Tampa Bay Live Rock / Live Rock Question

[Suarez_Leslie]

I am upgrading my tank and adding more rock to extend my scape. The tank is about 3 years old and doing awesome; I can’t complain. I was thinking of adding some Tampa Bay Live Rock Branching Rock. Is this a bad idea due to hitchhikers and other sorts? I already have rocks that I have cured and Australian Reef Live Rock. Just wanted to add some more Bio Diversity. Especially living in Florida and having the accessibility to TBS.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Yes, it's a bad idea. What I would do, is just put the rock in a bucket of salt water, or better yet in an empty quarantine tank with salt water for a few days to get rid of the bad hitchhikers.

@LiverockRocks (Tampa Bay Saltwater)

 

[JNalley]

I am upgrading my tank and adding more rock to extend my scape. The tank is about 3 years old and doing awesome; I can’t complain. I was thinking of adding some Tampa Bay Live Rock Branching Rock. Is this a bad idea due to hitchhikers and other sorts? I already have rocks that I have cured and Australian Reef Live Rock. Just wanted to add some more Bio Diversity. Especially living in Florida and having the accessibility to TBS.

It's not a bad idea. But I am curious... How do you have Australian Reef Live Rock and you're on here worried about hitchikers? Something doesn't compute here... Both types of rock (The actual Reef Live Rock from Australia, and the Maricultured rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater) have the same potential for hitch hikers due to both having once lived in the ocean... The risks are the same...

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

It's not a bad idea. But I am curious... How do you have Australian Reef Live Rock and you're on here worried about hitchikers? Something doesn't compute here... Both types of rock (The actual Reef Live Rock from Australia, and the Maricultured rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater) have the same potential for hitch hikers due to both having once lived in the ocean... The risks are the same...

What I am confused about is how it's not a bad idea... what is it comes with an invasive pest like aiptasia that will spread across the entire tank? What if there Is a gorilla crab? The chances of finding a non-reef safe pest is very high, and adding the rock straight from the ocean is not a good idea...

 

[Suarez_Leslie]

It's not a bad idea. But I am curious... How do you have Australian Reef Live Rock and you're on here worried about hitchikers? Something doesn't compute here... Both types of rock (The actual Reef Live Rock from Australia, and the Maricultured rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater) have the same potential for hitch hikers due to both having once lived in the ocean... The risks are the same...

Sorry when I had got my Aussie rock I was able to QT before even setting up my tank back then I just had rock and water for months before starting. But I have come some ways since then and now just upgrading my tank and looking to add more real estate.

 

[Suarez_Leslie]

What I am confused about is how it's not a bad idea... what is it comes with an invasive pest like aiptasia that will spread across the entire tank? What if there Is a gorilla crab? The chances of finding a non-reef safe pest is very high, and adding the rock straight from the ocean is not a good idea...

Yeah. I think what I have gathered so far was my gut feeling was right. I think I’ll just continue with my original plan and just cure a bunch of rock in my sump as I get ready for this upgrade. If I was starting over I would give it a try and give it 60 days to sit and observe and go from there.

 

[JNalley]

What I am confused about is how it's not a bad idea... what is it comes with an invasive pest like aiptasia that will spread across the entire tank? What if there Is a gorilla crab? The chances of finding a non-reef safe pest is very high, and adding the rock straight from the ocean is not a good idea...

1) Gorilla Crabs are super easy to remove
2) Aiptasia is manageable and not anywhere near the nuisance it's made out to be
3) out of 23 years in the hobby and at least 4 shipments of live rock totaling well over 1,000 lbs, I've had exactly 3 hitchhikers in 2 of the shipments, and only 2 of those turned out to be "undesirable" hitchhikers as gauged by the hobby, even though the Peacock Mantis was desired, just not in that tank... He got a nice home for a decade in a tank all his own at a friends house...

You're acting like the creature from the black lagoon is going to come out of the rocks... If anyone is that worried, put them in some 45ppt saltwater overnight with a lid on the barrel shake each rock as you pull it out, most of the bad critters if any will have tried to escape the rocks in search of less saline water, everything else, just take care of it in your tank... It's really not that scary...

 

[Timfish]

FWIW, the vast majority of the pedts I've encountered in the decades I've been keeping reefs have been from other aquarist. And the one species that has cost me the most in terms of coral and fish killed are BTAs. Research has shown cryptic sponge are critical for reef ecosystems. And research has also shown only a tiny percentage of the microbial stuff on reefs can be cultured and stuck in a bottle. Maricultured and wild live rock are still the best sources if not the only sources. As with anything going into a display system it does need to go through a QT. But I would certainly consider adding some if you are expanding or upgrsding your system.

 

[GlassMunky]

What I am confused about is how it's not a bad idea... what is it comes with an invasive pest like aiptasia that will spread across the entire tank? What if there Is a gorilla crab? The chances of finding a non-reef safe pest is very high, and adding the rock straight from the ocean is not a good idea...

Oh no a gorilla crab… so scary

Just pull it out
Also there are no aiptasia in the gulf so that’s an non-issue.

The fear of liverock is silly and unfounded.

The benefits or real ocean rock FAAARRRR outweighs any negative of a pesky HH or 2


Also you might get some cool Atlantic corals.
I have 3 species of different Stoney Atlantic corals now that couldn’t get any other way.

Go for it, I have the branch rock from TBS and it’s awesome.

 

[kevgib67]

I’ve used only live rock in my eighteen and a half years of reefing. No horror stories to speak of.

 

[jabberwock]

TBS live rock is a wonderful idea! Particularly if you get "premium" and have access to local pick up. Sure there will be a few undesirable hitchhikers, but the benefits faaaarrrrr out way the risks in my humble opinion. You get to make your decisions about the level of risk you take. I got way more good hitchhikers than bad ones. Go for it!

 

[jabberwock]

What I am confused about is how it's not a bad idea... what is it comes with an invasive pest like aiptasia that will spread across the entire tank? What if there Is a gorilla crab? The chances of finding a non-reef safe pest is very high, and adding the rock straight from the ocean is not a good idea...

Your gonna get aptasia from your LFS, not TBS rock. Gorilla crabs are manageable. I got tons of brittle stars, an urchin, 6 limpets and 6 porcelain crabs from my TBS rock. I would never use dry rock again. Been there farmed algae...

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Oh no a gorilla crab… so scary

Just pull it out
Also there are no aiptasia in the gulf so that’s an non-issue.

The fear of liverock is silly and unfounded.

The benefits or real ocean rock FAAARRRR outweighs any negative of a pesky HH or 2


Also you might get some cool Atlantic corals.
I have 3 species of different Stoney Atlantic corals now that couldn’t get any other way.

Go for it, I have the branch rock from TBS and it’s awesome.

Your gonna get aptasia from your LFS, not TBS rock. Gorilla crabs are manageable. I got tons of brittle stars, an urchin, 6 limpets and 6 porcelain crabs from my TBS rock. I would never use dry rock again. Been there farmed algae...

I am not saying that you shouldn't get live rock, I highly reccomend it. I am also not saying that gorilla crabs are going to kill you. All I was saying is to just watch it for a week or so in a tank before adding it to your tank just to make sure.......

 

[jabberwock]

I am not saying that you shouldn't get live rock, I highly reccomend it. I am also not saying that gorilla crabs are going to kill you. All I was saying is to just watch it for a week or so in a tank before adding it to your tank just to make sure.......

Took me 18 months to get the last gorilla crab out. It probably started as a larvae and grew from there. A short observation time is advisable, but you are never going to "make sure".

 

[d2mini]

You can QT if you are worried. But the branching stuff should be pretty easy to spot anything since they are relatively thin and not full of cavernous holes for things to hide in.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I bought 50 lb of TBS rock a few months ago. I’ve had 4-5 gorilla crabs that I’ve removed. I have one crab that I haven’t been able to get rid of and there’s a couple of other critters that I can’t get good pictures of but I don’t think are great. The pluses are that my tank can grow acros only a few months in and is pretty stable even with high phosphates due to overfeeding everything is happy and healthy. I attribute it to the rock.

 

[KandAReefs]

Getting some hitchhikers is not always a bad thing. Going with this type of rock works well especially if you can get rock from an area that you want to build your reef to mimic is a good thing.

 

[littlefoxx]

I got a treasure chest from them. Love the rock, seems to really help my reef tank! If I had the money I would convert my big tank to these rocks but I dont have that kind of money

 

[LiverockRocks Verified Sponsor]

Yes, it's a bad idea. What I would do, is just put the rock in a bucket of salt water, or better yet in an empty quarantine tank with salt water for a few days to get rid of the bad hitchhikers.

@LiverockRocks (Tampa Bay Saltwater)

I am upgrading my tank and adding more rock to extend my scape. The tank is about 3 years old and doing awesome; I can’t complain. I was thinking of adding some Tampa Bay Live Rock Branching Rock. Is this a bad idea due to hitchhikers and other sorts? I already have rocks that I have cured and Australian Reef Live Rock. Just wanted to add some more Bio Diversity. Especially living in Florida and having the accessibility to TBS.

Hiya, if the goal is to bio diversify, then order a Treasure Chest item. You might consider: Pico Package, Rubble, 8lbs nano Base or a Sand & Rox box.

Please do not place fresh, ocean harvested, shipped submerged TBS products in a bucket or bin. These products require a functioning aquarium with oxygen, clean water, some light, and flow.

Working with 1,000s of lbs of live rock and having personal aquariums with that rock; TBS hitchhikers are nothing to fear. We have experience with ALL the hikers. Email us for a faster reply, always happy to answer questions.

 

[liverock]

What she said ^^^