How Helpful is Ocean Live Rock?

[Digimes]

Where did you see that? That would be unfortunate if I get a bunch of recommendations on a good place just to hears they're going out of business

On the website. Scroll to the bottom of https://tbsaltwater.com/about-us/

 

[shred5]

On the website. Scroll to the bottom of https://tbsaltwater.com/about-us/

Richard retired the old owner. It has new owners now for a while.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

when starting a complete new system, are you guys just going direct to new tank or are you curing and QT'ing in a rubbermaid garbage can? You'd need light too right? other than just heat and circulating pump?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

These are the same type of rocks just from KP Aquatics. This is the second time I have used these in a tank to start. The rocks were shipped basically same day in water on a South West plane.

After explosive ammonia that my attempts with seeded biomedia failed, I decided to dark cure for 30 days. On roughly the 31st day I added a ton of copepods (and amphipods), and have added 3xs that amount since. The process started on 7/4ish and the only thing I have had to deal with is diatoms. And, I think I was allowing a high level of silicates through on my water changes as I didn't catch a problem with my mixing station until this past weekend. I was originally going to do this as a bare bottom, but since I had such a massive die off up front, I feared not have an ideal start for a bare bottom. But, (knocking on wood) so far the utilitarian fish are all doing their jobs, the pods are as well and the bio must be working. I am running it sock free and skimmer off still to sort of "muck it up" if you will. I think this weekend I will put a roller on it and turn the skimmer on. But, you can clearly feel managing the start up this way differently. I am seriously considering removing the sand at this point, but who know what that would cause. If I lived in TB, the money I could save could be reinvested into more tanks, lol. I am completely #jelly that you are that close to them. Shoot, it's a no brainer! I am about to order 20-25 acros for this, so I need to make up my mind what I am going to do.

Wait- you had to dark cure rock from KPA??

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

On the website. Scroll to the bottom of https://tbsaltwater.com/about-us/

OLD news.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

when starting a complete new system, are you guys just going direct to new tank or are you curing and QT'ing in a rubbermaid garbage can? You'd need light too right? other than just heat and circulating pump?

In a new system, why not save the hassle and "cure" in the tank?

 

[PeterEde]

I recently started up a 20 gallon tank Exclusively with Marco Dry Rock and bottled bacteria and CaribSea live sand. I know it will take much longer for my tank to mature doing it this way instead of ocean live rock which is filled with a wider variety of beneficial bacteria. The reason I chose my current path is because I don't want to deal with any pests or anything that would be a nightmare to deal with.

While watching a video on algae, I heard someone mentioning an alternative to getting chunks of live rock. They suggested live rock rubble which would be very small, reduce the risk of pests due to its size, and quickly seed the tank with beneficial bacteria.

I know I said a lit up to this point, but here is my question. How helpful would it be for me to get live rock rubble instead of going the course I'm going? Is the ocean bacteria significantly better to combat issues in a tank? Is the only difference the speed in which my dry rock would be coated in coralline algae? Is there more I'm not thinking about? Thanks in advance for any answers

Many hitch hikers are so small you wont see them even on rubble. 2 years in and I am still finding hitch hikers I never knew I had. Lucky the worst has been bristle worms.
recently found stomatella snail.
Fact is a tank will cycle faster with good live rock

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Wait- you had to dark cure rock from KPA??

Yeah, with Phillip's advice. He claimed that I was only the second person that he had this issue with. My house smelled like death, all happened within 12 hours of opening the boxes...

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal , I am actually pretty happy with where I am, with exception to about 31 days and that I now have sand at the bottom of my tank that I am debating taking out now... I want to order sticks this week, but trying to determine/decide if I should attempt to bare bottom it.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal , I am actually pretty happy with where I am, with exception to about 31 days and that I now have sand at the bottom of my tank that I am debating taking out now... I want to order sticks this week, but trying to determine/decide if I should attempt to bare bottom it.

Between your and @((FORDTECH)) 's experience I'm not sure I want to take the chance

 

[Spare time]

I'll never start a tank with live rock unless I am purposely wanting to get all of the critters from it. Aquabiomics live rock rubble or sand would be what I'd use to seed a tank, but in reality, corals, snails, crabs, etc. are all live "rock" and will introduce bacteria, achaea, and algae into the tank.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Between your and @((FORDTECH)) 's experience I'm not sure I want to take the chance

Well, I am not sure if I got lucky or not with the ammonia issue. It eradicated nearly all life that traveled with the rock. Both good and bad. The only thing that really survived were those darn vermetid snails. Bubble bees have been doing their job though. I can start to see a difference.

 

[Sump Crab]

Ocean live rock is incredible, don’t let the hitchhikers freak you out, 99.9% of them are beneficial. The ones that everyone is trying to keep out are pests in the hobby and will come into your tank via frags anyways.

 

[PokeFish]

it is just super fresh is why. Most rock is shipped over seas and wrapped in wet newspaper for multiple days before landing. Don't worry about hitch hikers... you will get them no matter what you do and the only real 'bad' one that would be from LR would be mantis shrimp.

got a bobbit worm in one time lol

 

[Delatedlotus]

1st of all - LIVE ROCK IS A MUST...!
Rather if it's a new tank set-up, or you are stepping up 10 levels on an existing tank. Example: Like in preparing a set-up to add ANY corals at all, or just seeding old white dry rock (and moving to the next level). Beware of all that painted purple coral crap they are selling, in my opinion it's pure expensive garbage. And you can keep all that purple 12oz in the bottle stuff as well. Real Live Rock will both seed beneficial bacteria and microorganisms and make any tank a-lot more stable, this is a undeniable fact. Some may argue this fact, they can if they want.. lol. The more Live Rock the better as far as I am concerned. I have only been raising, wholesaling both fish inverts literally hundreds and hundreds of pounds of live rock, culturing, fragging, breeding, studying, and spending many, many, hours on a bar stool with various magnifying glass's for years. And reading and "studying" saltwater, reef rocks, inverts, and most fishies..

I bought my last live rock in right about 1996... Each rock came in induvial bags in sea water like it should be still, as far as I am concerned. The life on and in these rocks was stinkin amazing to say the least. Since then mine are completely covered with coralline algae to the max.. complete purple live rock anyone would die for. I bought 250lbs of it. I believe it was $3.10 a pound at that time. I did finely got it for 1.75 per pound..! Shipped straight from the diver to a holding facility for a short curing only. I have never needed any since then but I see where they ship that so called live rock in newspaper. It does NOT make any sense to me and probably never will. No one can ever convince me any different I promise! Most beneficial bacteria and microorganisms I do believe are lost.... I do run a 4 inch plus sand bed as well.. Hardly ever clean it ever (inverts of all kinds baby off and on).

Save your monies up and buy absolutely the best live rock you possibly find, you will be way, way, way, better off. Again "Real Excellent Live Rock" is where it's at in any tank... Making it absolutely solid only if you do keep up with it! You do have to both really care and watch your perimeters because of the saltwater does up's and downs, dosing, leaching, top offs, blooms, diseases (never had one ever, 35 years in saltwater), hitch hikers, ect.. ect.. I have sold a lot of stock of every kind over the years. The rock to me is the whole sha-bang it's where it all starts period.. Anyone can mix water right? I do test sometimes as much as once a month with hardly ever any water changes. My test kits do tend to expire a lot... lol. All so, my hands are in my tanks right about 4 to 6 times a day... just a little food for thought. lol Just a little bit more food, don't believe everything you hear as well.. There are a lot of experts out there but every system can be very different! Homework over and over, and never buy something you don't need...lol . Good luck don't drown, be safe and just Keep On Reefing...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

1st of all - LIVE ROCK IS A MUST...!
Rather if it's a new tank set-up, or you are stepping up 10 levels on an existing tank. Example: Like in preparing a set-up to add ANY corals at all, or just seeding old white dry rock (and moving to the next level). Beware of all that painted purple coral crap they are selling, in my opinion it's pure expensive garbage. And you can keep all that purple 12oz in the bottle stuff as well. Real Live Rock will both seed beneficial bacteria and microorganisms and make any tank a-lot more stable, this is a undeniable fact. Some may argue this fact, they can if they want.. lol. The more Live Rock the better as far as I am concerned. I have only been raising, wholesaling, culturing, fragging, breeding, studying, and spending many, many, hours on a bar stool with various magnifying glass's for years. Studying reef rocks, inverts, and all fishies..

I bought my last live rock in right about 1996... Each rock came in induvial bags in sea water like it should be still, as far as I am concerned. The life on and in these rocks was stinkin amazing to say the least. Since then mine are completely covered with coralline algae to the max.. complete purple live rock anyone would die for. I bought 250lbs of it. I believe it was $3.10 a pound at that time. I did finely got it for 1.75 per pound..! Shipped straight from the diver to a holding facility for a short curing only. I have never needed any since then but I see where they ship that so called live rock in newspaper. It does NOT make any sense to me and probably never will. No one can ever convince me any different I promise! Most beneficial bacteria and microorganisms I do believe are lost....

Save your monies up and buy absolutely the best live rock you possibly find, you will be way, way, way, better off. Again "Real Excellent Live Rock" is where it's at in any tank... Making it absolutely solid only if you do keep up with it! You do have to both really care and watch your perimeters because of the saltwater does up's and downs, dosing, leaching, top offs, blooms, diseases (never had one ever, 35 years in saltwater), hitch hikers, ect.. ect.. I have sold a lot of stock of every kind over the years. The rock to me is the whole sha-bang it's where it all starts period.. I do test sometimes as much as once a month with hardly ever any water changes. My test kits do tend to expire a lot... lol. All so, my hands are in my tanks right about 4 to 6 times a day... just a little food for thought. lol Just a little bit more food, don't believe everything you hear as well.. There are a lot of experts out there but every system can be very different! Homework over and over. Good luck don't drown, be safe and just Keep On Reefing...

How does this help the OP decide if they can add live rock directly into their established system??

 

[Sump Crab]

1st of all - LIVE ROCK IS A MUST...!
Rather if it's a new tank set-up, or you are stepping up 10 levels on an existing tank. Example: Like in preparing a set-up to add ANY corals at all, or just seeding old white dry rock (and moving to the next level). Beware of all that painted purple coral crap they are selling, in my opinion it's pure expensive garbage. And you can keep all that purple 12oz in the bottle stuff as well. Real Live Rock will both seed beneficial bacteria and microorganisms and make any tank a-lot more stable, this is a undeniable fact. Some may argue this fact, they can if they want.. lol. The more Live Rock the better as far as I am concerned. I have only been raising, wholesaling both fish inverts literally hundreds and hundreds of pounds of live rock, culturing, fragging, breeding, studying, and spending many, many, hours on a bar stool with various magnifying glass's for years. And reading and "studying" saltwater, reef rocks, inverts, and most fishies..

I bought my last live rock in right about 1996... Each rock came in induvial bags in sea water like it should be still, as far as I am concerned. The life on and in these rocks was stinkin amazing to say the least. Since then mine are completely covered with coralline algae to the max.. complete purple live rock anyone would die for. I bought 250lbs of it. I believe it was $3.10 a pound at that time. I did finely got it for 1.75 per pound..! Shipped straight from the diver to a holding facility for a short curing only. I have never needed any since then but I see where they ship that so called live rock in newspaper. It does NOT make any sense to me and probably never will. No one can ever convince me any different I promise! Most beneficial bacteria and microorganisms I do believe are lost.... I do run a 4 inch plus sand bed as well.. Hardly ever clean it ever (inverts of all kinds baby off and on).

Save your monies up and buy absolutely the best live rock you possibly find, you will be way, way, way, better off. Again "Real Excellent Live Rock" is where it's at in any tank... Making it absolutely solid only if you do keep up with it! You do have to both really care and watch your perimeters because of the saltwater does up's and downs, dosing, leaching, top offs, blooms, diseases (never had one ever, 35 years in saltwater), hitch hikers, ect.. ect.. I have sold a lot of stock of every kind over the years. The rock to me is the whole sha-bang it's where it all starts period.. Anyone can mix water right? I do test sometimes as much as once a month with hardly ever any water changes. My test kits do tend to expire a lot... lol. All so, my hands are in my tanks right about 4 to 6 times a day... just a little food for thought. lol Just a little bit more food, don't believe everything you hear as well.. There are a lot of experts out there but every system can be very different! Homework over and over, and never buy something you don't need...lol . Good luck don't drown, be safe and just Keep On Reefing...

If I somehow lost all my ocean liverock that I already have and had to start over and couldn’t use ocean liverock I would literally quit the hobby. Ocean liverock is the single most important thing (for me) when it comes to having a saltwater tank.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

has anyone tried making one of those pretty negative space structures and dropped it in the ocean themselves for a few months?

 

[UMALUM]

I have two structures I made. A large amd small one. I'm debating between two options now. Either get the rubble and place that all around the tank, or get the 5 pounds of rock and replace the smaller dry rock structure with live rock. Rubble is $40 more because it's 8 pounds, so idk what is best

Live rock is hands down the best filter you can put in your tank.
I did 200 lbs from KP, cured it for 3 weeks then right in. I did go through a bucket of reef crystals in the process but we'll worth it.
Hitchhiker's to date have been 1 pistol, 3 pencils, and 1 fat fire. Not bad for 200 lbs.

 

[BetteMidler]

Anyone else try US Live Rock out of Miami? I got their premium stuff & was satisfied. It wasn't the smoothest of process, but tank was cycled in 4 days on a new setup. All the coralline that turned white is coming back purple. No hitchhikers, just some macro algae & tiny feather dusters survived. Nothing in the bottom of the buckets when rinsing. They dove one day, shipped the next, & I had it in the tank the next morning via overnight UPS. It was just an uninsulated cardboard box, rocks wrapped in wet newspaper & double bagged with two thick trash bags. I would do it again.