I definitely did not purchase life rock, and that sounds crazy! Wouldn't the bacteria die after it was taken out of water???
It was from BRS the $2.99/lb dry rock, I believe CaribSea. Ordered 25 more pounds of base rock, going to try and sculpt NSA aquascape with the new rock. I liked the idea of no hitchhikers, and also growing my own coralline algae as a "You did it!" reward when it appears.
I started with 4 nass, and only two come out of the sand now when I feed the tank. Not sold on the other 2 being dead, but not convinced they're alive either. Nothing in the tank smelled dead, but the dead ones could have been eaten up pretty quick too before too much rotting could occer.
The hermits are blue legged hermits. I don't have a refugium, but I want to get one installed at some point. I have a bunch of PVC, a 20 gallon tank, some pumps, just have to figure out how to get it all installed. It's basically installing plumbing but relative to aquarium, so I am a little lost. Don't want to buy an overflow box, and then an AIO refugium when I know deep down that I can build one myself for 10% of the cost.
Maybe reefing isn't the hobby for penny pinchers. LOL