Lenny
unregistered
I've always bought my live rock locally and I was wondering if I should look into buying it from an online retailer. Any recommendations or warnings would be greatly appreciated. Any tricks in cooking it?
Live Rock
- Thread starter Lenny
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Well, you shouldn't cook live rock...that would be a big waste of money 
Buying live rock locally = you can see what you're getting...
Buying live rock online = possibly cheaper but you don't see what you're getting...
In my personal opinion, I would completely avoid live rock and go base rock. It's about half the price (sometimes even cheaper) and you don't risk introducing bad stuff into the aquarium...
Although, when I first got into the hobby, my liverock was SO cool looking....and I remember how cool all the aptasia was...and how loud and fascinating all those "clicking" sounds were....and how cool all the hitch hiker crabs were.......ahhh those were the days.....
Buying live rock locally = you can see what you're getting...
Buying live rock online = possibly cheaper but you don't see what you're getting...
In my personal opinion, I would completely avoid live rock and go base rock. It's about half the price (sometimes even cheaper) and you don't risk introducing bad stuff into the aquarium...
Although, when I first got into the hobby, my liverock was SO cool looking....and I remember how cool all the aptasia was...and how loud and fascinating all those "clicking" sounds were....and how cool all the hitch hiker crabs were.......ahhh those were the days.....
Lenny
unregistered
Well, you shouldn't cook live rock...that would be a big waste of money
Buying live rock locally = you can see what you're getting...
Buying live rock online = possibly cheaper but you don't see what you're getting...
In my personal opinion, I would completely avoid live rock and go base rock. It's about half the price (sometimes even cheaper) and you don't risk introducing bad stuff into the aquarium...
Although, when I first got into the hobby, my liverock was SO cool looking....and I remember how cool all the aptasia was...and how loud and fascinating all those "clicking" sounds were....and how cool all the hitch hiker crabs were.......ahhh those were the days.....
It taste better when it's cooked. jk I was refering to curing process, but I think you new that:wink:. How would you handle the base rock when adding it to the aquarium? Does it have to be cured?
Thx
Actually, I didn't know you meant curing by cooking...because some people cook (boil) their rock before adding to the aquarium..that's what I figured you meant
The base rock should be bleached or boiled (or both) before adding to an established aquarium just to be safe. If adding to a new aquarium, just toss it in!
_Alex_
Valuable Member
i always boil because it kills off any aptasia that is seeded in the rock and any algae.. there stuff if even dried up on there once wet again will come back. so i always try and do a heavy boil for 20-30 min to make sure evreything is dead and off of it... then just rinse really well and go. just throw a peice of table shrimp in to start the cycle and let it decompose and if i you a good peice of Live rock you know is good put it inthere and should cycle in abotu a month. i just did a 40b liek this for FOWLR and my killer crab in my avator and it cycled in 3 weeks.
Lenny
unregistered
Actually, I didn't know you meant curing by cooking...because some people cook (boil) their rock before adding to the aquarium..that's what I figured you meant
The base rock should be bleached or boiled (or both) before adding to an established aquarium just to be safe. If adding to a new aquarium, just toss it in!
Ohhh, I didn't know people actually cook it! It would be going in a new tank.
Lenny
unregistered
Did you boil base rock or live rock?
_Alex_
Valuable Member
cooking just guarentee's you wont have any problems on the rock, hitchhickers, parasites, aptasia and what not. it works very well just get some nice clean RO water and a big kettle pot and put your rock in and crank up the fire might smell a little bit but that rock will be clean and ready to go
and most base rock was once live rock, i would recomend cooking it but you dont have to. i didnt my first time around and had no problems but i have heard of people putting in new base rock and have bad problems with GHA and aptasia.
and most base rock was once live rock, i would recomend cooking it but you dont have to. i didnt my first time around and had no problems but i have heard of people putting in new base rock and have bad problems with GHA and aptasia.
Lenny
unregistered
Lenny
unregistered
Green hair algae...
To clarify...I'm sure he doesn't boil live rock...because boiling live rock would essentially turn it into base rock
Thanks!
I have more than a few opinions on this one lol. To keep it simple there are a few absolutely AWESOME places online to get rock, if taking your time and fishing out bad hitchhikers is no biggie to you I would recommend one. Tampa Bay Saltwater is the one and only source I will ever use after the way Richard treated me. Very few places including fish stores will have the owner sit and work with you the way he does. "The Package" he sends is so overloaded with freebies as well as rock that is so fresh it will boggle your mind (mine actually had fish hitchhiking in the rock!). The drawback is he ship by airlines which means it runs about $100 per trip (normally 2 trips for a tank) but it is made up for by the fact the rock comes out of the ocean and into your tank in less than 24 hours.
Second online place I would give a great reveiw on is liveaquaria.com Fosters and Smith are much cheaper than TBS but you get nowhere near as many good guys, no freebies, but not many real bad guys either so it is a better choice to get you up and running fast.
Local I use only when I am looking for a specific shape or type or size and just need to see it first, still run the risk of baddies or mostly dead rock there though since they tend to buy big batches of whatever is cheapest in order to compete with online vendors.
Second online place I would give a great reveiw on is liveaquaria.com Fosters and Smith are much cheaper than TBS but you get nowhere near as many good guys, no freebies, but not many real bad guys either so it is a better choice to get you up and running fast.
Local I use only when I am looking for a specific shape or type or size and just need to see it first, still run the risk of baddies or mostly dead rock there though since they tend to buy big batches of whatever is cheapest in order to compete with online vendors.
Lenny
unregistered
Thanks, for the info! :bigsmile:
