Cornerstone Premium Reef Rocks

[Reefster78]

Did anyone already used Cornerstone Premium Reef Rocks?
How good are they?
Is it worth to buy them or better stay with Marcorocks? Or Maybe is it better option for this price range?
thank you!

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[argiBK]

Reviving this thread. Has anyone used Cornerstone rock for their reefs?

They seem to have nicer shapes than Caribsea Life Rock, and seem lighter and far more porous from vids I have seen.

 

[Devaji]

Reviving this thread. Has anyone used Cornerstone rock for their reefs?

They seem to have nicer shapes than Caribsea Life Rock, and seem lighter and far more porous from vids I have seen.

did you end up getting this rock?
thinking about it myself. would love to see more examples.

 

[argiBK]

did you end up getting this rock?
thinking about it myself. would love to see more examples.

I did!

Ordered 1 box each of the Premium Mix and Shapes from coral-vault.com a couple weeks ago. Shipment was delayed a couple days, but coral-vault was super communicative about it.

The rock is really well crafted, strong and lightweight with minimal breakage despite the ground travel from Dallas to New York — 1 piece per box had snapped. Each box came with 10-15 pieces, no duplicate shapes, individually wrapped in bubble wrap and all packed in a styrofoam box.

The Premium mix is largely fiji-style rocks, but gives nice options for medium-large base rocks and some amorphous shelf-like rock. The Shapes rock is branching, but not extensively long as tonga-branching rock. Coloring on the rock deeply purple with patches of pink, it might look a bit more artificial than say Caribsea Liferock, but the rock itself is (to me) higher quality.

It’ll be some time before it makes it into a new tank (still in the planning stages), but hope to get a new tank thread started in the next month or so.

 

[Devaji]

I did!

Ordered 1 box each of the Premium Mix and Shapes from coral-vault.com a couple weeks ago. Shipment was delayed a couple days, but coral-vault was super communicative about it.

The rock is really well crafted, strong and lightweight with minimal breakage despite the ground travel from Dallas to New York — 1 piece per box had snapped. Each box came with 10-15 pieces, no duplicate shapes, individually wrapped in bubble wrap and all packed in a styrofoam box.

The Premium mix is largely fiji-style rocks, but gives nice options for medium-large base rocks and some amorphous shelf-like rock. The Shapes rock is branching, but not extensively long as tonga-branching rock. Coloring on the rock deeply purple with patches of pink, it might look a bit more artificial than say Caribsea Liferock, but the rock itself is (to me) higher quality.

It’ll be some time before it makes it into a new tank (still in the planning stages), but hope to get a new tank thread started in the next month or so.

thanks for the replay. I am really debating on 3 boxes of it. what size of tank is this going in?

could you snap a pic or two of the fiji style premium rock to get an idea what they ship out?

 

[argiBK]

thanks for the replay. I am really debating on 3 boxes of it. what size of tank is this going in?

could you snap a pic or two of the fiji style premium rock to get an idea what they ship out?

Happy to take some photos tomorrow.

Plan is for a Cade 1500 peninsula (5 ft), but I’ll be bringing in around 50 lbs of rock from my current 80 gallon.

 

[Devaji]

Happy to take some photos tomorrow.

Plan is for a Cade 1500 peninsula (5 ft), but I’ll be bringing in around 50 lbs of rock from my current 80 gallon.

nice!! I am a fellow peninsula lover myself. had the RS650P and about to set up the IM 200 pen. I almost went with cade right after i ordered the IM tank they released there stands in white. was like really...

 

[argiBK]

Photos as promised. The largest piece is about 16 x 12“; if you’re familiar with CaribSea Shapes/Arches life rock, this piece is only slightly heavier than their 14” arch (which is probably 1/2 the total size/volume).

The last photo is a small (2x3”) piece that broke off, to show the internal porosity.

 

[argiBK]

nice!! I am a fellow peninsula lover myself. had the RS650P and about to set up the IM 200 pen. I almost went with cade right after i ordered the IM tank they released there stands in white. was like really...

Basically the same choices I was considering. I wish I felt more confident with a 6’ tank, but living in NYC my space will at most support a 5’ tank.

IM discounts can’t be beat right now, either. I approached them about custom making their 170 gallon into a peninsula style, but they’re not accepting custom orders at the moment.

I also highly prefer the CADE stands, they’re well thought out and look a bit more modern. Only thing I wish CADE tanks did was eurobrace the top and bottom like IM and the Red Sea G2s.

 

[Devaji]

Basically the same choices I was considering. I wish I felt more confident with a 6’ tank, but living in NYC my space will at most support a 5’ tank.

IM discounts can’t be beat right now, either. I approached them about custom making their 170 gallon into a peninsula style, but they’re not accepting custom orders at the moment.

I also highly prefer the CADE stands, they’re well thought out and look a bit more modern. Only thing I wish CADE tanks did was eurobrace the top and bottom like IM and the Red Sea G2s.

yeah I do love the cade stands you're right they are very thought out.

I love the openness if the IM stands tho both sides and front door will be nice. my RS 650P only open on one side. that said mount gear it going to be harder.

if ones got time and can wait IM price is great on there larger tanks.

 

[Devaji]

Photos as promised. The largest piece is about 16 x 12“; if you’re familiar with CaribSea Shapes/Arches life rock, this piece is only slightly heavier than their 14” arch (which is probably 1/2 the total size/volume).

The last photo is a small (2x3”) piece that broke off, to show the internal porosity.

thanks for the pics! so guessing all that is one box?
looks pretty good.
I am debating going the classic marco rock and seeding it with 20# of LR prob. aussie OR 3 boxes of this stuff. either way it's going to be spendy. :/

 

[argiBK]

thanks for the pics! so guessing all that is one box?
looks pretty good.
I am debating going the classic marco rock and seeding it with 20# of LR prob. aussie OR 3 boxes of this stuff. either way it's going to be spendy. :/

No problem!

Rock in my current system is Marco, but I want to avoid that route this time to avoid curing it of phosphates. I still plan to order 1-2 pieces of LR to increase biodiversity.

yeah I do love the cade stands you're right they are very thought out.

I love the openness if the IM stands tho both sides and front door will be nice. my RS 650P only open on one side. that said mount gear it going to be harder.

if ones got time and can wait IM price is great on there larger tanks.

That’s the one thing I’m trying to design for now. I plan to have a single 25 gallon ATO / Water mixing station, would have loved to have the reservoir in the chiller space in the CADE stand, but miscalculated sizing and am having to set up a separate/standalone cabinet for water making / mixing.