What Kind of Live Rock to get

[DrDave88]

Each day i will be zeroing in on a new question before i start my tank next month -

today's qusestion is:

What live rock do you reccomend. There are tons of different kinds, but i am have no idea what to base my decsion on. It is going in a 55, and i am going to start FOWLR, and slowly get the hang of it before i start putting anything else in there. I will have live sand, and will be purchasing the LR MO.

I want to obviously get enough critters to seed my sand bed, and i want to get enough extras on the rock as i can. I enjoy the purple on the Fiji, don't want branch rock, but what else is there to look for? i don't require extra large pieces, what am i leaveing out when considering what to buy?

-dr

 

[Len]

Since you're only about an hour away from Harbor Aquatics, I suggest you visit them to purchase your live rock needs. Their live rocks are renowned for the diversity of life on them. Being so close (and being able to transport them from their facilities to your tank completely submerged) will likely ensure you have great rocks. www.harboraquatics.com

 

[Anonymous]

DrDave88

I bought live rock from Harbor Aquatics on April 26th. I posted a bunch of pictures on this thread.

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12309

 

[leftovers]

I'm confused was there something wrong with the rock you initially bought? Or are you looking for other ideas for your tank?

 

[fsa]

DrDave, I've heard a lot of good stuff about www.gulf-view.com. Supposed to be loaded with life and critters. Also have heard good things about www.tbsaltwater.com.

 

[fishfarmer]

I just setup my 55 so I know they can be PITA to aquascape. I have 20 lbs of Fiji, 30 lbs of Gulfview, plus ~15 lbs of base rock, plus DSB.

If your within an hour from Harbor Aquatics and like Fiji rock, by all means, buy your rock there. I've never bought from them but have bought from another vendor(Paragon Aquatics) which cures their own raw rock IN COUNTRY and has a similar reputation as Harbor Aquatics.

I really like the Gulf View rock. At 4.33 a lb FEDEX delivered, it is about the same as most of the Fiji rock vendors if your buying small amounts. I had a very quick cure. I asked Dale specifiacally what size pieces I needed and I got exactly what I wanted. It is a little denser than the Fiji I've bought but the shapes of the rocks were comparable. Life on the rock was excellent, conparable to what I could handpick out of the bins at Paragon.

 

[DrDave88]

to the question of if something was wrong with what i bought, the ansewer is no. I am just looking to get all the info i need about what to get and why.

It is great to hear where to get the rock, thatq helps a lot. i am still wondering what kind to get. Like i said before, fiji sounds like a deal, but is there anything other type i should be keeping my eyes open for?

Dr

 

[mlundstrom]

IMO in a lot of ways rock is rock. You will see all different names for it but that is mostly just an indication of the area from which it was collected. Sometimes it can indicate a particular shape, like Tonga Branch, but the visual difference is usually not great. The biological value of the rock is the same no matter what "kind" you decide to buy. The only real differences occur in the density/porosity of the rock, the asthetic viewing value, and the price.

The density is pretty much the same in all kinds but there are some kinds that are a little more or less dense. For example Florida rock is known to have a higher density than most others, therefore it is heavier. I prefer the less dense rock as I believe that it will have more interior surface area for the biological processes to occur on. Another difference is what it looks like, its general shape, and that is stictly a personal preference from a viewing perspective. Price will always be a consideration for the majority of aquarists and when buying in a large quantity can "color" the viewpoint of the best rock for you. 8O

How the rock is or is not cured will influence not only the cost but the amount of life it contains. This decision, IMO, is more about cost. If you have a way to properly cure the rock yourself then you will more than likely end up with the same diversity of life as if you bought it from a trusted supplier like Harbor or Paragon. But that requires extra time, effort, and equipment to do it right.

All that being said, WHEWWWW :roll:
my next purchase, for my new 125 AGA, will probably be from Harbor Aquatics since they are only about a 2-3 hour drive and their cured rock gets rave reviews. I will get mostly Fiji but maybe a a couple of lbs of something different if the shape "grabs" me just right.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

When I get my 120 AGA I am going to get that "dead" tufa rock and make it live by placing it in my tank and let things migrate into it. I only have 3 or four aiptasias left and when I move those rocks I will quarentine them in the sump until I kill them all. I do not want to add anything that might have aiptasia,pistols,mantis,anemonia,or the like. Any further "live" additions will will go to the sump first.