Obviously after being blown away from the cost of LR in my LFS, I have turned to the net as many have. I have searched for prices on LR, but since I have never ordered any LR online, I am curious what a cheap and secure place is to order from? Also, is there a specific type that is recommended for beginners? Thanks.
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Were to buy Live Rock online?
- Thread starter StiersM
- Start date
If you're starting new, let me recommend Tampa Bay Saltwater's "The Package." You get aquacultured FL LR (FL is Florida), LS, and cleanup critters. Individually expensive, but packaged together at a great discount.
Do the 75g tank, but downsize a bit on the package, e.g. get a 55g sized package (110 lb of LR). Then, you can get 'base' rock from your LFS if you wish to grow corals & frags (the TBS rock has so much life surviving the shipping that you can't find places on it to put mushrooms, LPS, SPS, etc).
Do the 75g tank, but downsize a bit on the package, e.g. get a 55g sized package (110 lb of LR). Then, you can get 'base' rock from your LFS if you wish to grow corals & frags (the TBS rock has so much life surviving the shipping that you can't find places on it to put mushrooms, LPS, SPS, etc).
I just ot back from Florida and stopped in to visit Capt. Jer wo runs reeferrocks.com . He has some really nice live rock that he just got in. He aquacultures his own rock off of Islamorada, FL. I bought about 50 lbs. of it. There was all kinds of life including brittle stars, fire coral, halimeda, other small corals, etc. I highly reccomend you check out his rock. If it says he's out of stock online, you may want to call him. That's what I did, and was able to get the rock the day he collected it. Make sure you pull off all of the grayish sponges. They will not live, and can really make a mess of a tank.
http://www.gulf-view.com/
I've ordered from Live Aquaria.com... expensive and it sucks. Gulf view has the best live rock I've ever seen. Blows away anything you will ever find in a LFS and is cheaper by the pound, but shipping costs will even it out, BUT STILL WORTH IT !!!
Some of the liverock I've ordered online were NOT cured at all when they claimed to be 'fully-cured.' But the LR I ordered from gulf view had a very minimal cycling time (for my new tank at the time). The amount of life that came out of the rock was astounding. I'll try to list what I can remember: few christmas tree worms, hundreds of small feather dusters, emerald crabs, sea urchin, small brittle and banded seastars, many different types of calerpa, BEAUTIFUL yellow pink and purple corraline algae, red yellow green pink encrusting sponges, several different bivalves (I think clams or mussels or something) that survived the transport and are firmly attached to the rock, and so much more... I promise you, you won't be unhappy with your rock from gulf view.
If you don't believe me check on the forums of www.wetwebmedia.com and others will testify to the superior quality of gulf view LR. I am in California and the rock shipped from Florida and was still in excellent condition, since your in the midwest you can expect the same if not better results.
I've ordered from Live Aquaria.com... expensive and it sucks. Gulf view has the best live rock I've ever seen. Blows away anything you will ever find in a LFS and is cheaper by the pound, but shipping costs will even it out, BUT STILL WORTH IT !!!
Some of the liverock I've ordered online were NOT cured at all when they claimed to be 'fully-cured.' But the LR I ordered from gulf view had a very minimal cycling time (for my new tank at the time). The amount of life that came out of the rock was astounding. I'll try to list what I can remember: few christmas tree worms, hundreds of small feather dusters, emerald crabs, sea urchin, small brittle and banded seastars, many different types of calerpa, BEAUTIFUL yellow pink and purple corraline algae, red yellow green pink encrusting sponges, several different bivalves (I think clams or mussels or something) that survived the transport and are firmly attached to the rock, and so much more... I promise you, you won't be unhappy with your rock from gulf view.
If you don't believe me check on the forums of www.wetwebmedia.com and others will testify to the superior quality of gulf view LR. I am in California and the rock shipped from Florida and was still in excellent condition, since your in the midwest you can expect the same if not better results.
Heres the deal. Everyone has their own opinion of where to get live rock. Deffinatly check into what brandonberry said but i would highly consider going to Tampa Bay Saltwater (tampabaysaltwater.com) and getting the package and following what they say to do. Everyone i have seen use their stuff has EXCELLENT results. Price isnt to bad, you will pay more for rock in most places they give alot of rock for the price. Im gonna do a 40 gal setup with the package and its gonna be a little over 440 but it comes with a ton of stuff besides sand and rock.
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