Seeding dry base rock

[geno7]

Hello Premium Aquatics,,,

I have some dry base rock that I want to seed with coralline, pods, etc. What do you guys have that you could suggest with the most bio-diversity? I was checking out reef rubble or maybe a small quantity of uncured live rock. I will be adding this and waiting a month or two before adding any livestock.

Thanks, you guys have all ways been the best.

 

[Premiumaq]

Geno - for the best diversity of critters, definitely consider the rubble. It comes from a 800-gallon pool that has been running since we opened shop in this location. You cannot beat it for having a long-standing, diverse array of pods and micro-dusters.
As for Coraline algae, most of the rubble is kept under lower lighting to encourage more of a 'refugium' effect in that pool. The critters are more active under the lower lighting, but the coraline encrustation is minimal on most of those pieces.
I'd suggest you call in your order, and have the livestock picker use his discretion in finding you a couple of smaller pieces with some great color. He'll have the best idea of what has color, how cured it is, and where to find it among the pools.

 

[geno7]

Thank you, with the extreme temperatures, how's shipping. Should I wait for a warm up?

 

[Premiumaq]

I would wait for a warmer time to ship... It's possible to get it now, but you'll experience die-off on a lot of the critters/coraline you were wanting to use for seed. The rock creates its own humid environment in the box, so as long as the temps stay above freezing, it's possible to keep almost everything in the rock alive. I used to open boxes off the boat from Fiji and have stone crabs and amphipods come scurrying out onto my hands. With temps where they've been for the last few weeks, though, I'm pretty sure even the warm humid rocks couldn't keep things from freezing solid.

Once it's a little warmer outside (above freezing for a few days would be great!) you should have no trouble getting the rock with minimal die-off. Even Ground shipping to Dixie should suffice once there's no threat of a freeze.