Australian Victorian Live Rock

[reefsaver]

In Victoria, Australia we don't really have vibrant Coral Reefs, although I was wondering if the rock under the tide line would be as good as say rock in Queensland where there're Coral Reefs. My best guess would be no they're not definitively the same, like Victorian Live Rock would probably host life that typically live in your 14 C° to 19 C° range on average, however Queensland Live Rock is actually from an environment where Corals naturally grow. Queensland ocean temps average at 20.8 C° to 26.7 C° So basically Victoria's hottest average water-temp, is Queenslands coldest. I was thinking maybe if you collected live rock at the peak of summer in Victoria it might maybe be a little better.

 

[KrisReef]

Yes, on the fringes of coral reefs there will be some species that are the same, but which ones I don't know. I would suspect that many sponges and bacteria were present at both but perhaps not the more complicated life.

I read that in the Gulf of Mexico that coral bleached 6 months after the high temperature period, and recovered mostly by the next year, so I suspect timing of harvest isn't as straight forward as you suggest but I would try it and see, if I was in your position. I'd look both ways to avoid detection as collection of live rock has been becoming a hanging offense in many parts of the world.

Are the laws still in your favor where you are at?

I wouldn't be surprized if you don't find some coral and reef fish settlement following the peak temps and I would be snorkeling and looking for that kind of life in the nearshore areas just to see what you have access too. The ocean is 3 times the size of the land and yet it is still free to swim in, for now.

 

[reefsaver]

I think it's very illegal to take anything from national parks or marine sanctuaries but if you hopped on a boat and headed out to some rocky outcrop in the middle of nowhere you could probably find something. I don't know if a miners right applies here but I do have a licence to prospect and take materials. In any case it's really hypothetical. probably have to do a bit more digging to know forsureskies

 

[KrisReef]

Yoho! Follow the pirates code and be safe.

 

[Tired]

You're likely to have less biodiversity than you would right by a coral reef, but if all you want is bacteria and algae for tank maturity, which is the important stuff, rock from anywhere in the light should do that.