Anyone here with TBS experience?

B

Bortass

Premium Member
Do any of you have any experience with Tampa Bay Saltwater? What I've read in the general forums has been positive.

He mentioned that he's shipped to the Portland Airport a number of times. So I was wondering if it was to SWAM members.

I need to fill the 120 I bought from Wynne. The tank looks real empty with just the contents of my old 55....
 
I heard lots of reports of not so good hitchhikers. I was thinhing of going the TBS route, but after reading I decided to go with dry rock.
 
Yeah, if you want good hitchhikers ya gotta risk the bad. The two things that I'd worry the most about is mantis and the big eyed cirnloid(sp?) that are fish parasites.

Well see ;)
 
I've heard mostly good things about them. I think there is a forum for them in the Vendor Forum. Biggest concern is unwanted hitchhikers. I bought some aquacultered live rock from a place in Florida a few years back. It came from the Keys though. I'm happy with my rock. I did have 2 mantis shrimp.
I think TBS gets most of theirs from the Gulf. I did visit their store in Florida a few years ago too.
 
This is the hitch hiker that most are concerned with.
I believe it was in Florida rock. Extremely difficult to get rid of
Cirolanid isopods


http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/bp/index.php

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69594&highlight=Cirolanid+bite
Quote from link above

" Evil Pod's?

Hi Dr Ron

lastnight I had my hand in my tank after lights out. I felt a sharp pain like getting stuck by a needle well I pulled my hand out to find a pod stuck between my fingers without looking at it I killed it but I did have my skin broken by this thing and was bleeding. what kind of pod would do this?
the tank is new no fish no nothing really just cleanup critters and about 75lbs live rock "
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9074342#post9074342 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bortass
Yeah, if you want good hitchhikers ya gotta risk the bad. The two things that I'd worry the most about is mantis and the big eyed cirnloid(sp?) that are fish parasites.

Well see ;)
Click to expand...
Of course, but it's the proportion. Gorilla crabs, mantis shrimps, evil pods, plus some die off in shipping, it's not worth it. Sure you may get some cool ones, even some encrusted corals, but are you ready to battle a mantis(or 2, or 3) after the rock is in your tank?
 
There was a thread on another forum where the guy posted pictures of all the rock and listed the bad stuff he picked out. The rock looked amazing and was covered in tons of good stuff. I think he said he picked out like 16 gorilla crabs and 2-3 mantis shrimp. He didn't mention anything about bad pods though.

It seems like it would be a great route to go for a new setup or if you could put it in a holding tank for awhile and pick the bad stuff off.

Good luck!
Dave
 
The one semi-good thing is that I only have 1 fish, Bi-color Angel, in the tank. If I had known that I was gonna upgrade my 55 I would of waited on buying it.

The biodiversity is what caught my eye of the rock. I have 3 anemones in the tank that came with LR. Not aptaisa:)
 
Cool. If I were in your shoes I would buy the TBS rock and spend some time watching it in the tank picking out the bad guys. There is no better way to add diversity to your tank IMO. I think the real bad experiences come from people putting this rock in existing aquariums or people who really don't want to spend the time and effort to catch all the bad guys. It can be pretty frustrating!

Dave
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9081085#post9081085 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naturebatslast
Of course, but it's the proportion. Gorilla crabs, mantis shrimps, evil pods, plus some die off in shipping, it's not worth it. Sure you may get some cool ones, even some encrusted corals, but are you ready to battle a mantis(or 2, or 3) after the rock is in your tank?
Click to expand...

No joke- the mantis can break glass (or your finger if you get lucky and it is not the tank it goes after)- even the thickness of an Oceanic tank. They are no joke.

Wow, I just reread that- I'd rather break my finger than the tank. <------ Hardcore Reefer I guess...

LOL
Laurie
 
The biodiversity is what caught my eye of the rock. I have 3 anemones in the tank that came with LR. Not aptaisa:) [/B]
Click to expand...

One reason for all the bio-diversity is that the stuff survives better during the short trip form the Caribbean. The trip form the Pacific takes it's toll...

My guess is the anemones you got were the atlantic anemone aka, condy or condylactis (sp) IMO not good for much unless you are going for a reef specific tank....... Some clowns will host to it but not many.. also I read recently that clowns that do host with 'abnormal' hosts tend to be prone to skin issues.

I guess I am an anemone snob ;)

Do watch out for the bad guys though....

Denise
 
I ordered 125lbs of TBS rock when I first started my tank (unfortunately, I sold everything about four years ago when I moved). I picked the rock up at the Portland Airport, five boxes worth. Most of the bags were broken, but most of the rocks were still submerged.

Observations:

Pros: Wow! Amazing life on the rocks! Absolutely incredible!


Cons: I had 11 mantis shrimp, ranging from 1/2 inch to 21/2 inches. I also had about 30 pistol shrimp in the tank. All the Manis in my rock was of the black variety... no Peacocks.

It took me about 6 months to get all the mantis from the tank.

In order for a mantis shrimp to break aquarium glass it would have to be at least six inches long!

Just my 2 cents.
 
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