Best place to get live rock or pretty base rock nowadays???

stuckey_t · 07-19-2006, 02:07 PM

Anyone know where the best place to get tank rock nowadays might be?? Doesn't have to be live I just want decent shapes I can use David G's method on. I know you can get stuff at reefer rocks but I was curious if there is anywhere else I should be checking out. Possibly foster and smith prices or cheaper....

Troy

David Grigor · 07-19-2006, 02:29 PM

I'm totatlly sold on the reefer rocks and personally I'm not really even considered to look elsewhere. As long as you already have some good rock to seed with, I don't think you can do wrong with this stuff and the potential of getting some nuissance stuff added to your system with any.

stuckey_t · 07-19-2006, 02:56 PM

Yeah they have worked well for me before might as well stick with a good thing! Probably hard to beat their prices too.

Thanks for your input David

eswebster · 07-19-2006, 03:32 PM

I would not pay live aquaria prices....... WAY too much.

HFG · 07-19-2006, 03:48 PM

Is this a good place for debating base rock use? If no, then reeferrocks is the best of the base rock bunch.

But IMO I would rather use ocean rock or even make your own. If your going to use ocean rock JNS is just over cost and darn close to Roseville.

If you would like to discuss LMK

I don't want to side track if your already decided.

Irenicus · 07-19-2006, 03:57 PM

I got some Fiji from F&S and I wasn't terribly impressed with it. A couple good peices and broken stuff.

I also received some Carribean Rock from Jerry (uncured) and that was good.

hink · 07-19-2006, 04:06 PM

I wouldn't use anything but www.reeferrocks.com c'mon less than $2.50/# shipped.

David Grigor · 07-19-2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFG

But IMO I would rather use ocean rock or even make your own.

With LR regardless from a person tearing down their tank or from a aquaculture type facility, there is always risk introducing LR. Providing you have mature LR to seed with it is less risky to seed your own. I honestly don't really care how much if any of a cost savings there would be if any.

Bill Bramucci was the perfect testimony to me why not to buy LR providing you already have some established rock that you can seed reeferrocks from. He got some incredibly nasty algae ( I don't remember the exact name or spelling but something like Dipdiota and I want to think it was from the TampaBay cultured LR ). Stuff grew like mad once it took hold and next to impossible to totally erradicate it. At first it was a nice purple looking stuff but was a total nightmare to get rid of and quite destructive to corals.

Sea monkey · 07-20-2006, 12:10 AM

does reefer rock come in interesting shapes? i have only ordered the rubble from them. I didn't really care what shape it was but most of it was just round Little golf balls.

Sea monkey · 07-20-2006, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Grigor

Bill Bramucci was the perfect testimony to me why not to buy LR providing you already have some established rock that you can seed reeferrocks from. He got some incredibly nasty algae ( I don't remember the exact name or spelling but something like Dipdiota and I want to think it was from the TampaBay cultured LR ). Stuff grew like mad once it took hold and next to impossible to totally erradicate it. At first it was a nice purple looking stuff but was a total nightmare to get rid of and quite destructive to corals.

I got the TBS rock and got just about every nasty you could think of including parasitic isopods, 20+ gorilla crabs, tons of mantis shrimp .... BUT TBS rock is unique in that they take it out the ocean , move it to a holding tank where it sits for a day or two and then is shipped in water via airport to airport in just a few hours. Basically everything lives, i even had some type of underwater centipedes ... I have to say getting the rock and seeing all of the stuff in your tank is fascinating and i wouldn't have done it any other way but id never buy that crap again : )

Think my first stop would be Jerry or maybe premium aquatics, the prices there are not too bad and they can do normal ground shipping in two days so it doesn't cost a fortune.

I have to say the guys at PA are really stand up characters. I bought 100 pounds of rubble from them and much of it turned out to be marble sized so he sent me out another hundred pounds and also paid the shipping. I didn't even have to give him any real grief about it, just sent him a pic of what i got and they took care of it right away.

HFG · 07-20-2006, 09:11 AM

sweet, we get to debate!

First, let me say I thought about getting 1 rock for a 10g of the Florida stuff, just for fun. I have my doubts about how great a filter it is, but watching critters is cool

I felt with Reefer Rocks that after years it was still shedding the initial detritus. If you cook that stuff, first it will take a few months to really get cooking (since it has little to no bacteria to start with). Second, it will take a super long time to cure. It is loaded with thousands of years of terrestrial run off (aka dirt aka PO4).

I would rather get some bubble algae rocks and throw them in the yard for a few days then cook them again. (in fact thats how I got my bunna branch filter in my display system

). You still have to restart the bacteria, but once it gets going you have years of stuff to clean out, rather than thousands of years of stuff (also gets that nasty Coraline out which limits anaerobic digestion).

Thats how I understand things as of now

On a side topic: I talked with E.B. and asked which rocks were best for filtration, had their been any studies on anaerobic capacity of different rocks...ect. It seems that even something as small as a grain of sand can have aerobic and anaerobic zones.

If aesthetics are out, and filtration per dollar is your calculation, it seems rubble is the way to go (without going into the potentials of sand). EB opinion as many types of rock from different areas would be the most beneficial because of species diversification.

Now, you have a tank full of stuff, no chance you will be adding any unknowns, base rock is smart. I might be inclined to buy the cheapest LR and ask for it to specifically be sent ground to avoid shipping or buy up an old tank... or something. As good as RR look, I am still unconvinced it is the best way to go. JME

HFG · 07-20-2006, 09:12 AM

Hey is that melev from RC over here in the TCMAS on TRT???

HFG · 07-20-2006, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sea monkey

does reefer rock come in interesting shapes? i have only ordered the rubble from them. I didn't really care what shape it was but most of it was just round Little golf balls.

The big pieces can look cool.. They are honey combed.
They are heavy though. I mean HEAAVY.

Sea monkey · 07-20-2006, 09:31 AM

Ya I'm sure it weighs about the same as mt TBS rock which is also ridiculously heavy.

well i was looking at the site and this is their "collectors edition"

while having a few pieces in this round shape is cool i don't think i want my whole tank like that.

I was looking at the uncured Fiji at PA and it's only about a buck more a pound if ya buy at least 40 pounds. Because of the weight differences it might actually be about the same price for the same volume of rock. I like your idea of just letting it sit in the sun for a few days if you are scared of getting any nasties.

HFG · 07-20-2006, 09:40 AM

Fiji looks about the same once you have corals on it, LOL.
I was looking for a picture of my stuff, but that is a fair representation. I got mine a way back, and one thing was their service was great. I got just the color and sizes I asked for.... though "I got what I asked for". I wanted a big center piece. well one rock took up most of the box. I remember it was just a bit large to fit in the 75 g on its "flatter" side. So, probably 45LB for one 16-20" inch ovalish piece.