on your new tank Link to comment
SpareParts Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 My recommendation, based on those criteria, is the cultured rock from tampa bay saltwater. It's my favorite live rock source for both the fact that its a cultured product, and because of the quality and diversity of the rock. There are TONS of hitchhikers including corals, plenty of macroalgaes, and a fair amount of coralline. It's not the most porous rock out there, but not the most dense either (the downfall of most cultured rock). You can always very porous base rock to go behind the cultured rock. No dynamite, no unethical methods. Depending on your location, you can probably find an LFS that carries their live rock, or cultured rock from a similar place. It's usually a bit more expensive, but adding the base rock behind it will cut down on the cost a bit. Good luck on your new tank TBS ROCKS!! They're precisely what I'm looking for. Thanks for the heads-up! Link to comment
musho3210 Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 US laws state that all international live rock must be cleaned of all visible life before it can be sold. So you lose a lot of hitchhikers that way and the hitchhikers that survive are the ones that are very hardy, and can hide in the pores of the rock. They allow coralline though. TBS and sealife and gulf view on the other hand, they dont follow that law because they are from american AND they are aquacultured so they are allowed to bend the rules a bit. So you will find much more visable life/hitchhikers on TBS/sealife/gulf view. And as was said before, TBS/sealife/gulf view and other aquacultured rock is considered more ethical and environmentally friendly. Link to comment
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