Good live rock vendor?

kupadupapupa · 02/16/2020, 02:10 AM

Anyone know any good live rock vendors that sell fiji rock?

Michael Hoaster · 02/16/2020, 01:22 PM

I don't think that is available anymore. I think the choices are farmed Florida live rock and dry dead rock.

ThRoewer · 02/16/2020, 01:52 PM

See if you can get some from people breaking their tanks down... These days that's pretty much the only way to get actual live rock.
Only other option would be to get a boat, sail it to a coral island, load up the ballast tanks with illegally harvested rock,...

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Michael Hoaster · 02/16/2020, 02:02 PM

Tampa Bay Saltwater and Gulf Live Rock are two farmed live rock venders that would happily sell you legal, and legitimately good live rock. I like gulfliverock.com because they include shipping in the price, and the rock is bursting with life.

Misled · 02/16/2020, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

I think the choices are farmed Florida live rock

Got mine here.

ThRoewer · 02/16/2020, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Tampa Bay Saltwater and Gulf Live Rock are two farmed live rock venders that would happily sell you legal, and legitimately good live rock. I like gulfliverock.dot because they include shipping in the price, and the rock is bursting with life.

From what I understand they use mined fossil reef rocks or man-made rocks and put them into the ocean to be resettled with life. It's definitely great rock, especially if you are setting up a Caribbean biotope tank. Though, most people will have trouble to maintain most of the lifeforms that come with those rocks.
Those rocks also lack the internal micro porosity of ocean grown live rock. And that micro porosity is one of the greatest value of ocean grown live rock.

What is the best solution depends largely on what kind of tank you want to set up.
For an SPS tank you might actually be best served with mined or man-made rocks as they are definitely free of pests.
For a tank with finicky fish (mandarins, pipefish, seahorses,...) or if you like all those little hitchhikers that come with rocks from the ocean then the cultured rocks are are your best choice.

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clevername · 02/18/2020, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThRoewer

From what I understand they use mined fossil reef rocks or man-made rocks and put them into the ocean to be resettled with life. It's definitely great rock, especially if you are setting up a Caribbean biotope tank. Though, most people will have trouble to maintain most of the lifeforms that come with those rocks.
Those rocks also lack the internal micro porosity of ocean grown live rock. And that micro porosity is one of the greatest value of ocean grown live rock.

What is the best solution depends largely on what kind of tank you want to set up.
For an SPS tank you might actually be best served with mined or man-made rocks as they are definitely free of pests.
For a tank with finicky fish (mandarins, pipefish, seahorses,...) or if you like all those little hitchhikers that come with rocks from the ocean then the cultured rocks are are your best choice.

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Agree with this. I would look into WHY you want ocean live rock and go from there. I think people like the idea on paper but when it comes into action, i see over and over its a whole mess. With HUGE die off, then algae bloom, then pests and diseases. I know we like to THINK we are keeping a little slice of the ocean but its actually extremely hard to do. Ocean rock has way more things mother nature keeps in check that we cannot.

dadnjesse · 02/18/2020, 01:05 PM

I bought live rock from Gulf Live Rock. It came covered in Aiptasia. I tried to keep it in a container and kill it but the stuff keeps coming back. I gave up and stuck the rock outside in the snow. Aquacultured live rock claims to be Aiptasia free.

Dmorty217 · 02/19/2020, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misled

Got mine here.

+1 by far the best live rock available on the market. I have purchased from Richard a few times and since he only ships air freight the rock doesn't die off on the trip to you, like all other rock you will get. He also has pukani live rock which is covered in life, I purchased a single 60lb piece from him and the only thing that died off from the trip were 2 shrimp that hitch hiked and a sea squirt.

Timfish · 02/19/2020, 10:53 AM

You definitely want to get maricultured live rock. It's the best source for the cryptic sponges so essential to removing the labile DOC that can cause problems with corals. (My preference is Gulf Live Rock but make sure you specify air frieght.) For more information on how DOC impacts reefs a very readable introduction is Forest ROhwer's "COral Reefs in the Microbial Seas". For more detailed info here's two searches on Scholar.google you can look at

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?h...DCNS+DOC&btnG=

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?h...+sponges&btnG=

kupadupapupa · 02/25/2020, 11:26 PM

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, i will look into Tampa Bay Saltwater

02/16/2020, 02:10 AM	#1
kupadupapupa Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 344	Good live rock vendor? Anyone know any good live rock vendors that sell fiji rock?

02/16/2020, 01:22 PM	#2
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	I don't think that is available anymore. I think the choices are farmed Florida live rock and dry dead rock. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

02/16/2020, 01:52 PM	#3
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	See if you can get some from people breaking their tanks down... These days that's pretty much the only way to get actual live rock. Only other option would be to get a boat, sail it to a coral island, load up the ballast tanks with illegally harvested rock,... Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

02/16/2020, 02:02 PM	#4
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Tampa Bay Saltwater and Gulf Live Rock are two farmed live rock venders that would happily sell you legal, and legitimately good live rock. I like gulfliverock.com because they include shipping in the price, and the rock is bursting with life. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018 Last edited by Michael Hoaster; 02/16/2020 at 02:14 PM.

02/19/2020, 10:53 AM	#10
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	You definitely want to get maricultured live rock. It's the best source for the cryptic sponges so essential to removing the labile DOC that can cause problems with corals. (My preference is Gulf Live Rock but make sure you specify air frieght.) For more information on how DOC impacts reefs a very readable introduction is Forest ROhwer's "COral Reefs in the Microbial Seas". For more detailed info here's two searches on Scholar.google you can look at https://scholar.google.com/scholar?h...DCNS+DOC&btnG= https://scholar.google.com/scholar?h...+sponges&btnG= __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

02/18/2020, 01:05 PM	#8
dadnjesse Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Raymond NH Posts: 210	I bought live rock from Gulf Live Rock. It came covered in Aiptasia. I tried to keep it in a container and kill it but the stuff keeps coming back. I gave up and stuck the rock outside in the snow. Aquacultured live rock claims to be Aiptasia free.

02/25/2020, 11:26 PM	#11
kupadupapupa Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 344	Thanks everyone for the suggestions, i will look into Tampa Bay Saltwater