Best place to get Live Rock?

[btkrausen]

Started my tank with all dry rock and even though its been running for a while I'm not seeing a ton of life on/in the rock. I seeded with some rock from Premium but still would like to add more to seed and provide more shelters for my fish only tank.

What is the best place to get live rock online?

 

[five O]

I would just a pick up a piece from the LFS, no reason to pay shipping if you only need a little bit to seen you other rock.

 

[btkrausen]

Well that's the problem is that I'll probably be buying like 100lbs or more to add to my display. I'm looking for rock that has a ton of life on it and some of the LFS here I don't trust. I've checked with local reefers but everyone close got hit with the 'start new' bug and nobody has a super mature tank.

 

[KSzegi]

If you want all kinds of life .... and are wiling to take some "bad" hitchhikers along with loads of the good, get some rock from Richard at TBS.

 

[donfishy]

ya, TBS has some good rock, and it is maricultured

 

[Tabasco1]

I bought most of my rock from tbs and then supplemented it w a couple pounds from Sea life. Both are out of fl and both mariculture their rock. I was impressed by both and the both gave impeccable customer service.

The tbs rock had a lot if life on it. Not much in the way of pests but I did catch about 12-14 gorilla crabs off the rock. Not a big deal as I knew I would be curing it first and not adding it to a system. I don't know if they offer cured rock. Lots of different varieties of feather worms, sponges and pods. The good hitch hikers were a really cool pink/grey sea cucumber, and 3 really small shy pistol shrimp. They seem harmless, I just hear them in the evening. It was 4 months before I even actually saw one. The largest is about 3/4". Threw in a bunch of freebies sponges too. If you live near an airport you can have it shipped airfreight and pick it up right from the airport so the rock is not even in a box for 24 hrs.

Sea life, I think they do offer cured rock. I only got a couple pounds cuz they could put it in with my shipment at no additional freight cost, so I don't know if all rock would be like it, but wow. Totally encrusted in coralline algae of reds, magenta and purple. Feather worms, sponges. And there were no pests. Got some freebies w my order there too.

 

[btkrausen]

Thanks guys. Anybody have any experience with the live rock at LiveAquaria? Its much cheaper than the other guys.

 

[subielover]

If you have enough rock, just get a local reefer to give you a wad of chateomorpha, there is usually swarms of life in just a small ball of it. In a month or so, your tank will be filled with pods, mini-brittle stars, etc. Just another (cheaper) option to consider.

 

[btkrausen]

If you have enough rock, just get a local reefer to give you a wad of chateomorpha, there is usually swarms of life in just a small ball of it. In a month or so, your tank will be filled with pods, mini-brittle stars, etc. Just another (cheaper) option to consider.

Thanks. I'm all about the cheaper method if I can get results. haha I actually just met somebody last week to get a quart bag of chaeto to add to the sump.

 

[Tabasco1]

I don't know about right now, but I know when I priced out my rock that it was a similar price point when you factored shipping in because it was cheaper to do air freight than to UPS or FedEx that much rock. Something to consider in the hidden costs. Here are pics from the two vendors. First is from Sea Life, second is from TBS... to be fair, I did have some die off from the TBS rock because it was in a plastic bin with no real lights over it while it was curing and I was only ordering small pieces from Sea Life.