To my knowlege, my listing of live rock and live rock substitutes is the most comprehensive on the internet (or at least on Google). My hope is that it will be a guide for those looking to purchase or make rock. I made a fancy chart on Word but couldn't figure out how to get it on here (you'll just have to wade through the verbage). :hmm5:
All comments are anecdotal. That is, the comments were gleaned from many comments I found during my research. None of the live rock listed reflects my own opinion. I'd be interested in revising it should all you guru's find anything wrong with this listing, just let me know in comments.
Bali: light-weight, expensive, some Heliopora w/fragile pieces, Purple Popcorn w/bumps, extra-large pieces, shapely
Brazillian Rock: good base rock, inexpensive
Caribean/Haitian: very dense, little pore space, plate-like structure, red colored coraline, ancient coral heads that have re-encrusted with coraline, many open areas
Cook Island: collection now banned
Fake Texas Holey Rock: made from sand with polymer binder, very large pieces (30" x 16" apprx), good for structure work, no buffering capacity, no leaching earth/mineral elements
Fiji Rock: more expensive, porous, better for filtration, lighter, varying shapes, various sizes, pink/purple/green coraline
Florida Gulf Rock: purveyor of cultured live rock. inexpensive, non-porous, dense, mantis shrimp hitchikers
Foam Reef: insulating foam & 2 part marine epoxy finish coat with sand/crushed coral, lightweight, naturalizes as well as live rock, no buffering capacity, no leaching earth/mineral elements
Indian Rock: good base rock, inexpensive
Irian Jaya Rock: purple/multi-colored coraline, same density as Fiji rock, open holes & crevices
Java/Indonesian Rock: many different shapes, multi-colored coraline, porous, some branching, some plates
Key Largo Rock: base rock, porous, light-weight, great surface area, quarried rock, reef friendly
Lalo Rock: non-porous, dense, unique shapes, re-colonized heads of ancient coral, branching & plates
Make-your-own Arogocrete: environmentally friendly, good porousity, must cure rock for months before use, heavy, non-porous, promotes nuisance algae, no buffering capacity, leaches no earth/mineral elements
Marco Rock: purveyor of base rock
Melanesian Rock: red/pink/purple coraline, very porous, lightweight
Moon Rock: calcium-based, base rock, large divits
Solomon Rock: some tall/spiky, open holes & crevices, multi-colored coraline
Tampa Bay Aquacultured: purveyor of cultured live rock, dense, mantis shrimp hitchhikers, inexpensive
Tonga Branch: good for hiding places, varying shapes, lightest of all, gaps between branches, good for circulation, unusual shapes, collection now banned
Tonga Rock: dense, elongated, collection now banned, re-colonized heads of ancient coral, large pieces
Vanuatu Rock: light-weight, open holes & crevices, rugged appearance, fragile, orange peel look, smaller
Walt Smith/Kaelini Rock: popular purveyor of partially cured Fiji live rock
I'm also linking to a poll posted on Reef Sanctuary that gives a non-biased assessment of the different kinds of live rock available.
All comments are anecdotal. That is, the comments were gleaned from many comments I found during my research. None of the live rock listed reflects my own opinion. I'd be interested in revising it should all you guru's find anything wrong with this listing, just let me know in comments.
Bali: light-weight, expensive, some Heliopora w/fragile pieces, Purple Popcorn w/bumps, extra-large pieces, shapely
Brazillian Rock: good base rock, inexpensive
Caribean/Haitian: very dense, little pore space, plate-like structure, red colored coraline, ancient coral heads that have re-encrusted with coraline, many open areas
Cook Island: collection now banned
Fake Texas Holey Rock: made from sand with polymer binder, very large pieces (30" x 16" apprx), good for structure work, no buffering capacity, no leaching earth/mineral elements
Fiji Rock: more expensive, porous, better for filtration, lighter, varying shapes, various sizes, pink/purple/green coraline
Florida Gulf Rock: purveyor of cultured live rock. inexpensive, non-porous, dense, mantis shrimp hitchikers
Foam Reef: insulating foam & 2 part marine epoxy finish coat with sand/crushed coral, lightweight, naturalizes as well as live rock, no buffering capacity, no leaching earth/mineral elements
Indian Rock: good base rock, inexpensive
Irian Jaya Rock: purple/multi-colored coraline, same density as Fiji rock, open holes & crevices
Java/Indonesian Rock: many different shapes, multi-colored coraline, porous, some branching, some plates
Key Largo Rock: base rock, porous, light-weight, great surface area, quarried rock, reef friendly
Lalo Rock: non-porous, dense, unique shapes, re-colonized heads of ancient coral, branching & plates
Make-your-own Arogocrete: environmentally friendly, good porousity, must cure rock for months before use, heavy, non-porous, promotes nuisance algae, no buffering capacity, leaches no earth/mineral elements
Marco Rock: purveyor of base rock
Melanesian Rock: red/pink/purple coraline, very porous, lightweight
Moon Rock: calcium-based, base rock, large divits
Solomon Rock: some tall/spiky, open holes & crevices, multi-colored coraline
Tampa Bay Aquacultured: purveyor of cultured live rock, dense, mantis shrimp hitchhikers, inexpensive
Tonga Branch: good for hiding places, varying shapes, lightest of all, gaps between branches, good for circulation, unusual shapes, collection now banned
Tonga Rock: dense, elongated, collection now banned, re-colonized heads of ancient coral, large pieces
Vanuatu Rock: light-weight, open holes & crevices, rugged appearance, fragile, orange peel look, smaller
Walt Smith/Kaelini Rock: popular purveyor of partially cured Fiji live rock
I'm also linking to a poll posted on Reef Sanctuary that gives a non-biased assessment of the different kinds of live rock available.
