Discussion of the week ~ Live Rock~

[mojoreef]

Ok this week its Live Rock. Live Rock is one of the first things we put in our tanks and for my it is one of the most important. Live rock is not only the main stay of our filtration but it is also the single most integral part of how our tank will look.

So lets cover a few subjests in this one. What types of rock are available? what are your favorites and why? Lets see some pics of the differing types? Also lets talk about aquascaping and what methods we use to scape with. Oh yea, and most important is why does LR work so well as a filtration source.


MIke

[aquaticsdeptleader]

i would like to know if it can be added to this thread or is out of context reputiable providers of post mentioned live rock

[wildemon]

As you begin the new tank you have so many expensive toys to buy that buying rock for $6-$8 a pound seems a huge cost. I live in an area with several private tanks, a reef club, and a transient population which means that people break down existing tanks and make cheap offers. It is tempting but I have heard of outbreaks of anemone and worms from these pre-owned rocks.

[Mad Reefer]

Everything I found said you want diversity and repopulating of bacteria and worms. The worms are needed in the DSB. Even if the LR comes from your LFS will usually be saturated with worms unless it is truly dead. As for the Aptaisia they are very bad. So with some inspection this could be a cost savings.

[mojoreef]

aquaticsdeptleader most online vendors sell LR. What I always do is shop around to find the best price (usually they put it on sale when they get a bunch in) then I go to the various forums and do a search on thier name, to make sure they are reputable. I dont want to start to list a bunch of vendors on this thread (as it is for info) but I would suggesty to start your search with our sponcers, just make sure u tell them u are a member of TRT


Mike

[Dad]

wildemon,


I think you can get some great deals and help those transient people out by buying their set ups...I would think you run the risk of anemones and algae wherever you buy your rock....just be careful and don't start off in too deep a hole, or understand you are buying a project...you can probably save considerable money if you are willing to fix others problems...
you several great reefers in your area that are more than willing to help you get started...

welcome aboard..

bob

[mojoreef]

OK I will start with some pics and comments of the different types.

MArshall Island rock, my fav. more expencive but alot lighter so it evens off the price. It dopes not come with a ton of life to start but has the nicest shapes, great for show peices.


Figi rock: more round in shape, usually started off as porities and other types of globious(sp?) usuall has great corraline, and lots of life (good and bad). Makes for great building blocks,


Tonga branch: usually old acro, montipora or simular, comes in some really neat shapes and makes a good add in your aquascaping. IMHO it is usually taken a little deeper in the water column and usually has a lot of dead sponge in it. an not to much else.


Tonga plate is the same as the branching type but is flat

Vanuatu rock is neat looking. again it seems to be deeper water rock that once was possible cup coral, monti cap. a little bug life and a bunch of sponge life.

[Geoff]

I like the caribbean LR, now that it is available again. It is heavier than the others. It is also in more rounded shapes. IMHO it seems to do a little better on the filtration aspect than the others because of its thicker nature. It also seems to come with a lot of life on it.

G~

[mojoreef]

Vanisi rock is neat rock, pretty close to marshall, just from another island, it has good life in both algae and bugs. usually in globular shapes but does have some nice branching features.



Kaelini rock is figi by another name, usually the really nice peices of figi are named changed to this.

Aquacultured LR usually out of tampa bay resemble figi in size and shape and weight. It is rock mined above ground and placed in the ocean to be repopulated. This rock usually comes with a ton of life, both good and bad. if u are looking for a mantis this is the rock to get.

[Alice]

I'm like Mike, I like the Marshall for the shapes but my favorite really is the Fiji type. Lots of life, lots of holes and great color.

Dense rock (like the aquacultured) without many crevices and holes has less surface area than lighter, porous rock (like Fiji) and therefor the dense rock harbors less denitrifying bacteria.

I have a little bit of everything from the Indo-Pac regions in my tank. Let's hear it for diversity!

Alice

[JT]

Originally posted by mojoreef
Ok this week its Live Rock.

Great subject Mike. However, not all live rock, even live rock from the same areas, is created equal because of handeling and quality control issues from when it leaves the origin til it reaches the consumer. If you want, I can continue more but you know I am a little bias.

As someone who sees over 7000 pounds of LR per month, my favorite filtering live rock has always been Fiji. However, Walt Smith's Kaelini live rock from Tonga is looking pretty impressive these days. My favorites for adding a decorative touch are still Tonga Branch and Tonga Slab.

For aquascaping, I follow the less is more approach. IME, the easiest reef zones for us to create in our glass boxes are patch reefs. These, in nature, are samll and simple reef structures that have formed seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Build up a small pile of rocks, a bommie, in the middle of the tank or on an end, and leave the rest of the tank open for a sand flat and you have a very realistic looking reef. Provide a bunch of random current and you can keep an amazing selection of corals.

Live Rock works so well for filtration because of all the organisms that live in the nooks and crannies of the live rock. All these organisms are filter feeders and feed off the crap that live in the water column. When stocking your tank, it is therefore paramount that you have a large percentage of porous rock first and then think of 'decorative' needs second.

[grazhopr]

Guys....I feel lucky

if i had the knowledge needed i would start a live rock farm close to where i live. don't mean to brag, but these area has a huge potential for both live rock and coral farming. some dealers here sell local collected live rock and, boy is there life in those pieces ?
you can get all sorts of shapes, flat, rounded, branched. i especially don't like the branched because they come with too many christmas tree worms too many times and the rock itself is not too porous. the rock i've seen here looks pretty much like panamanian rock or the Marshall island's rock in the photo, with lots of encrusting pink and purple algae, some with green macroalgae, sponges (not very colorful sponges though). you will import for sure many crabs (i take most of all out, cause they are usually fierce predators), brittle stars. i had once one small goby in a rock (after a while didn't see him anymore). i've seen some rock in the lfs with profusion of zoanthids or the like (i'm not the best identifying species). the local rock we get sometimes in the lfs is good choice for me, and the dealer is very conscientious with its collecting and handling.

[mojoreef]

JT you bring up a great point in the shipping and handling of the product, and this goes for all live goods in general. It also has a lot to do with collection points as well, just because it is Figi does not mean that it is the same as all Figi rock. I have noticed that Figi for instance seems to be more base rock now (as in taken when it is half submerged in the sand) making for what I would call a less desireable product. An example would be Walts stuff compared to watercrest (I beleive? ) which is collected from the other side of the island. IMHO.

Collection points for rock has really broadened these days that Is why we see so many different names for rock these days ,(and thanks for the correction on the Kaleini rock ) when I purchased my rock thier was not as many differing types. My personal favorite for aqauscaping is to build with the figi, and dress it up on the outer layers with Marshalls and Tonga branch.

With Aquascaping picture it as a car. You canput the nicest paint job on it (Ie corals) but if the body (aquascaping ) is a lemon it will always be a nicely painted lemon


Mike

[grazhopr]

I like JT approach to arrange live rock. that's kind of what i have in mind. possibly two piles of live rock and a center channel that runs from one background end of the tank to the opposite end in the front. i think it'll create a realistic look.

[grazhopr]

check this out:

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...threadid=12640