Select Fiji Premium Live Rock

[bkv1997]

Yes I have ordered from them and our club has even ordered a couple group orders from them always a great experience...

My last live order consisted of three dragon face pipefish. All of which lived, but one. He found the SEIO pump intake , which had nothing to do with the quality, etc.

Brandon

 

[bkv1997]

goda:

Hope you don't mind if i put a couple of your pics on this thread... Would just like to be able to get a good number of pics.

From your Godas red house.

"Live rock is here
not what i wanted but liveaquaria made things right. i definitly recomend them! ( www.liveaquaria.com )"

 

[SPStoner]

Here's a link to some pictures of the rock I got from L.A

I was extremely satisfied with it and will order again.


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=627995&highlight=spstoner

 

[bkv1997]

Thanks for those SPStoner.

Was that the Premium Hand selected figi?

Brandon

 

[SPStoner]

I think so. It was a gift, so I'm not exactly sure what was ordered, but it sure did come in nice.

HTH

 

[bkv1997]

SPStoner:

I just got my second call from LA customer service. No doubt they are top notch.

I hope the second box proves the first was a mistake.

Brandon

 

[ironman2]

Im interested to see what happens as well . its odd to me that it was like pulling teeth for me just to get a 2nd box just to make up the weight they shorted me, which I still ended up not getting a full 45 pounds. and the second box was the same quality stuff. they never offered to send me lalo rock.
I hope If nothing else this will change there policy of descibing there rock, or change the quality of the rock they are sending out.
I would love to some day read posts that their rock is what they described. maybe then I would consider doing buissness again.

 

[thefishguy3]

Well, of course Brandon, I can probably assure you that you will get some very nice live rock now.

Unless they are idiots, I am sure your order has now gotten "special attention".

After several phone calls, messages, emails, pictures, and posts on here, I am sure you will get what you were supposed to get in the first place...

But who wants to have to go through all that?

 

[bkv1997]

One would hope, but I got the feeling even after talking with them it was not the coralline as to why they were replacing it it was because of the rubble and the weight.

Even as nice as they have been, it is really why I posted the pics here. Does anyone think the pictures I posted is 80-90% coralline covered or even close?

I honestly suspect I'll get another box with bigger pieces, but the growth coverage will be the exact same.

We will know tomorrow.
Brandon

 

[SPStoner]

Hey Brandon,

I think there is more corraline than you think on the rock in the pictures you posted. I can see quite a bit of it, actually. Corraline algae does lose quite a bit of color when it is out of water for any length of time. Typically, you will have most of it recover within 4 weeks or so in a properly balanced aquarium.

In this picture, I can see almost 90% of the rock covered by coralline that will color back up to pink and purple under the right conditions. I know people expect to get rock that is completely purple and pink right out of the box, but it almost always does not come in that way.

Just to illustrate my point, take a powerhead encrusted with corraline out of your tank and let it sit covered with a damp paper towel, for a day or two. I guarantee the coralline turns almost completely white.


Just my 2 cents. FWIW, corraline is overrated anyway. I spend a good two hours every week trying to get it OFF the glass on my tanks, a real PITA!!!

Anyway, I am sure that Liveaquaria will make sure you are satisfied. They are the best in the business.


Tony

 

[bkv1997]

Maybe I'm just spoiled then our LFS sells LR that is completely purple like the ones in the pictures.....

I guess maybe I was just expecting a better deal. As I could have bought it in atlanta hand picked for 5.99 a pound... A bit more in price, but then again not 1.59 in shipping.

I personally disagree that it is 90% in coralline and if I have to wait 4-6 weeks for it to be that way, that makes no sense.... I can put lace rock in my tank that will be covered in 6-8 weeks. So i guess the issue is if the product would have been marketed as you will have 90% coverage 6 weeks after you buy it... Then I would have went with the cheapest and not paid extra for the rock with growth.

Oh well different expectations by differend people I guess.... I would do as thefishguy suggested though... post pictures of what the product will look like when it arrives, not how it is going to look after sitting in your tank with the right calcium/alkalinity and lighting for 4 to 6 weeks.

Start shipping people brown acros that will turn blue in 6-8 weeks and see how many people go for that... Same thing in my book.

Brandon

 

[ironman2]

As far as Im concerned once coraline dies its no longer coraline, it becomes part of the rock. As far as I understand once it dies its dead, new coraline may grow back quicker on its old skeletin. like brandon said, in the local fish stores we call that stuff base rock. the issue is: this is labeled hand picked by our staff, select, 80 - 90 percent coraline coverage rock. by that description I expect to get at a minimum better rock than I can get locally. cause the rock the local stores get isnt hand picked or garantied to have any coraline coverage.
Its a advertising problem. they have done a excellent job of listing everthing a reef adict wants to get in one package. and its a big let down when nothing about the rock is as described.

 

[BadOleRoss]

Over the last several months I have ordered about 400lbs of LR from LA. For the most part the rock has looked pretty darn good. I have found that I get better rock when I order the 90# large rock box instead of the 45# box. My last several boxes have had great coraline and really nice shapes. I did however receive an 8" sponge that I feel should not have been on precured rock. Overall, I would order from them again.

 

[bkv1997]

Well here are the follow up pics, as I promised.

I was suppose to get 30 pounds of lalo rock as compensation for the bad rock I initially recieved. Heres what I recieved.

On the weight Issue.

Ok the box had some damage from shipping so I took pictures before opening it. Even cut the cardboard off to see if hte styrofoam took damage from Fedex.

Pictures of the rock coming in the next post.

To be continued....

 

[bkv1997]

Pictures of the Rocks.

Rubble in the bottom of the box.

All I can say is WOW... you should see them now after the sand etc was washed off...LA for sure made it right. If I ever had to order more LR I would defintly give LA another try on LR..

Thanks LA for making this better. I can honestly say this was way more than I expected. Thanks again and I'll be ordering again soon.

Thanks
Brandon

 

[RevHtree]

That's why I love LA. If they make a mistake, which happens to every company, they REALLY make it right.

I have lost two live items over my ordering history with them. Both times they made it right no questions asked.

 

[ironman2]

It looks alot better, you can definatly see the coraline, and theres more life on it. there also appears to be alot les rubble.
Just for the record though. this still isnt what you get when you order the select figi right? that was there more expensive uncured lalo rock they sent you for your trouble. So we still dont know what well get when we order. but I guess they did make it right even if you had to deal with the problems.

Thanks live aquaria for taking care of this! I will consider ordering again, but probly still not the liverock.

 

[bkv1997]

Good point Iron it isn't the same rock....

I would like to know what a good order of it looks like for future reference.

Just so you know the Lalo is a little more dense, which probably helps with shipping breaks etc...

I don't think I could have asked for anything more though on this issue.

Brandon

 

[pufferpoison]

i had a problem with LA with my first batch, but also had a problem with another company. After talking with a CR from LA, they replaced the box and WOW it's the best rock you can imagine. Mine looks alot like the stuff pictured above.
THey do have the best CS in the business.

 

[AquaticFanatic]

I just ordered 30 lbs of lalo select live rock from liveaquaria.com, it's supposed to come in Thursday. i'm hoping for the best. I will understand some die-off because of how long it's going to take to ship.
I do have to say anything is better than my LFS! I swear the rocks in my garden have more life on them than my LFS! The pics above look magnificent compared to this stuff. I bought 25 lbs. the man soaked a brown paper bag and wrapped it up. The live rock had nothing live about it. It was as bare as any ordinary rock. My dad couldn't understand why they called it live rock.

So anywho, I'm hoping the stuff from liveaquaria will be better.

i'll keep you posted