Live rock

[sergemelnikoff]

I've been out of the reef world for 10-12 years. Is it my faulty memory or has "live rock" changed ? What I have seen in the local stores, labeled live rock, is what in the past we called "base rock".
Was in one retailer today that had a live rock bin (no lighting) that had no apparent life forms what so ever. Is this what I can expect? Who may have better stuff?

 

[mike_cmu04]

BAse rock is just dry rock the rock you are seeing in the bins is cycled rock that already has bacteria living on it. The base rock is the same thing you just have to cure it with some live rock to get the bacteria on it.

 

[SushiGirl]

People used to call rock with coralline and other goodies & critters on it "live rock" but "live" nowadays really only refers to rock with beneficial bacteria already established. Good luck finding an LFS nowadays that has non-bare rock!

 

[zmckenzie]

I have to say that what is considered quality live rock has even changed from when I first started in 2006. I think a lot of this has to do with the new laws put into effect prohibiting the collection of live rock for many areas. Today most are buying "dry rock" and seeding it with live sand, muds, or grunge which helps limit the pest you get. If you want rock full of life you will want to check out some of the maricultured machine rock from sea life inc or tampa bay saltwater to name two.

 

[sergemelnikoff]

I understand what live rock is. I am questioning if the term has changed over the years. For example, what was once considered high quality (encrusted with all sorts of living things), even exists. Fifteen years ago, purchasing live rock would get you all sorts of critters and life forms. What I see locally is bare white rock called "live rock" that nobody would even consider purchasing in the past.
Am I behind the times?

 

[sasharotty]

Am I behind the times?

Yes you are.lol I see at some lfs "live rock" with no coraline growth or "critters" all the time.Just be patient and you will find the stuff your looking for but it might be 9 bucks a lb. when you do at the lfs.Get your rock from a fellow reefer always a better buy than the lfs.

 

[SushiGirl]

Yep. That's what I thought I said in my post LOL.
You can still get rock with stuff on it, but it's mostly on line and from places like zmckenzie mentioned. Google live rock and hit the Shopping link at the top of the results page. I haven't found any at an LFS, and I spent 2 weekends driving from one to another (over a dozen), it's all bare & has pests on it too.

 

[cloyd A.]

Sadly,because of costs,a lot of places are shipping their live rock to the states by boat,so by the time you get it it's base rock. As was suggested above there are some sites on the internet that still get live rock by plane. Bluezoo.com has some very decent live rock,I recently bought 65 lbs.,that is very similar to Marshall Island rock. Nothing in the way of corals on it but it has some coralline spotted all over with quite a bit of worms and etc.I bought the rock about 3 mos. ago and I have a new feather duster so far. I think I paid around $5 a lb.+ shipping. Good Luck

 

[SushiGirl]

I just got some Vanuatu on Wednesday from vividaquariums.com. Great coralline, but I haven't seen any critters yet. It was 2 day shipping directly from Indonesia and was pre-cured (hence no critters LOL). Very light rock, so lots of it for the weight.

 

[allsps40]

I got my rock a few years ago it is a premium tonga kolini rock. Got if fresh from shipping, lots of color and life on it and a nice stink from die off. Now 3 years later I have so many pods, snails, stars, worms and sponges from the rock. I have seen many stores that have white no color live rock for sale, I would not buy that stuff. It is normal not to have lights over live rock tanks. Keeps algae growth down, keep in mind the die off any high nutrients that will be in the water.

 

[csharps42]

Live rock

I agree with you, it is not like it used to be, I have been in hobby since before corals were being kept, lots of good advancements in equip, but you just dont get the size of corals that you used to without paying an arm and a leg, live rock is the same, I found some last night at a local pet store, they are a chain, its called petland, best rock I had seen in a long time, all kinds of different coraline on it and really cool shape, problem was it is 7.99 a lb, they are calling it hand picked fiji, they say it has only been out of the ocean for 24-48 hrs before getting it. I am now selling my old live rock and getting this, so keep looking you will find something, or if you are a millionare you will have no problem finding rock at 1 of the premium places on line.

 

[Cloudburst2000]

I got lucky with part of my live rock. I happened in on one of the LFS one day and they were selling some beautiful LR with corraline algae, etc. Someone had just broken their tank down and sold all their LR to the store. I came in right after they left and bought myself several nice pieces. All other LR I got from local reefers.

I looked at LR online from some dealers but it was mega bucks especially with the shipping. My new tank is going to use base rock from reefcleaners and a couple nice pieces of LR from existing tank to seed.