Good Online Live Rock

[less than bread]

I’m getting ready to set up my new tank. The main hurdle is live rock. My LFS only has white dry rock for sale which I’m not really a fan of. Any good online dealers of live rock you guys would recommend? Looking for 20 lbs

[M. Tournesol]

Are you from the US, Europe ,or other? 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

I bought some about a year and a half ago, from Tampa Bay Saltwater. I went with them, because they air freighted it, shipped in water. 
 

I had a buddy get rock from Gulf Live Rock. It was nice, and I ended up buying a couple pieces from him. 
 

I can recommend both - but the TBS was a little blockier than the GLR. 

 

There’s also lots of people on this forum that have ordered from KP Aquatics, and seem happy with it. I have not used them yet.

 

With any live rock, there’s a chance you could get pests. We ended up with multiple gorilla crabs. 

[happyhourhero]

I ordered some from gulfliverock. Got the nano box. I was a 1 day ship. It came in stinky but is really great and lots of life. I added one rock per day to my 25 and left the rest in a tub with powerhead and heater. My tank was up and running though. If it were new I would have just cycled with the gulf rock. 

[DaJMasta]

I got rock for my current tank from Salty Bottom Reef Company and was pleased with the service and the rock (lots of hitchhikers - mantis shrimp, pistol shrimp, sea urchins, brittle stars, serpent stars, corals, macroalgae, wing oysters, lightbulb anemones, etc.) and had it air freighted so ultimately it was only in the box for something like 12 hours.

In the past I've been very pleased with rock from KP Aquatics, but I don't know what availability is like now - it wasn't in stock when I was looking.

[Jakesaw]

1 hour ago, less than bread said:

I’m getting ready to set up my new tank. The main hurdle is live rock. My LFS only has white dry rock for sale which I’m not really a fan of. 

By all means get live rock if you want.  But re: The White rock, it doesn't stay that color.  I started with purple rock & White Marco Rocks.  My White rock turned from white, to yellow, to greenish, etc. 

 

A little light, nutrient, and time, and it'll look look like an ocean rock.  Just won't have the hitchhikers that come along with ocean rock.

[less than bread]

1 hour ago, M. Tournesol said:

Are you from the US, Europe ,or other? 

US

[less than bread]

Thank you all! Looks like I have a few different places to look into

[less than bread]

On 9/10/2021 at 5:36 PM, DaJMasta said:

I got rock for my current tank from Salty Bottom Reef Company and was pleased with the service and the rock (lots of hitchhikers - mantis shrimp, pistol shrimp, sea urchins, brittle stars, serpent stars, corals, macroalgae, wing oysters, lightbulb anemones, etc.) and had it air freighted so ultimately it was only in the box for something like 12 hours.

In the past I've been very pleased with rock from KP Aquatics, but I don't know what availability is like now - it wasn't in stock when I was looking.

I would honestly love to get a mantis shrimp as a hitchhiker. I’d have no problem setting up a dedicated tank for probably the coolest (in my opinion) aquatic animal there is

[DaJMasta]

I ended up getting three in ~40 pounds of rock and a spawning event less than a week after it was in the tank!  Managed to catch and give away all three - while very cool critters, I wanted a bunch of inverts and only small fish.... so not the ideal tankmates.

IMO that's the right line of thinking to go with maricultured rock instead of cured rock or dry rock.  There can be pests, but you get so much diversity and you get so many little things you've never seen or heard of before.

[Tamberav]

On 9/10/2021 at 4:18 PM, less than bread said:

I’m getting ready to set up my new tank. The main hurdle is live rock. My LFS only has white dry rock for sale which I’m not really a fan of. Any good online dealers of live rock you guys would recommend? Looking for 20 lbs

 

KPA aquatics is my favorite. The shapes are fantastic and porous. 

 

I didn't like gulf live rock. Lots of life on it but it was sort of like boulders. 

[mcarroll]

On 9/10/2021 at 6:56 PM, Jakesaw said:

A little light, nutrient, and time, and it'll look look like an ocean rock.  Just won't have the hitchhikers that come along with ocean rock.

According to the vendors who make live rock it takes a couple of years in "perfect" ocean conditions to turn that stuff into "real live rock".  

 

No way it's happening as good or as fast in a bare aquarium with NOTHING TO SEED IT except the fish, corals and CUC you add.

[Jakesaw]

14 hours ago, mcarroll said:

According to the vendors who make live rock it takes a couple of years in "perfect" ocean conditions to turn that stuff into "real live rock".  

 

No way it's happening as good or as fast in a bare aquarium with NOTHING TO SEED IT except the fish, corals and CUC you add.

My post was in response to him " NOT LIKING " the white color of dry rock. It doesn't stay white very long with a good reef light above. 

[mcarroll]

On 10/11/2021 at 9:50 AM, Jakesaw said:

My post was in response to him " NOT LIKING " the white color of dry rock. It doesn't stay white very long with a good reef light above. 

Totally agree on that...within a few months it'll look more alive.

 

My post was just attempting to follow your part of the discussion from earlier in the thread by adding to what you said...no disagreement at all.  Quoting seemed logical at the time for continuity's sake.  I guess I prolly didn't need to quote you.  (Thanks, Internet!  LOL  Elsewhere in life you quote words to talk more about the words, to ground a discussion, etc.  Has nothing to do with calling anyone out for any reason at all. 😉)

 

So, to the reader, in general:  😉

I was just trying to comment on the longer term aspect of dead rock actually "becoming like live rock" vs just looking less-bad than dead rock and being capable of oxidizing ammonia.  

 

An under gravel filter also looks less bad than dead rock and can also oxidize ammonia.  

 

Nobody confuses UGF's with dead rock even though they function the same.  But confusion about this is way too normal when it comes to dead rock. 🙂 

 

Turning dead rock into bio-media, which takes 30-40 days, is NOT the same as creating live rock...which according to the professionals takes a couple years or so, in the ocean and all that that entails.  

 

Seemed worth pointing out just for clarity or whatever.  🤷‍♂️😉

 

To get myself on-topic (at least a little), I was BEYOND HAPPY to learn that Tampa Bay Saltwater did not go out of business after all!!!  I can't wait for them to get back into the swing of things!

 

@less than breadPost pics of your rock when you get it...wherever it's from!  🙂 

[less than bread]

On 10/12/2021 at 10:10 AM, mcarroll said:

Totally agree on that...within a few months it'll look more alive.

 

My post was just attempting to follow your part of the discussion from earlier in the thread by adding to what you said...no disagreement at all.  Quoting seemed logical at the time for continuity's sake.  I guess I prolly didn't need to quote you.  (Thanks, Internet!  LOL  Elsewhere in life you quote words to talk more about the words, to ground a discussion, etc.  Has nothing to do with calling anyone out for any reason at all. 😉)

 

So, to the reader, in general:  😉

I was just trying to comment on the longer term aspect of dead rock actually "becoming like live rock" vs just looking less-bad than dead rock and being capable of oxidizing ammonia.  

 

An under gravel filter also looks less bad than dead rock and can also oxidize ammonia.  

 

Nobody confuses UGF's with dead rock even though they function the same.  But confusion about this is way too normal when it comes to dead rock. 🙂 

 

Turning dead rock into bio-media, which takes 30-40 days, is NOT the same as creating live rock...which according to the professionals takes a couple years or so, in the ocean and all that that entails.  

 

Seemed worth pointing out just for clarity or whatever.  🤷‍♂️😉

 

To get myself on-topic (at least a little), I was BEYOND HAPPY to learn that Tampa Bay Saltwater did not go out of business after all!!!  I can't wait for them to get back into the swing of things!

 

@less than breadPost pics of your rock when you get it...wherever it's from!  🙂 

I had an order in with Salty Bottom Reef but after chatting with them the logistics of actually getting the live rock would have made it not worth it. I would have had to go to the airport to pick it up and that’s just not in my ability to do. So I ended up going with dry “real reef rock” from Saltwater Aquarium. It appears to be rock that used to be live or something.. idk haha. I have no problem letting my rock mature as I did with my first tank. It’s kind of fun to watch it come alive.

[mcarroll]

Some folks do make it work with less problems.  Patience and experience definitely helps!!!

[Jakesaw]

21 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Some folks do make it work with less problems.  Patience and experience definitely helps!!!

As a dry rock starter,

 

I'm in month 10 and never really had any serious algae blooms.  Got whacked by a surprise DINO outbreak on glass that lasted longer than I wanted it.  Came from low nutrients and am slowly correcting that by dosing Phytoplankton to raise nutrients on the recommendation of local coral specialty store.  

 

In the process I introduced a small rock from LFS with coraline algae and a sponge. Tank is getting it's first green algae growth on the glass along with some red - signs of Coraline algae spreading a bit too as my Dino appears to be receding at the same time. 

 

Admittedly, I wasn't testing along the way and may have been further along if I had, but to each his own path.  Long way to say I agree patience is required in this hobby.