where is good place to buy live rock from?

Sydoriakp · 08/25/2013, 03:40 PM

id like the rock to be rather disc like or plate like as im planning on drilling it and using fiberglass rods to make my structures where is good place to buy it at a fair cost. my lfs has what I want but its 8.99 lb .....little pricey as tank is 90 gallon and I want 90lbs of rock. any good "secret places"? any feedback is nice ty -phil

vitz · 08/25/2013, 05:09 PM

i'd suggest a far lower ratio of rock to your gallonage.

.5-.75 lbs/gallon is more than enough to carry any tank from a biological perspective.

more than that, you start to sacrifice water volume for nothing more than extra dirt trapping waste producing 'habitat', and reduced water flow around the 'stack'

hth

Sydoriakp · 08/25/2013, 05:39 PM

hey thanks so much ill do that ive been reading for a few hours now and thi nk im just going to get a 50 lb box itll be around 175 with shiping... not bad..

Sydoriakp · 08/25/2013, 05:40 PM

this tank I also plan on plumbing a 55 sump and a 55 fuge/frag tank

d2mini · 08/25/2013, 07:07 PM

If you are going to be drilling and creating structures, I suggest you go with dry rock. This way you won't be rushed and won't have the die-off that you would with having the live rock out of the water.
And it will be cheaper.

Sydoriakp · 09/09/2013, 09:22 AM

very nice idea as I do have some live rock to seed the tank

not to mention dry rock is much cheaper and the time will be needed as I can work slow at times ty so much for the reply that's my plan now ty so much

d2mini · 09/09/2013, 09:24 AM

Yep.

If you need some really good live rock for seeding, I always recommend Tampa Bay Saltwater. But it sounds like you may already have that covered.

Sydoriakp · 09/09/2013, 09:27 AM

no I do need some good live rock my tank I have I let slip about a year ago and think I lost several species totally. I think I should get at least some new pieces although me reading has left me fearful of pests..

d2mini · 09/09/2013, 10:15 AM

There are typically two "pests" to (somewhat) worry about with TBS. Gorilla crabs and Mantis Shrimp. Chances are good you'll get some. But they are never something i worry about. Gorillas are usually easy to catch when you see them. Mantis are a little tougher to hunt but with some patience I can always nab those too. I wait till they get hungry and come out. Then i lower my 24" forceps into the tank real slow. They are curious and brave creatures and will usually snap at the forceps so i can get real close and wait until i have a chance to snap them up. Usually only takes me 1-3 tries.

I've never had a nuisance algae issue or majanos or anything like that with TBS rock. It's great stuff. The benefits far outweigh any minor negatives.
You'll probably get lots of cool hitchhikers like porcelain crabs, baby urchins, sponges, pods, macro algae, etc.

dkeller_nc · 09/09/2013, 12:07 PM

This is something I've noted on other threads, but starting with dry rock(completely dry rock) does not significantly reduce your chances of getting reef pests unless you don't plan on putting any live coral, invertebrates or fish into the tank.

Yes, you can avoid big crustacean pests like mantis shrimps and predatory crabs, and you can also avoid something truly terrifying like a bobbit worm. But the former aren't a big deal to catch, and the later is quite rare.

But you absolutely cannot avoid exposing your tank to valonia (bubble algae), caulerpa, Acropora-Eating Flat Worms, Montipora-Eating Nudibranchs, Zoanthid-Eating Nudibranchs, pyramid snails, etc. because the egg and larval stages are so small.

Yes, you can quarantine the snot out of everything, but this requires setting up a quarantine tank for the coral that has most of the accoutrements of a reef tank (strong lighting, water movement, skimmer, etc..). And I can assure you that while dipping coral will help you to minimize exposure, it's definitely not a panacea.

So fear not - conquering a pest, be it flora or fauna, builds skills.

Sydoriakp · 09/09/2013, 09:28 PM

ty so much

and I think that I do want some of these fun creatures so ty and tbs sounds like a great plan as I don't need much I am downsizing from 125 to 90 and have prolly 90 lbs already so just a bit is needed just to give it some of the lost life... ty guys

08/25/2013, 03:40 PM	#1
Sydoriakp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 85	where is good place to buy live rock from? id like the rock to be rather disc like or plate like as im planning on drilling it and using fiberglass rods to make my structures where is good place to buy it at a fair cost. my lfs has what I want but its 8.99 lb .....little pricey as tank is 90 gallon and I want 90lbs of rock. any good "secret places"? any feedback is nice ty -phil

08/25/2013, 07:07 PM	#5
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	If you are going to be drilling and creating structures, I suggest you go with dry rock. This way you won't be rushed and won't have the die-off that you would with having the live rock out of the water. And it will be cheaper. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

09/09/2013, 09:22 AM	#6
Sydoriakp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 85	very nice idea as I do have some live rock to seed the tank not to mention dry rock is much cheaper and the time will be needed as I can work slow at times ty so much for the reply that's my plan now ty so much Last edited by Dino; 09/10/2013 at 04:23 AM. Reason: Multiple posts back to back

09/09/2013, 09:24 AM	#7
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	Yep. If you need some really good live rock for seeding, I always recommend Tampa Bay Saltwater. But it sounds like you may already have that covered. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

09/09/2013, 10:15 AM	#9
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 10,344	There are typically two "pests" to (somewhat) worry about with TBS. Gorilla crabs and Mantis Shrimp. Chances are good you'll get some. But they are never something i worry about. Gorillas are usually easy to catch when you see them. Mantis are a little tougher to hunt but with some patience I can always nab those too. I wait till they get hungry and come out. Then i lower my 24" forceps into the tank real slow. They are curious and brave creatures and will usually snap at the forceps so i can get real close and wait until i have a chance to snap them up. Usually only takes me 1-3 tries. I've never had a nuisance algae issue or majanos or anything like that with TBS rock. It's great stuff. The benefits far outweigh any minor negatives. You'll probably get lots of cool hitchhikers like porcelain crabs, baby urchins, sponges, pods, macro algae, etc. __________________ -dennis Elos Diamond 120xl \| Elos Stand \| Radion G4 Pros \| GHL Profilux Controller \| LifeReef Skimmer \| LifeReef Sump Photos taken with a Nikon D750 or Leica M.

08/25/2013, 05:09 PM	#2
vitz Moved On Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 987	i'd suggest a far lower ratio of rock to your gallonage. .5-.75 lbs/gallon is more than enough to carry any tank from a biological perspective. more than that, you start to sacrifice water volume for nothing more than extra dirt trapping waste producing 'habitat', and reduced water flow around the 'stack' hth

08/25/2013, 05:39 PM	#3
Sydoriakp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 85	hey thanks so much ill do that ive been reading for a few hours now and thi nk im just going to get a 50 lb box itll be around 175 with shiping... not bad..

08/25/2013, 05:40 PM	#4
Sydoriakp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 85	this tank I also plan on plumbing a 55 sump and a 55 fuge/frag tank

09/09/2013, 09:27 AM	#8
Sydoriakp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 85	no I do need some good live rock my tank I have I let slip about a year ago and think I lost several species totally. I think I should get at least some new pieces although me reading has left me fearful of pests..

09/09/2013, 12:07 PM	#10
dkeller_nc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Central NC Posts: 5,062	This is something I've noted on other threads, but starting with dry rock(completely dry rock) does not significantly reduce your chances of getting reef pests unless you don't plan on putting any live coral, invertebrates or fish into the tank. Yes, you can avoid big crustacean pests like mantis shrimps and predatory crabs, and you can also avoid something truly terrifying like a bobbit worm. But the former aren't a big deal to catch, and the later is quite rare. But you absolutely cannot avoid exposing your tank to valonia (bubble algae), caulerpa, Acropora-Eating Flat Worms, Montipora-Eating Nudibranchs, Zoanthid-Eating Nudibranchs, pyramid snails, etc. because the egg and larval stages are so small. Yes, you can quarantine the snot out of everything, but this requires setting up a quarantine tank for the coral that has most of the accoutrements of a reef tank (strong lighting, water movement, skimmer, etc..). And I can assure you that while dipping coral will help you to minimize exposure, it's definitely not a panacea. So fear not - conquering a pest, be it flora or fauna, builds skills.

09/09/2013, 09:28 PM	#11
Sydoriakp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 85	ty so much and I think that I do want some of these fun creatures so ty and tbs sounds like a great plan as I don't need much I am downsizing from 125 to 90 and have prolly 90 lbs already so just a bit is needed just to give it some of the lost life... ty guys Last edited by Dino; 09/10/2013 at 04:23 AM. Reason: Multiple posts back to back