Gulf live rock?

[jkkgron2]

Thanks for all the info and advice guys!

The dry rock is Dry live rock, so it should be ok to use. I was planning on using the gulf live rock just to get some nice diversity in the tank, and even if it doesn’t look great shape wise I don’t really mind because of how cheap it is. Because of that, Would it be ok to start with the rock from gulf live rock and then get some rock from kp later? If I could do that then here’s my plan,

Get the gulf live rock and let it cure along with the dry live rock, and then, once that’s done, add in a fish or two (depending on what type I go for, probably a single clown) and after that I would get the rest of the rock from either KP or LiveRockNReef.

Does that sound ok?

 

[Subsea]

I had a long conversation with the owner of LiveRockNReef when I bought 25 lbs of Gulf rock. He insisted that I put it in my tank immediately otherwise critters would die. I tried to "argue" how this sounds so risky to my tank inhabitants but let him win the debate and I did as he said....and I'm glad I did. Everything survived: 2 rose corals; a corky gorgonian; sponges; spaghetti worms; bristle worms; macro algae, feather dusters and an urchin. These animals would be dead if not put into an established tank. Unfortunately, I would have to guess that putting rock like this in a "non-cycled" tank would not work.

Later, I bought 25 lbs of rock from KP (Keys rock). (Both shipments were overnight BTW). He recommended cycling the rock so I followed his recommendation. I put it in a tub with just a skimmer. The rock fouled, everything died (although there wasn't much to begin with, just a few brittlestars and hermits) and it took 3 weeks before I could use it. (The shape of his rock was nicer, however)

To be complete, I should mention that the first batch of rock also had some unwanted items (aiptasia and bubble algae) but you have to expect some bad stuff and this wasn't a bad trade-off.

Of course you can put any rock in the non-cycled system you are talking about. That's how most people cycle their rock. In the past, when we use to get Pacific rock that couldn't be shipped in 1 day, this method was fine because most of the macro life would be dead anyway. But if you want to save all the life on the Gulf rock that I mentioned in the first paragraph, it has to go into an established tank immediately. The only advantage of Gulf rock over Pacific rock (which is hard or impossible to get now) is that you can get all the marine life that I mentioned, so you might as well take advantage of that, IMO.

PS: I established nitrogen fixation bacteria and feed ammonia heavy for two weeks, then added 80 lbs of
https://gulfliverock.com/premium-deco-live-rock. I ran lights at reduced intensity for eight hours a day for 3 months. At 30 days I added snails and and an algae Blenny fish. No other fish added until month 6.

 

[Dr. Jim]

Thanks for all the info and advice guys!

The dry rock is Dry live rock, so it should be ok to use. I was planning on using the gulf live rock just to get some nice diversity in the tank, and even if it doesn’t look great shape wise I don’t really mind because of how cheap it is. Because of that, Would it be ok to start with the rock from gulf live rock and then get some rock from kp later? If I could do that then here’s my plan,

Get the gulf live rock and let it cure along with the dry live rock, and then, once that’s done, add in a fish or two (depending on what type I go for, probably a single clown) and after that I would get the rest of the rock from either KP or LiveRockNReef.

Does that sound ok?

If you are including me for an opinion (since you answered my question about the dry rock) I can't really comment because I know nothing about Gulf Live Rock. But what I would say is that whichever batch you add last should be the one with the most macro life. Again, IME with KP and LiveRockNReef, the latter had tons more stuff on it but KP was nicer shaped rock. I mentioned all the critters earlier. Here is one of the two Rose Corals I got with 25 lbs. Both have grown considerably since. (photo was taken when I first got them):

The difference in the two rocks isn't as dramatic in the next photo as it is in real life: KP is on bottom layer and LiveRockNReef is on top layer.
I never hear much mention of LiveRockNReef on any of the threads, now or in the past. I wonder if that is because people don't know about them or they have had or heard bad experiences??

 

[shred5]

Hi everyone! I’m looking into getting some premium deco live rock from gulf live rock, but I have a few questions. I’m going to be setting up my tank on Christmas, but I plan on getting the live rock maybe a week after it’s setup. Is that ok? My tank won’t be cycled, but I think that the live rock will have enough bacteria on it that it should be ok for whatever critters hitchhike on the rock? It’s a fluval evo 13.5g, and I’m getting 10lbs dry rock and 10lbs of the gulf live rock. Thanks!

Gulf live rock or sometimes they are called Gulfview rock is incredible.
A lfs by me drives down there and gets rock from them and drives it back.
It is full of life. I had some pictures of some of the stuff but I am away right now.
Its is full of sponges, corals, macro algae, halimeda, urchins etc.
I have even seen gorgonias come in on it.

 

[jkkgron2]

If you are including me for an opinion (since you answered my question about the dry rock) I can't really comment because I know nothing about Gulf Live Rock. But what I would say is that whichever batch you add last should be the one with the most macro life. Again, IME with KP and LiveRockNReef, the latter had tons more stuff on it but KP was nicer shaped rock. I mentioned all the critters earlier. Here is one of the two Rose Corals I got with 25 lbs. Both have grown considerably since. (photo was taken when I first got them):

The difference in the two rocks isn't as dramatic in the next photo as it is in real life: KP is on bottom layer and LiveRockNReef is on top layer.
I never hear much mention of LiveRockNReef on any of the threads, now or in the past. I wonder if that is because people don't know about them or they have had or heard bad experiences??

I was definitely including you! I really appreciate you helping me I think I’ll go with The gulf live rock first, and then I’ll get some LiveRockNReef or KB rock next. Probably LiveRockNReef because of how nice the life on the rock is, but both seem like great options. Kind of a weird question, but Is there a limit to how much rock I should have in the tank? Is it just how much can fit? Once I’ve gotten all the rock I’m probably going to have around 25-30lbs of rock in the tank, and the tank is only 13.5 gallons. Although, I’ll probably remove the dry live rock eventually, especially if I have issues with space in the tank.

Gulf live rock or sometimes they are called Gulfview rock is incredible.
A lfs by me drives down there and gets rock from them and drives it back.
It is full of life. I had some pictures of some of the stuff but I am away right now.
Its is full of sponges, corals, macro algae, halimeda, urchins etc.
I have even seen gorgonias come in on it.

That’s great to hear!

 

[Dr. Jim]

That sounds like a lot of rock to use long-term, but OK to start with that amount, just to get as much of a "bio-filter" working as you can. So removing some of the "dry" rock later is a good idea. I'm only guessing, but I would say you probably only need about 20 lbs. A lot depends on how it looks. I'm sure you know you have to leave a lot of room for fish and corals to grow!

Sounds like you have a good plan. Good luck!

 

[jkkgron2]

That sounds like a lot of rock to use long-term, but OK to start with that amount, just to get as much of a "bio-filter" working as you can. So removing some of the "dry" rock later is a good idea. I'm only guessing, but I would say you probably only need about 20 lbs. A lot depends on how it looks. I'm sure you know you have to leave a lot of room for fish and corals to grow!

Sounds like you have a good plan. Good luck!

Thanks! One last question just to make sure I understand what I’m doing, how often should I do water changes while the live and dry rock is curing? I’m so excited to start setting up the tank!

 

[Dr. Jim]

Thanks! One last question just to make sure I understand what I’m doing, how often should I do water changes while the live and dry rock is curing? I’m so excited to start setting up the tank!

I wouldn't do them at all during the curing process unless the nitrites creep above 5. (Levels above 5 supposedly can interfere with the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrites). Keep temperature warm (even 80).
Make sure you have a nitrite kit. Salifert is fine. Probably no need for ammonia kit.

After it is cured, if it was me, I'd do a 100% water change to get rid of the nitrates (and any unwanted crud that might be present). I'm sure others will disagree with this though!

 

[jkkgron2]

I wouldn't do them at all during the curing process unless the nitrites creep above 5. (Levels above 5 supposedly can interfere with the bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrites). Keep temperature warm (even 80).
Make sure you have a nitrite kit. Salifert is fine. Probably no need for ammonia kit.

After it is cured, if it was me, I'd do a 100% water change to get rid of the nitrates (and any unwanted crud that might be present). I'm sure others will disagree with this though!

I have the API freshwater test kit, and I’ve heard it works for saltwater to (just need a different chart), would that work for testing the ammonia, just during the curing process? I’ll be sure to get the salifert nitrite test!

 

[Dr. Jim]

I have the API freshwater test kit, and I’ve heard it works for saltwater to (just need a different chart), would that work for testing the ammonia, just during the curing process? I’ll be sure to get the salifert nitrite test!

I am not familiar with the API test but if it is for nitrites and works for saltwater, you are all set (and don't need the Salifert). Not sure what you mean with your ammonia question. Sorry. I don't see the necessity for an ammonia kit. Once the nitrites go up and then come back down (to nearly zero), the ammonia will be zero also and you will be all set to go!

 

[jkkgron2]

I am not familiar with the API test but if it is for nitrites and works for saltwater, you are all set (and don't need the Salifert). Not sure what you mean with your ammonia question. Sorry. I don't see the necessity for an ammonia kit. Once the nitrites go up and then come back down (to nearly zero), the ammonia will be zero also and you will be all set to go!

Alright, thanks!

 

[jkkgron2]

Is there a way to save all the life on the gulf live rock, once it arrives and starts to cure? I’ve been reading about people removing all the dying matter they can, and doing 100% water changes 2-3x a week for the first week, and then 50% 2-3x a week for the next couple weeks, and some people are saying that’ll prevent a lot of the life from dying off. Does that seem to be a decent option, or would it just result in the life dying?

 

[shred5]

Is there a way to save all the life on the gulf live rock, once it arrives and starts to cure? I’ve been reading about people removing all the dying matter they can, and doing 100% water changes 2-3x a week for the first week, and then 50% 2-3x a week for the next couple weeks, and some people are saying that’ll prevent a lot of the life from dying off. Does that seem to be a decent option, or would it just result in the life dying?

Allot of that came from transshipping rock. Basically you order rock from a retailer then the rock would get on a plane in like Fiji and to Los Angeles and from there ship to you. That said you should inspect the rock for anything that died and watch the rock for anything that may die. Now depending on how it is shipped to you there will be more die off too.

The best is TBS shipped with water airfreight which would have very little die off if any.
The others do ship airfreight to and sometimes without water. Airfreight is good because it is faster and cheaper but you have to pick it up at the airport freight area. But this is the second best option for less die off.

The next is overnight through FedEx or ups and usually has wet newspaper over it. There will be more die off this way but enough should survive.

Some ship ground which I do not recommend and will be allot more die off. This method depends on how close you are and how many days it takes to get to you. If you are one day away it should not be to bad but if you are 3 to 5 days forget it scrape the rock and use the bacteria in most cases.

As far as saving it allot can be saved depending on what survives shipping. I have had corals, shrimps, urchins, fish, different algae's like halimeda, tube worms, snails and sponges survive. Some stuff will disappear over time because it just does not survive in our reefs or get eaten. For example some sponges will survive no issues, others will need to be fed while others will just disappear. Some sponges feed on bacteria so adding bacteria to your tank they may survive, sometime phyto etc. Some sponges if exposed to air are doomed no matter what.

 

[jkkgron2]

Allot of that came from transshipping rock. Basically you order rock from a retailer then the rock would get on a plane in like Fiji and to Los Angeles and from there ship to you. That said you should inspect the rock for anything that died and watch the rock for anything that may die. Now depending on how it is shipped to you there will be more die off too.

The best is TBS shipped with water airfreight which would have very little die off if any.
The others do ship airfreight to and sometimes without water. Airfreight is good because it is faster and cheaper but you have to pick it up at the airport freight area. But this is the second best option for less die off.

The next is overnight through FedEx or ups and usually has wet newspaper over it. There will be more die off this way but enough should survive.

Some ship ground which I do not recommend and will be allot more die off. This method depends on how close you are and how many days it takes to get to you. If you are one day away it should not be to bad but if you are 3 to 5 days forget it scrape the rock and use the bacteria in most cases.

As far as saving it allot can be saved depending on what survives shipping. I have had corals, shrimps, urchins, fish, different algae's like halimeda, tube worms, snails and sponges survive. Some stuff will disappear over time because it just does not survive in our reefs or get eaten. For example some sponges will survive no issues, others will need to be fed while others will just disappear. Some sponges feed on bacteria so adding bacteria to your tank they may survive, sometime phyto etc. Some sponges if exposed to air are doomed no matter what.

These will be shipped ground, which is part of the reason I’m expecting some die off. Shipping would take about 3 days, so I’m probably going to try to remove most of the dying stuff to prevent an ammonia spike from killing whatever might’ve survived.

 

[jordan9095]

I bought some and is loaded with life. Good & bad kind . Mine had aiptasia so I let most of become dead again

 

[jkkgron2]

Does anyone have any advice on how to save the stuff that does survive shipping? I was thinking I would remove anything dying or dead, and then I’ll do 50% water changes every 2 days for the first week, and then for the next couple weeks I’ll do 50% water changes every 4 days. The options for gulf live rock are usps 2-3 day shipping, and fedex ground. From what everyone has said, most of the stuff will die, but I’d like to be prepared in case I do have some life that survives shipping.

 

[Dr. Jim]

Does anyone have any advice on how to save the stuff that does survive shipping? I was thinking I would remove anything dying or dead, and then I’ll do 50% water changes every 2 days for the first week, and then for the next couple weeks I’ll do 50% water changes every 4 days. The options for gulf live rock are usps 2-3 day shipping, and fedex ground. From what everyone has said, most of the stuff will die, but I’d like to be prepared in case I do have some life that survives shipping.

Can't you get it shipped overnight to your door? That is the only way to save all the critters we have been talking about. You won't be able to scrape off enough to prevent an ammonia spike....there is too much deep in the rock, even if it is just bacteria, that will die and produce waste.

 

[Jeffcb]

Her is my suggestion and what I am going to do with my 900 Liter when I arrives. KP will ship rock in bagged water instead of wrapped in wet news paper. A lot more will live. How ever shipping is about double but worth it. Put it directly in your tank and use something like Nitrobacter 7. Let the water change party roll...

 

[jkkgron2]

Can't you get it shipped overnight to your door? That is the only way to save all the critters we have been talking about. You won't be able to scrape off enough to prevent an ammonia spike....there is too much deep in the rock, even if it is just bacteria, that will die and produce waste.

It looks like gulf live rock only ships usps 2-3 day priority and fedex ground. They do also offer airline shipping, but it’s really expensive and the whole reason I’m looking at their rock is because it’s so much cheaper. I think I might just stick to what I was going to do, so I’ll order the gulf live rock and then later on once the tank is cycled and everything has finished curing I’ll look into getting some rock from KP, if I decide I need more.

 

[jkkgron2]

Ok, turns out my LFS does carry some Fiji live rock from the ocean. I ended up getting about a pound of it, but I’m not sure if it’d be a good idea to get more or order for gulf live rock. It looks nice, but it wouldn’t come with any of the snails, crabs, or other various critters, because they dip the rock before they put it in the tank. The pieces look nice, And the piece I got is COVERED in coralline algae. So, Is it worth getting it from my LFS, because I can pick out the pieces?