How much is live rock worth

[Wolf89]

How much is live rock from someone else's, not a stores, tank? They are saying $10/lb, but I think $3 per pound is fair?

 

[Xam]

Oh man... that's a great question but the answer, I think, will be loaded with If, Then, Else's.

At 10 bucks a pound, it better be the most beautiful, red-corroline-laden, years and years of cooking, with maybe some dusters and a Christmas tree worm. That's a lot, and I would say that's utmost premium rock.

For comparison, my lfs sells his red corroline live rock for 7 bucks per pound, and its gorgeous rock.

That's just my two cents so I'm curious what some of the vets can offer as advice. Definitely following.

 

[danreefman]

Just depends on the rock and what your willing to pay. 10 per lb for live tonga branch? I'd buy them out. 10 per lb real reef? Wouldn't spend .50 pound. Any aptasia? Ever use copper in the tank? Just my thoughts. At the end of the day the rock is only worth what you're willing to pay.

 

[Peach02]

How much is live rock from someone else's, not a stores, tank? They are saying $10/lb, but I think $3 per pound is fair?

it depends where you are e.g. for me its about $20 AUD a kg so if my math is correct its 3 USD for 1.5 pounds so yea $3 sounds reasonable

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

When I started reefing in 2002 the only man made rock around was from GARF. No Marco rocks either. The LFS I frequented had massive vats of premium Fiji and Tonga. All covered in deep burgundy corralline and had exceptional shape! I paid 13 a pound for what I had and the would again in a heartbeat! The bacterial strains were far superior to what you get from a bottle and the life it carried with it was amazing as well. When it comes down to it...you cant beat the real thing.

 

[ScottR]

I bought mine for maybe $4 a lb. Coralline covered and true ocean rock. But it came with some crabs that took out a GSP coral and a gorilla crab that took out some fish. So I put the rock at the $12 a lb mark. ;Greedy

But $10 a lb seems a bit inflated unless it’s stunningly beautiful.

 

[count krunk]

anywhere from $1-10 per pound.

We can tell you if that is worth $10/pound if you can provide some pictures of it.

 

[Wolf89]

anywhere from $1-10 per pound.

We can tell you if that is worth $10/pound if you can provide some pictures of it.

This is all I have

 

[count krunk]

That would be a no for me dog. Maybe $5 most

 

[George81]

Back in the early 2000’s when I first got into the hobby I think Fiji live rock was around 8-9$ Lb, Tonga was 12$Lb I think. I have both in my tank, I’m glad I kept them stored all those years when I shut down my tank in 2007.

 

[AdamNC]

My LFS sells theirs for I think $5.99/lb. From an unknown source I wouldn’t pay over $3.00/lb and I would still qt it for a while.

 

[Indytraveler83]

$5.99 /lb is what I’ve paid at 2 different lfs. One of them has some fantastic coraline in their tanks and on their rocks, the other one has tons of good hitchhikers. I wouldn’t pay more.

 

[fish farmer]

You can get florida aquacultured coralline rock for around $4 lb shipped, also walt smith aquacultured fiji for $8 lb before shipping.

What you pictured.....$4 lb...no more.

 

[Katrina71]

Mine sells for 6.99 or 7.99 a lb.

 

[Katrina71]

Mine sells for 6.99 or 7.99 a lb.

 

[ScottR]

This is all I have

If I pay $10 a lb, it had better be completely pink and purple.

 

[KrisReef]

This is all I have

How much rock do you need? I think you could post a wanted ad on this site for clean live rock and get something much better than what is in your picture delivered to your door for less. I think that rock is man made?

If you buy local live rock, try to find a tank that has more diversity of life (corals, fish, inverts, coralline algae, sponges) and does not have pests. If you pay $10 for rock from that kind of set-up you will have paid a lot but gotten your dollars worth. The tank displayed in the picture isn't giving me any "wow" with regard to what is going on in their tank or system.

 

[ScottR]

How much rock do you need? I think you could post a wanted ad on this site for clean live rock and get something much better than what is in your picture delivered to your door for less. I think that rock is man made?

If you buy local live rock, try to find a tank that has more diversity of life (corals, fish, inverts, coralline algae, sponges) and does not have pests. If you pay $10 for rock from that kind of set-up you will have paid a lot but gotten your dollars worth. The tank displayed in the picture isn't giving me any "wow" with regard to what is going on in their tank or system.

+1
Also, lots of LFS dump dry rock into a bucket of saltwater and call it live rock.

 

[Sabellafella]

+1
Also, lots of LFS dump dry rock into a bucket of saltwater and call it live rock.

Basically 99% of the saltwater shops now, cant even access premium liverock anymore. So unless they've been holding on to their stash, it will be dry rock just curing.

 

[Sabellafella]

I personally think 4 to 6 dollars dry/live rock is a fair price for something like Marco rock, or the stuff mined from the gulf. Fiji Tonga and without doubt Haitian rock I would spent the 8 - 9 dollars a pound for.