Buying LR online vs from LFS pros and cons

[sh2000]

Any chance you can get a blue sponge from LR I've been looking to buy one of those for a while can't find it anywhere!!
My LFS cures thier own LR (I assume this is done when you see a 250 gal. tank with only LR in it being filtered all the time)if not how do you cure it properly ?..they want 6-7 dollars for live Fiji rock,cured. I have to say it some of the nicest LR I've seen with the coloring..etc.
I'm also assuming when you buy it in the LFS you can put it directly in your DT.
I'm curious about Mantis Shrimp..is that a pistol shrimp? I looked it up it says they're peaceful animals ??? So I'm confused to what a Mantis Shrimp is and why everyone has crazy stories about them...like they killed off every animal in the tank. Can they kill corals? How do you know if you have one if you didn't cure your own LR ? Most people have trouble getting this Mantis out...Can someone please enlighten me, I appreciate the help, sorry if this is too many questions

 

[mie]

I would'nt worry about a mantis this is not a very common hitchiker. And no they wont hurt corals.
Yes if the rock is in curring tanks at the lfs and they are cured you can take the rock home and put it right in, just make sure to keep the rock wet when transporting it. Good way is to use a large styrofoam (spelling) cooler and put wet salt water soaked newspaper or towels on the rock. The reason i dont buy live rock online is because i cant pick out neat pieces with sponges and stuff on it.
If you have a very large tank ordering online is the way to go because it is so much cheaper.

 

[petieaztec]

personally i like to pick out my own live rock due to all the shapes and sizes the rocks come in...... even if the rock says cured there will still be some die off so i would not add a ton if you already have fish/corals in your tank...

 

[sh2000]

How do you know which pieces have sponges on it ? and wouldn't they be way more expensive ?

 

[mie]

You can see the sponges. And it is sold buy the pound. If the rock is covered with sponges and is considered by the lfs as a show piece, than the rock will cost a bit more.

 

[petieaztec]

you can see the sponges when you pick the live rock out..... if you can find the blue sponge i would buy a piece of it, it grows pretty well.

 

[reefmate75]

Originally Posted by SH2000
How do you know which pieces have sponges on it ? and wouldn't they be way more expensive ?
nope cost is the same...you get what ever is alive on that rock hince "live rock" good or bad critters

 

[mie]

I got lucky and one of my pieces had a small purple sponge on it that grows like crazy.
BTW petieaztec i spent time in oceanside, i was stationed at twentynine palms

.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by SH2000
Any chance you can get a blue sponge from LR I've been looking to buy one of those for a while can't find it anywhere!!
My LFS cures thier own LR (I assume this is done when you see a 250 gal. tank with only LR in it being filtered all the time)if not how do you cure it properly ?..they want 6-7 dollars for live Fiji rock,cured. I have to say it some of the nicest LR I've seen with the coloring..etc.
I'm also assuming when you buy it in the LFS you can put it directly in your DT.
I'm curious about Mantis Shrimp..is that a pistol shrimp? I looked it up it says they're peaceful animals ??? So I'm confused to what a Mantis Shrimp is and why everyone has crazy stories about them...like they killed off every animal in the tank. Can they kill corals? How do you know if you have one if you didn't cure your own LR ? Most people have trouble getting this Mantis out...Can someone please enlighten me, I appreciate the help, sorry if this is too many questions
Sponges usually die once they are out of water. Small sponges survive on live rock, but I wouldn't bet on buying large amounts of rock in the hopes of getting a particular sponge.
Cured rock can still contain hitchhikers. The best thing about curing your own rock is that you can monitor the water it cures in (high ammonia will kill many of the beneficial hitchhikers in/on it) and you can monitor it for unwanted pests.
Depends on how long they have cured it. Ask them to test the Ammonia/Nitrites in their holding vats of rock. If either is present the rock is not fully cycled.
Depending on where the rock is from, it can be full of Mantis shrimp and aggressive crabs. Not sure where you read Mantis are peaceful, but they lied. Mantis come in two varieties; The kind that decimates invert (shrimp, snails, etc.) populations, and the kind that slashes and decimates fish populations.

 

[sh2000]

How big are the Mantis and how are they so strong towards other fish ?

 

[dischirm]

I had a mantis as a hitchhiker and it was only about an inch long and it dissappeared about a two years ago. I assume my puffer or Queen Angel got it

 

[grabbitt]

As for the sponges, 1journeyman is right. It will most likely die in transit from the LFS to your tank, assuming it is out of water. And mantis shrimp can be pretty vicious. From what I recall, it is the world's strongest creature in scale to its size. Look around the forum and I'm sure you'll find some interesting stories...

 

[1journeyman]

Mantis shrimp come in many varieties. Some are small (inches), some get pretty big (several inches).
They have incredibly fast front claws that snap forward. The type that kill inverts makes a popping noise similar to a pistol shrimp. The large "popping" Mantis can hit incredibly hard. (google or youtube for links). Their claws actually move so fast they cause cavitation when they strike.
They are also very sneaky.
Lastly, they are known as "Thumbsplitters" by shrimp fisherman along the gulf coast for the wounds they can inflict.

 

[lecithin]

I have to agree w/the sponges dieing once out of the water and on the way to being transfered to your tank. I had 4-5 small sponges on my LR and one larger sponge all the large one died and only two of the smallest sponges survived.

 

[sh2000]

ok I just hope I dont have any or get any!!

 

[big]

Although this and other sites like it are great for the hobby. Thanks SWF.com
I do not think I would ever buy LR on line. I want to see and pick out the rock myself. Also I think it is most likely any sponges have been exposed to air sometime in their transit, on line of from a LFS . ......BTW Here is one of my blues that showed up on piece of mine out a year after set up of this tank. I have red, blue brown and white ones too they just show up after a while........ Warren

 

[sh2000]

I have Tree Sponges but I bought them..I'd love to get some blue coloring on my LR. Any suggestions ??

 

[big]

Originally Posted by SH2000
I have Tree Sponges but I bought them..I'd love to get some blue coloring on my LR. Any suggestions ??

Mine just showed up. Maybe request your LFS to look for one for you????

 

[2cold2fish]

1. I think it depends on how much LR you need. If your adding a top layer of deco then its nice to get pieces you can pick, but if your just starting a large tank, online is the way to go.
2. If you like your LFS Rock, then ask him where he got it, and order from there and cure it yourself for half the price. You can pretty much snoop this out on the sly if he wont tell you.
3. If you are adding to your tank OL is still very hard to beat.
Plus with uncured live rock you get way more hitch-hikers. a whole bunch you should "flush out" on arrival. seperate the nice from the nasty inverts and add to your tank, then set up the rock for curing.
4. Almost all LFS I say their rock is cured. Even if it arrived
yesterday. They usually only have one or two aquariums/tubs with live rock and they order all the time, especially if they sell alotI will ask them to seperate the pieces I want to another tank for 3 or 4 weeks for me. sometimes they will sometimes they wont.
Ok I quit
2cold

 

[sh2000]

Well I'm pretty much full on my LR 125 lb in a 80 Gal. RT I know I could get some more but I like the setup now..As far as the sponges they might come they might not...I tried to get some Blue sponge online but its not always available, hardly ever. I'm hoping to find some so it can spread in my aquarium. I don't trust my LFS and they would charge me alot for anything, they do what they want.