Where Do You Buy Your Live Rock?

[drummereef]

For those that use REAL live rock in your tanks - what kind, how much and where did you buy from? How was your buying experience and would you buy again?

*Please, no dry rock suggestions - thank you*

 

[chucklez]

Got most of mine from locally from Corner Reef. Picked up a box of their premium rock they got in a few weeks back, and it had some very nice shelf pieces.

Some of the other rock I got I picked up when i bought my first 125, and some more from a guy on Craigslist. Im not sure if it was from there or from somewhere else, but I picked up a aptasia problem that I cant seem to beat. Almost to the point i am about to take out some of the more infected rock and fresh water soak them over night.

 

[mpcart]

Bought TBS rock 10 years ago for my 58 and loved it. It still looks great and I have 10 year old sponges and other junk still growing on it.

For my 240 I bought from Live Aquaria and supplemented with two large pieces picked out from the LFS.

For me, live rock is the only way to go.

-Mike

 

[mpcart]

Haven't checked your thread in a while. Are you starting over or adding another tank?

-Mike

 

[MayoBoy]

I bought it from all over to get as much different fauna as possible. I think I got it from 3 or 4 different stores and paid anywhere from 5.99 to 7.99 a lb (that was for Fiji branch). I had all sorts of pods, brittle stars, asterinas, gray and black stomatellas, etc.

Of course once I put the yellow coris wrasse in there, he ate all the pods and brittle stars so that didn't work out so well...anyone want to buy a yellow coris wrasse?

 

[kegogut]

I bought it from all over to get as much different fauna as possible. I think I got it from 3 or 4 different stores and paid anywhere from 5.99 to 7.99 a lb (that was for Fiji branch). I had all sorts of pods, brittle stars, asterinas, gray and black stomatellas, etc.

Of course once I put the yellow coris wrasse in there, he ate all the pods and brittle stars so that didn't work out so well...anyone want to buy a yellow coris wrasse?

I wouldnt mind a yellow coris wrasse~

 

[Aqua Man 07]

i picked up 2 boxes at tcr for a like 165 a piece i think there is more left. its some nice stuff for sure it is figi.

 

[Nanook]

Liveaquaria on sale, Fiji Premium. But, if the LFS can get fresh rock,then I'd give them some business.

 

[drummereef]

Wow guys, thanks for the response! :thumbsup:

 

[drummereef]

Haven't checked your thread in a while. Are you starting over or adding another tank?

-Mike

It's the same tank. Just to the point with dry rock that I literally want to pull my hair out. :lol: Had some BRS Pukani in my refugium for literally a YEAR with no algae problems at all, nothing. The rock "looked" great in the fuge, coralline was growing fast and even some sponges. Then I put a few of the pieces in my display and it's all gone downhill from there. Some weird brown cyano bloom attacking the corals and probably has killed my elegance. So I'm giving it a couple weeks to see if it turns around but I'll never never never start a tank with only dry rock again. I'd rather have some pests to look at at this point than a tank with suffering corals.

 

[drummereef]

Liveaquaria on sale, Fiji Premium. But, if the LFS can get fresh rock,then I'd give them some business.

Nook, did you buy the 45lb or 90lb boxes? I read a thread some people complained the smaller boxes were full of rubble, not many large pieces. Any truth to that?

 

[mpcart]

I bought the 45lb boxes and was disappointed in the lack of large rocks so I would recommend at least one big box for base rocks. I ended up hand picking to larger rocks at the LFS to complete my aqua scape.

Here is a picture if the LA boxes and what was in them. From my build thread.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2267778&page=6

When I called LA to express my disappointment they gave me a sizeable credit. Great service.
-Mike

 

[mpcart]

Also if you scroll further down the page you can see the aqua scaping. I only have 1/2-2/3 of the rock in my display. The rest is in the sump. If you are going for an open look then you don't need a lot. I ordered 270 lbs of their Fiji premium and probably have less than 200 LB in the DT including the two large pieces I got at the LFS.

-Mike

 

[drummereef]

Also if you scroll further down the page you can see the aqua scaping. I only have 1/2-2/3 of the rock in my display. The rest is in the sump. If you are going for an open look then you don't need a lot. I ordered 270 lbs of their Fiji premium and probably have less than 200 LB in the DT including the two large pieces I got at the LFS.

-Mike

Thank you Mike!! That's exactly what I wanted to see. The rock looks great btw. :thumbsup: After you cured the rock, did you have any algae cycles once you put light on it?

 

[mpcart]

The only issue I had wS your typical diatoms, then what might have been the start of dinos, followed by cyano. The dinos went away with a 72 hour blackout followed by two weeks of hydrogen peroxide dosing. The cyano followed immediately after and a single dose of chemiclean handled that. All of that was about three months after putting light on. Since then I've had zero algae. And I mean ZERO. Nothing green or brown grows in these rocks. (Knock on wood).

-Mike

 

[drummereef]

The only issue I had wS your typical diatoms, then what might have been the start of dinos, followed by cyano. The dinos went away with a 72 hour blackout followed by two weeks of hydrogen peroxide dosing. The cyano followed immediately after and a single dose of chemiclean handled that. All of that was about three months after putting light on. Since then I've had zero algae. And I mean ZERO. Nothing green or brown grows in these rocks. (Knock on wood).

-Mike

Awesome, thanks for that information. :thumbsup: And THAT'S what I think is wrong with dry rock, no competition to compete with the bad stuff. I've had literally 5 years of off and on issues with dry rock - It's ridiculous to say the least. Had you any experience with dry rock in the past before you bought the stuff from LiveAquaria? (sorry for all the questions).