TBS for over a year
- Thread starter Abynum1
- Start date
Abynum,
I have not had any experience with TBS live rock, but I am also considering purchasing some in the very near future for a new tank I'm setting up. The jury is still out, as I also have the same concerns you do, though I am leaning toward going the TBS route.
I think hdtran hit the nail on the head. It looks like TBS did not really become popular (at least with the crowd here on RC) until last summer, so there simply are not many people here with a year-long experience (whether good or bad). It's like asking for people with at least a year's worth of experience driving a 2004 BMW 760Li to comment on its quality, and then assuming that the quality sucks because no one responds.
Also, I believe it is an (unfortunate) RC truth that people are at least 10 times more likely to tell you about a negative experience they have had with something than about a positive experience. As such, even if there were many people with more than a year's worth of experience with TBS live rock, the fact that substantially no one responds to your post is a positive, not a negative, sign.
Just my $0.02.
-Todd
I have not had any experience with TBS live rock, but I am also considering purchasing some in the very near future for a new tank I'm setting up. The jury is still out, as I also have the same concerns you do, though I am leaning toward going the TBS route.
I think hdtran hit the nail on the head. It looks like TBS did not really become popular (at least with the crowd here on RC) until last summer, so there simply are not many people here with a year-long experience (whether good or bad). It's like asking for people with at least a year's worth of experience driving a 2004 BMW 760Li to comment on its quality, and then assuming that the quality sucks because no one responds.
Also, I believe it is an (unfortunate) RC truth that people are at least 10 times more likely to tell you about a negative experience they have had with something than about a positive experience. As such, even if there were many people with more than a year's worth of experience with TBS live rock, the fact that substantially no one responds to your post is a positive, not a negative, sign.
Just my $0.02.
-Todd
Cearbhaill
Premium Member
Well- I was one of the ones who complained about boulders, and it was purely because I did not request flat pieces to start with. By the time I realized what I had done by not being specific enough Richard had already contacted me in order to replace my rock- only because he saw a post of mine here.
Once he knew I wanted more flat and porous pieces he sent me flat and porous pieces. It really is that easy.
Once he knew I wanted more flat and porous pieces he sent me flat and porous pieces. It really is that easy.
thethirdofnine
New member
Size and shape
Size and shape
I can't talk about length of time, as I'm only about 7 weeks into TBS, but I can say I received a wide variety of shapes and sizes of rock. This is particularly remarkable, because the only thing I told Richard was that I had two openings at the top of my 65 gallon tank which were 9x12 inches. He did a wonderful job of providing me with large and small, irregularly shaped pieces that fit into the tank as required and allowed me to build a lovely structure in my tank that would look attractive if there wasn't a single live item on it (which at 7 weeks is hardly the case). I hope that's helpful?
Size and shape
I can't talk about length of time, as I'm only about 7 weeks into TBS, but I can say I received a wide variety of shapes and sizes of rock. This is particularly remarkable, because the only thing I told Richard was that I had two openings at the top of my 65 gallon tank which were 9x12 inches. He did a wonderful job of providing me with large and small, irregularly shaped pieces that fit into the tank as required and allowed me to build a lovely structure in my tank that would look attractive if there wasn't a single live item on it (which at 7 weeks is hardly the case). I hope that's helpful?
Yeah the owners pick the rocks themselves, Richard and Mark are 2 of the coolest guys I have ever done business with, and they will cutom taylor your package to what you want specifically, right down to the size and shapes of the rocks!
I'm sure if you are a little specific in your order you will get just what you want
Good luck!
I'm sure if you are a little specific in your order you will get just what you want
Good luck!
I have had TB and Gulf View in my tank for about 4 years. No pictures of just the rock itself though.
As has already been stated, many different shapes and sizes, some boulder like, some flat, etc...
As far as the plant life goes, I still have a great deal of Halimeda that grows from one rock (has been trimed back many times) Twig alagae on different rocks, coralline algae and Sargassam for about 2 years (died off and didn't come back). The plants/algae that I was able to get off the rocks before they took over the tank , Dictyota, a small grape caulerpa, Y branch. The algae I still haven't gotten rid of is Valonia (many different species
).
Other life on the rock that is still there, corals- both stony as well as gorgs, 2 varieties of sponges, feather dusters, most likely a crab or two, 2 out of about 8 original oysters, a couple of astreas, 1 rock urchin, 1 chiton and of course bugs and worms.
IME the life that dies the quickest (within a month or two) is chicken liver sponge. In the furture I will scrape this off before I put it into the tank. Barnacles also don't seem to survive for more than 6 months or so. Note: I would be willing to bet a dollar that someone will be right behind me saying they have chicken liver sponge and barnacles that have been in their tanks sense the 60's
.
Anyway, alot of what lives and dies will be dependent on what water conditions the rock goes into. My goal was to have success with gorgs and stonies, another may be interested in filter feeders etc...
Steve
As has already been stated, many different shapes and sizes, some boulder like, some flat, etc...
As far as the plant life goes, I still have a great deal of Halimeda that grows from one rock (has been trimed back many times) Twig alagae on different rocks, coralline algae and Sargassam for about 2 years (died off and didn't come back). The plants/algae that I was able to get off the rocks before they took over the tank
, Dictyota, a small grape caulerpa, Y branch. The algae I still haven't gotten rid of is Valonia (many different species ). Other life on the rock that is still there, corals- both stony as well as gorgs, 2 varieties of sponges, feather dusters, most likely a crab or two, 2 out of about 8 original oysters, a couple of astreas, 1 rock urchin, 1 chiton and of course bugs and worms.
IME the life that dies the quickest (within a month or two) is chicken liver sponge. In the furture I will scrape this off before I put it into the tank. Barnacles also don't seem to survive for more than 6 months or so. Note: I would be willing to bet a dollar that someone will be right behind me saying they have chicken liver sponge and barnacles that have been in their tanks sense the 60's
.Anyway, alot of what lives and dies will be dependent on what water conditions the rock goes into. My goal was to have success with gorgs and stonies, another may be interested in filter feeders etc...
Steve
Abynum1
Premium Member
cool guys,It would seem that most of the people who wern't happy really wern't very specific when ordering. I'm going to tampa in about a month on buisness so I'm going to stop in and discuss it w/Richard in person while looking at the rock.Sounds like they're really good people to deal with.
Bax
Premium Member
Abynum1 -
My tank has not been up for a year but I'll tell you what I did any way.
I cycled my tank with 10 pounds of live rock from the LFS. That would equal to about 20% of the 50 pounds total rock I wanted for the 26 g tank. (That rock turned out to be Tonga deep water rock)
I then ordered 30 pounds of TBS after the cycle and assembled my own clean up crew. (I got 3 rounder pieces and several random shapes all is porous, lots of tubes and small caves, any carbonate rock can have varying density and my pieces do)
Since then I've been hand picking a piece here and a piece there of LR from LFS to fit gaps and bring my total LR up to + or - 50 pounds.
My point being, you don't have to buy only one kind of rock, you can always mix and match to build exactly what you want and get the benefits of the TBS (or other Gulf rock) hitch hikers (and draw backs {mantis}). I now have lot's of diversity in the rock shapes and the micro and macro critters that come with them.
And, SPC, I do have one chicken liver sponge that, so far, has survived and is doing well.
My tank has not been up for a year but I'll tell you what I did any way.
I cycled my tank with 10 pounds of live rock from the LFS. That would equal to about 20% of the 50 pounds total rock I wanted for the 26 g tank. (That rock turned out to be Tonga deep water rock)
I then ordered 30 pounds of TBS after the cycle and assembled my own clean up crew. (I got 3 rounder pieces and several random shapes all is porous, lots of tubes and small caves, any carbonate rock can have varying density and my pieces do)
Since then I've been hand picking a piece here and a piece there of LR from LFS to fit gaps and bring my total LR up to + or - 50 pounds.
My point being, you don't have to buy only one kind of rock, you can always mix and match to build exactly what you want and get the benefits of the TBS (or other Gulf rock) hitch hikers (and draw backs {mantis}). I now have lot's of diversity in the rock shapes and the micro and macro critters that come with them.
And, SPC, I do have one chicken liver sponge that, so far, has survived and is doing well.
->L<- REEF
New member
Im just sittin here with a grin from ear to ear. I've had my TBS rock for almost 9 months and the only die off I've had is the stuff that goes real quick and the stuff that MR. Mantis decided should be dead, but as far as shapes and pouristy goes I guess I got a good batch. I also mixed and matched Fiji and TBS. The big picture is this TBS gives you a glimpse into the real Reef, not one piece of fiji rock that I have seen in a LFS even comes close. My attitude is if 50% of the life on TBS rock dies then I still have 49% more than fiji rock comes with period! I recently posted about getting unwanted critters off the rock, if I would have done that when I got my rock I am sure I would have way more life left than I do now. Anyway happy rock hunting, buy what your comfortable with.
->L<- REEF
New member
Its the post that says unwanted critters go bye bye!
->L<- REEF
New member
Right below your post.
cgh38
Member
it's been only 5 months but so far I'm happy with my purchase of TBS rocks some things died off like some sponges but other encrusting sponges red and orange are growing mine are not just big boulders there's lots of crevices were fish go swimming in and out including a mantis that so far he has only killed gorilla crabs but his digging creates a sandstorm and it clouds up the water sometimes so I don't think you want IT in your reef, the other only thing is my rocks came with a lot of clams, they are cool to watch when they open and close but I'm running out of room to to add some corals, otherwise excellent service from Mary and Richard and Their Rocks and LS is the closest to a real reef you'll have in your house.
Check out some pics of my setup here:
http://www.geocities.com/reefaquarist2002/index.htm
Check out some pics of my setup here:
http://www.geocities.com/reefaquarist2002/index.htm
NoobieNemo
New member
Hey Bax, I just got accepted into Chapel Hill (UNC), I'm going with international studies...but I wanna switch my major to whatever you do! lol, what do you do for a living?
NoobieNemo
New member
did that blue stuff come on your TBS btw bax?
NoobieNemo
New member
haha, yea i meant cgh!
