What are the critter Red Flags when buying live rock?

LanM · Feb 15, 2018

Guys, I don't think I've seen a specific thread for this but can we get a general list of things that would immediately tell us to walk away from a live rock buy?

What are the best immediate tells, and what are some ways to identify issues that may not be visible at first glance?

I ask because I'm in dire need of some additional live rock myself, and I'm going to take a look at some established rock tomorrow. This will be for a new frag tank so I certainly don't want to bring a bunch of junk that's going to give me problems into the mix.

And if it doesn't exist already I think it would be pretty useful.

LadyMac · Feb 15, 2018

This will definitely be handy for the future. I am on the hunt for some more live rock as well but I worry. I’ve a friend whose tank got taken over by aiptasia from a live rock he purchased and he didn’t see it on there when he bought it.

Maritimer · Feb 15, 2018

I've seen some on offer that was just a mat of GHA.

Not interested at $2/lb.

~Bruce

easternreefer · Feb 16, 2018

I would say.. aiptasia lots of them.. one or two. I wouldn't have a huge issue.. lots of vermetid snails..

if you have a predominately sps tank. shrooms that can't be fragged off. kenya trees, and Xenia
and of course as others have mentioned.. mass amounts of GHA, Bryopsis

LanM · Feb 17, 2018

easternreefer said:
I would say.. aiptasia lots of them.. one or two. I wouldn't have a huge issue.. lots of vermetid snails..

if you have a predominately sps tank. shrooms that can't be fragged off. kenya trees, and Xenia
and of course as others have mentioned.. mass amounts of GHA, Bryopsis

I have a quick question about the Xenia. Do you recommend staying awa from live rock that has xenia? The rock I'm going to look at tomorrow is listed as having xenia on some. I didn't intend to take any with xenia anyway, but I'm interested in why.

ItsAName · Feb 17, 2018

I'm curious too. What's wrong with Xenia?

Gareth elliott · Feb 17, 2018

LanM said:
I have a quick question about the Xenia. Do you recommend staying awa from live rock that has xenia? The rock I'm going to look at tomorrow is listed as having xenia on some. I didn't intend to take any with xenia anyway, but I'm interested in why.

Xenia under favorable conditions spreads quite readily, when you type xenia into google and look at images you will see plenty of tanks where its taken over and growing everywhere. A lot of soft corals have similar habits. Only soft coral i have left is a photosynthetic gorgonian, and thats on a rock that touches no others.

As far as live rock when i purchased mine, i got from an lfs that had them in holding tanks, and showed no outward signs of anything but coraline and i picked each piece by hand examining it.

What i ended up getting,
A hermit
Snails, luckily only beneficial
Anemones, also lucky not aiptasia or majano
Bristle worms
Feather dusters
These examples just to say what you see is not necessarily all you are getting.

Worst hitchhiker i got came with chaeto though, evil bubble algae, mumbles like Joe Pesci.

Saltine · Feb 17, 2018

If it's not at a LFS in a container with only rock that they purchased brand new, I'd say it's a red flag... Even then I wouldn't trust it. Why not just start with dry rock?

Christopher Davis · Feb 17, 2018

Saltine said:
If it's not at a LFS in a container with only rock that they purchased brand new, I'd say it's a red flag... Even then I wouldn't trust it. Why not just start with dry rock?

Recently there are threads showing dry rock can be bad In the long run, something about loosing a lot of benifical bacteria that you can only get in the ocean on macro and micro levels... I started with live rock and haven’t had issues with having a stable tank... but I did get apatasia... but I would start with dry rock for sure get maybe a couple of pieces and essentially quarantine them and remove pests as they pop up then add to system. To preserve natural Bactria found in the ocean which is critical for long term health!

LanM · Feb 17, 2018

LOL, mumbles like Joe Pesci.

Saltine,
The established rock was needed due to an order of 30 frags, necessitating the swift setup of a frag tank. I could not wait the requisite time for dry rock to season (of which I have 40+lbs of).

Wasn't going to miss on the opportunity solely on the lack of live rock.

easternreefer · Feb 17, 2018

LanM said:
I have a quick question about the Xenia. Do you recommend staying awa from live rock that has xenia? The rock I'm going to look at tomorrow is listed as having xenia on some. I didn't intend to take any with xenia anyway, but I'm interested in why.

as others have said it can be invasive. I mentioned it in regards to a sps tank. that being said it is a nice coral when actively managed. I have never had an issue with it over taking a tank and I am a heavy feeder.
if there is some in the rock and its not over run with xenia. you have a couple options. frag the rock where there is the xenia and try and get credit for it at a lfs. second option is to try and remove it from the rock with kalk paste, joes juice or the like. third option is if the lfs will take it for credit.. keep some isolated and keep growing it for credit.

LanM · Feb 17, 2018

Thanks for the tips. One of the places I've been buying frags from did say he'd take the xenia in on trade because its not available from his suppliers (due to its weed status). He says they get asked for it all the time so he'd take it in on trade from me.