New reefer from cookeville

[jltyler42]

I was wondering if you knew where to best place in Tennessee to find live rock is at a good price. I know aquatic critter is an amazing store from the couple times i've been in there and I just now recently got my tank started. My dry rock comes in a few days so I have some time so any suggestions. Also I'm from Cookeville. thank you for any help.

 

[Rhino]

Welcome! I am also in cookeville. I don't like live rock because of the unwanted pests and hitch hikers you can bring in. I always cycle a tank with just base rock. A lot of people are moving to this approach.

 

[jltyler42]

can you give me some steps and some suggestions on how to do that ?

 

[TitansFan]

I am setting up a new tank after being out for a couple of years. Rock is one of the things I am researching and I am finding the quality has drastically dropped and price has drastically risen. I am looking to order rock from Bulk Dry Live Rock & Live Sand - Bulk Reef Supply and then finding a few clean pieces of live rock locally to "seed" it with. Sure it will take longer to all become "live" but this is a hobby built on patience and this way I can be assured to have a clean slate to start with.

In the past I once bought "used" live rock from someone and it was a nightmare. The nuisance algae was horrible. You just don't know how the tank/rock was cared for and the excess nutrients it may have absorbed.

If you are really wanting live rock it seems Fiji is the most easy to come by. I am not a fan off using it from experience of it being abit denser than most and basically looks like footballs of rock making aquascaping difficult and boring. I miss my old marshall island rock....

 

[JOKER]

+1 on dry rock and seeding with clean live rock. Heck I think I would just build my scape as I wanted it and scrape some coralline off of the rocks instead of using it. Would also us dr tims one and only if you plan to add fish right away. Or if you plan to cycle without fish can use it and the free ammonia. It doesn't matter how careful you are there are always chances to get the bad stuff some way or another.

 

[jltyler42]

Lol so should I go out and get some live rock or use a different method. Tips with either would be appreciated.

 

[Dragonreef202]

I started with dry rock from marcorocks.com, free shipping. I bought a few lbs of live rock from lfs to seed it. I just didn't want to pay price for live rock where you get more for money in dry rock.

 

[TitansFan]

It comes down to a cost thing... If I could find away to afford and find good marshall island or tonga live rock (which no longer exports) I would. If I had to choose between LFS Figi mini boulders and dried pukani I would go with the latter. This of course again comes to size of tank and $$. What size tank are you doing and how much will you allocate to rock? If a small tank I might try all live rock.

My mom years ago asked my wife what I wanted for my birthday and she said a "rock". So my mom with the wife's help got me a $100 show piece marshall island rock. My mom thought we were on drugs...

With this hobby being so expensive to begin with save your money for nicer equipment and have patience on dry rock turning to live rock is the route I'm going with.

 

[jltyler42]

I have a 29 gallon. I've already ordered dry rock 30 lbs. and money. I'm a college student but I have some money to put towards the tank. All live rock was not a very good number for me. its $9 a pound if its under 25 lbs. so yeah. I was thinking about buying five pounds to seed my rock or finding someone near cookeville to buy some off for less or to get some scraping.

 

[Aaron Gustafson]

If you're ever down Chattanooga way, I'll happily supply some scrapings. I have a 29 as well and the tank has no nuisance algae and tons of coralline. I'm happy to share.

Need Chaeto for the fuge too?

 

[JOKER]

There is a guy around Cookeville who has a nice tank. His name is josh, I will send you his name on here. Not sure if he gets on here much though. He is a good guy and I think he will gladly help.

 

[JOKER]

There is a guy around Cookeville who has a nice tank. His name is josh, I will send you his name on here. Not sure if he gets on here much though. He is a good guy and I think he will gladly help.

 

[JOKER]

Sorry double post

 

[jltyler42]

Thanks a lot guys when I get my dry rock in I'll be starting to look for it. I may need some step by steps through the cycling and after and all help is appreciated. Lol helping a college student and keeping my girlfriend happy so double win.

 

[fireman23]

I am in Cookeville and I have some live rock pieces you can have.

 

[jltyler42]

Thank you guys. I'll get in contact after my rock comes in. Any good stocking lists for a 29? I want chromis and atleast one black clownfish. and a starfish and firefish. lol or is that my stocking list.

 

[jltyler42]

Hey where do you get your clean up crew from ?

 

[Rhino]

Reef cleaners

 

[jltyler42]

Should I get one of the packages? My girlfriend wants hermits so should I get the smallest package with hermits to start out?

 

[Rhino]

I would get just one of the regular packages, they ship free. For hermits I would just swing by Exotic Tropicals (behind the Cookeville Police Department) the shipping is not free on hermits from reef cleaners so it makes the cost go up quite a bit. Also, my clean up crew package from reef cleaners came with a hermit by accident, so you might get lucky also.