Geekdafied--You are correct, what you have is probably limestone and good for your aquarium as far as buffering is concerned. However, it probably has a ton of phosphate in it. TN and AL limestone is packed with phosphate. If your brother is a geologist, he should be able to tell you this. The rock also probably does have some amount of iron and other non-reef safe minerals. There was a huge article written on base rock 5-7 years ago where a geologist researched rock makeup all over the country. He/She showed data showing that if you want calcerous rock without phosphate and iron, you need to get it from the Miami/Keys area. I would not put what you have in my reef. Your welcome to do what you want with your tank, I just wanted to pitch in my two cents.
Dead Rock
- Thread starter geekdafied
- Start date
waynesworld
Premium Member
Mike the well I used the water was in SD. I don't think I would be able to get to water with out a very large shape charge as I am on top of a bunch of rocks.
geekdafied
In Memoriam
I have never had any problems with phosphate. But I do also run charcoal in my filters since I run and open top on my tank. Never know what could get in there by accident. All they people that use "holey" rock which is limestone, never have mentioned aby problems with phosphate either.
geekdafied
In Memoriam
lol dont get me started on that tampa bay saltwater rock stuff... I have heard so many complaints about that place.
TBS rock is awsome. Its in such high demand that if you place an order you can often expect to wait quite along time before you receive it.
I am a little biased. I have 175 lbs of it. Have had it for over three years. Stated out with a 30lb package then upgraded to a 75 gallon package in a 75 gallon reef ready. I have hundreds of different types of sealife in my tank that you just cant buy. I dont know of any other way you could get the kind of stuff that survives the trip from TBS to your tank.
Of course there are negative stories; setting up a tank with rock and sand that has life that you expect to live can be a challenge if you dont follow a well thought out plan. You have to do the exact reverse of what most are told to do when setting up a reef tank. Mainly you have to do very large water changes for the first 2-4 weeks, and you have to check the rock for any large sponges or other life that may have died and scrub it. Otherwise its great. The hairy crabs and mantis that live in my reef tank that came as hitchhikers are just part of my tanks ecosystem. As long as enough food makes it to the floor they dont bother anyone. Between them , the 15 serpent stars, and the cucumber, my sand stays pretty free of detrius without any help by me.
I am a little biased. I have 175 lbs of it. Have had it for over three years. Stated out with a 30lb package then upgraded to a 75 gallon package in a 75 gallon reef ready. I have hundreds of different types of sealife in my tank that you just cant buy. I dont know of any other way you could get the kind of stuff that survives the trip from TBS to your tank.
Of course there are negative stories; setting up a tank with rock and sand that has life that you expect to live can be a challenge if you dont follow a well thought out plan. You have to do the exact reverse of what most are told to do when setting up a reef tank. Mainly you have to do very large water changes for the first 2-4 weeks, and you have to check the rock for any large sponges or other life that may have died and scrub it. Otherwise its great. The hairy crabs and mantis that live in my reef tank that came as hitchhikers are just part of my tanks ecosystem. As long as enough food makes it to the floor they dont bother anyone. Between them , the 15 serpent stars, and the cucumber, my sand stays pretty free of detrius without any help by me.
geekdafied
In Memoriam
I use to work at LFS here and ordered 100lbs of fiji rock direct from fiji, overnighted, had to pick it up at the airport. To this day (3years later) stuff still just shows up. I have some kind of stomatella, that is unknown. I have been intouch with people from the australian zoo to find out what exactly is, and the most they could come up with is some type of stomatella that is undescribed to their knowledge. They asked me to send it to them to study it, and I was like "hell naw!" if its something unknown, why would I want to part with it? haha.
turboex901
New member
it would be cool if you sent it to them though, maybe they could throw youre name into the scientific name......kinda like helfrichi's firefish
<~~~steveIts rare to be able to get Carib. rock that has only been out of the water for 24 hours. Overnight from Fiji has got to be really expensive for 100's of lbs.
That is the difference with some aquaculture rock. It is never out of the water. It goes straight from the ocean to a container with saltwater, it is stored in large containers with proper filtration and water movement, and when it ships it is in water and overnight via air-freight.
Someone should setup a company selling Carib rock that is truly live, and shipped in water. I have a feeling it has not been done because it cant be done without losing money, or having to charge 30 bucks a pound.
That is the difference with some aquaculture rock. It is never out of the water. It goes straight from the ocean to a container with saltwater, it is stored in large containers with proper filtration and water movement, and when it ships it is in water and overnight via air-freight.
Someone should setup a company selling Carib rock that is truly live, and shipped in water. I have a feeling it has not been done because it cant be done without losing money, or having to charge 30 bucks a pound.
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geekdafied
In Memoriam
water weighs like 8.4lbs per gallon, so to ship rock with water can get extremely expensive, thats why its shipped wet. I have a good method for curing liverock if you're interested in it, its a method I perfected working at the fish store. We use to order 100's of lbs of it. I came up with a method that has very little dieoff, only thing that doesnt make it, is stuff that died during transit.
I dont cure live rock at all. I put it into my tank live, and keep it live.
Tampa Bay Saltwater ships their rock in water, and litrally it is on its way to your airport the same day it leaves their facility (it is same day delivery). When I got mine it had been in transit only 8 hours, and that included waiting to be loaded, flight, and pickup. To top all that off it is shipped in water. There are 100's of snails, crabs, serpent stars, sea cucumbers, etc that are hitchhiking. Its just a different kind of experience compared to live rock that is actually in a state of decay (how much decay varies).
Tampa Bay Saltwater ships their rock in water, and litrally it is on its way to your airport the same day it leaves their facility (it is same day delivery). When I got mine it had been in transit only 8 hours, and that included waiting to be loaded, flight, and pickup. To top all that off it is shipped in water. There are 100's of snails, crabs, serpent stars, sea cucumbers, etc that are hitchhiking. Its just a different kind of experience compared to live rock that is actually in a state of decay (how much decay varies).
waynesworld
Premium Member
Well if you need to train some of your crews you can come down here and pop me in a few deep holes I was thinking of a geothermal chiller for the big tank
If you watch Dirty Jobs tonight on the Discovery Channel he is drilling water wells in TN with Watson Drilling. He drills in your area I think. 
