New live rock poll and opinions

[JosephM]

If you're flush, spend the $95.
Either will have sufficient bacteria.
Glr looks cheaper.

Yeah the GLR for 50 lbs is only $320 but it’s 2 day shipping at the least so I’d assume a lot more die off as well.

Strike that airfreight, save the $95.

I was thinking the same thing. I feel like the only thing I’d gain from it is the possibility of more hitchhikers and less stress on coralline algae and all that other good stuff. But maybe those things are worth the $$. I don’t now, it’s hard making these decisions especially when there’s money included lol.

 

[Pistondog]

Yeah the GLR for 50 lbs is only $320 but it’s 2 day shipping at the least so I’d assume a lot more die off as well.


I was thinking the same thing. I feel like the only thing I’d gain from it is the possibility of more hitchhikers and less stress on coralline algae and all that other good stuff. But maybe those things are worth the $$. I don’t now, it’s hard making these decisions especially when there’s money included lol.

Glr will do airfreight.

 

[TD82cat]

I feel like KP will be best for me as this is my first time and since it is more porous hopefully more bacteria to help me along my journey of mistakes and learning. According to my quick math it’ll be $515 for 45 lbs air shipped (including shipping) or $420 for 40 lbs shipped damp overnight. I live in NC, will it truly be overnight shipping if order damp. Or is it more worth the $95 to airship?

Not sure if you already got the rock you wanted yet...but I just received 10 lbs of uncured from KP this morning. I’m also in NC as well. Got the overnight UPS wrapped in wet paper. Cant say enough good things about the experience so far. It shipped out yesterday afternoon and was on my doorstep by 10 am. Quite a bit of water in the bottom of bag and all the rock was still wet and not just damp. Was keep very warm in insulated box and hand warmers. So far have seen a few brittle stars, feather dusters, spaghetti worms. Coralline coverage is excellent. Good shapes to the rock as well. Just wanted to chime in a say I don’t think you would regret buying from KP aquatics and using the overnight shipped damp. Hope that helps.

 

[JosephM]

Not sure if you already got the rock you wanted yet...but I just received 10 lbs of uncured from KP this morning. I’m also in NC as well. Got the overnight UPS wrapped in wet paper. Cant say enough good things about the experience so far. It shipped out yesterday afternoon and was on my doorstep by 10 am. Quite a bit of water in the bottom of bag and all the rock was still wet and not just damp. Was keep very warm in insulated box and hand warmers. So far have seen a few brittle stars, feather dusters, spaghetti worms. Coralline coverage is excellent. Good shapes to the rock as well. Just wanted to chime in a say I don’t think you would regret buying from KP aquatics and using the overnight shipped damp. Hope that helps.

Haven’t got it yet but you just helped me make my mind up. This is what I’ll be ordering once I get to that point. Thank you for sharing you experience!

 

[PghReef]

The kp rock has been in my display about a month now. Will say my normal "uglies" phases has been pretty non existant, even on the dry rock. There is some cool looking macro algae and different other algaes but no plagues of uncontrolled growth. A small CUC keeps it easily in check and I've added a bunch of corals including an acro this week. I added an en rushing monti a week ago and so far great PE and areas that were white and bleached at the lfs have color returning in my tank.
Time will tell if this stuff is the magic pill for keeping sps in newly set up tanks.

 

[Timfish]

I've been pretty happy with Gulf Live Rock but my guess is the others are fine too. You do want to maximise the survival of the sponges and other stuff so get it shipped the fastest way possible from whoever you order from.

 

[Snitch]

I'll be going with KP more than likely when it's time. I've bought corals, inverts and fish from them in the past - all with excellent results so it only makes sense to me to keep going back to a great vendor. It'll probably be spring time before I pull the trigger though.

 

[CMMorgan]

Do you know why TBS is shut down now?

There is a whole thread on this but the helicopter view is that Richard is 71 and the risk of Covid-19 infection is just too great. They are waiting out the vaccine and they will proceed forth when life starts to return to some level of sanity.

 

[Devaji]

Not sure if you already got the rock you wanted yet...but I just received 10 lbs of uncured from KP this morning. I’m also in NC as well. Got the overnight UPS wrapped in wet paper. Cant say enough good things about the experience so far. It shipped out yesterday afternoon and was on my doorstep by 10 am. Quite a bit of water in the bottom of bag and all the rock was still wet and not just damp. Was keep very warm in insulated box and hand warmers. So far have seen a few brittle stars, feather dusters, spaghetti worms. Coralline coverage is excellent. Good shapes to the rock as well. Just wanted to chime in a say I don’t think you would regret buying from KP aquatics and using the overnight shipped damp. Hope that helps.

mind posting a pic of what you got from them. I have orders the 10# in the past as well ans a few different orders. just curious what the rock looks like these days.

 

[MPCReefer]

Not addressed to me but this might help. White rocks are KP live rock, other rock is Gulf Live Rock. KP was received in Oct and cured in my QT tank and added to the Gulf Live Rock received two weeks ago.

 

[JosephM]

Not addressed to me but this might help. White rocks are KP live rock, other rock is Gulf Live Rock. KP was received in Oct and cured in my QT tank and added to the Gulf Live Rock received two weeks ago.

Besides the difference in vegetation that’s clearly visible. What type of hitchhikers did you receive between the two?

 

[Midrats]

Here's a tank I started a few months ago with KP rock. Lots of coralline,corals, and various sponges and tunicates. Most of the unwanted crustaceans were in the bottom of the box.

 

[MPCReefer]

Besides the difference in vegetation that’s clearly visible. What type of hitchhikers did you receive between the two?

KP included brittle star, feather dusters, bristle worm(s). Gulf Live Rock contained all of that plus 3-4 small black urchins, couple of gorilla crabs, clams, and everything else the KP rock contained with the possible exception of bristle worms-have yet to see any. GLR also contained some bad pods; I trapped several out but I am sure there are some left.

Plenty of corals, coralline and sponges on both.

 

[Midrats]

I got a couple of these little scallops that are still going strong. One day they are on the weir, another down in the rocks. It's quadrupled in size since this pic.

 

[Subsea]

Awesome pictures and info. Did you guys order submersed, same day, overnight, damp?? Just curious as to how y’all got the best results.

I have received both damp and completely submerged uncured diver collected live rock. In discussion with owner of Gulf Live Rock, I agreed with his reasons for shipping damp: if die off, it will be confined to that immediate area and not contaminate rest of shipment.

Air Freight with overnight delivery cost $80-$100 for first 100 lbs and $50 for every 100 lbs after. Gulf Live Rock will add water to shipment if you wish. The cost is on you.

 

[shred5]

I have been in the hobby along time and order from most places or known someone who has.
Most on that list are fine. I would not order from live rocknreef though. I have never got their aquacultured rock but I have ordered live rock from them in the past and it was terrible. I wanted to order some rock they talked me into a different rock they carried and said so much more life. It came with nothing not even coralline. It looked like rock from the bottom of the barrel and kept under no light at all.

You want the most life TBS would be best and less die off shipped airfreight.
Gulfview has lots of life too.
KP aquatics has two places I think they collect their rock and one has more life than the other. Their rock is also very good.

 

[BigMax]

Soliciting opinions:

I have a 350 gallon fish only tank that I was going to upgrade it to FOWLR tank. I bought 150lbs of live rock about 5 years ago when Live Aquaria was still selling it, as stated shipped wet right from where it was collected. I put all the rock in a covered 50 gallon barrel, no light, cycled it with a protein skimmer, heater and a little carbon for 50 days. I then placed it temporarily in a 70 gallon tank but got the itch to try a few corals, and got the bug for a reef tank . I'm in the process now of setting up a very large primarily SPS tank, but thinking I need to start 'sterile'? It's interesting to see all the hitchhikers that came in with the rock, but there is my concern. I have aggressive sponge I don't want, and a ton of brown zoa's that didn't even show up for 2.5 years.

So, finally, to my question obviously this is well seasoned rock, but I'm afraid to move it to my SPS tank because I believe it will create far more problems than the gains I receive. What would you do?

Picture of the my 70 just for a little perspective.

 

[ZoWhat]

Best Live Rock..... hmmmmm

Are The Rolling Stones still touring in 2021?