can i take live rock from the ocean anduse it

[dsmith]

i live in new jersey and were i fish at there is tons of live from i can take, can i use it and i probably have to cure it you think cause its in the bay so theres alot of boats what u guys think, i pulled out a piece with my gaft hook and it had coraline algea all over it anyone would suggest this from the raritian bay of new jersey

 

[viet-tin]

Just check with the state and make sure it isnt illegal to pull rocks from the ocean.

 

[viper_930]

Curing the LR will not remove the pollutants from the boats.

 

[ams153]

but dont big stores get there lr from the ocean how do they get rid of the pollutants
Andrew

 

[rich460]

take a small rock and make a nano tank and see how it works out :joy:

 

[coastie55g]

cant beno different then that florida rock they harvest

 

[ophiura]

It isn't worth it, IMO, if it is not calcareous rock (like off Florida where they have coral reefs). That is a very big difference. The rocks and sand are very very different between New Jersey and Florida.
If it is a granite or something (which is more likely in NJ), its just not worth it both because of porosity issues (it doesn't have it) and because of various natural minerals present in those types of rocks (iron, silica) that can encourage algae growth. Besides, a lot of the animals there are temperate water and will die off in a tropical reef tank. So do a lot of geology first!
Also, some of the biggest mistakes people make with things like temperate water snails and hermits is that many are predatory. Very common here in Texas, where people pick up the big ol' hermits in Galveston, only to find they are some of the nastiest around.
I wouldn't risk it, personally.

 

[caryn_ia]

I just asked a similar question, relating to taking things from the ocean. I was given some links and it looks like live rock is illegal to take from the ocean, from most everywhere. The companies that do, have to have a special, and I think unavailable anymore, license. Fish and the like are a different story.

 

[stuckinfla]

I know here in Fla it is illegal. There are companies that "lease" part of the ocean floor to propagate their own. The rock is mined inland and then dropped a few miles off shore in 20ft of water.

 

[kyle10]

i know its illegal....everything is illegal in new jersey!!!!

 

[streetdoc]

Harvesting live rock is illegal in the US as far as I know unless you have aquaculturedit by leasing ocean bottom and propagate your own as stuck has said. I do pick up smaller rocks and pieces of dead coral that wash up near the beach and use them in two of my tanks and the smaller pieces for frags with no problems. I do rinse the well and let them sit outside in the rain and sun for a couple of weeks first though.

 

[sergeant]

I take walks at the beach looking for dead coral too. Sometimes I see pieces of wood with barnicles still alive. I dont wash the rocks though. I put them in 5 gallon buckets with a strong air pump to see if anything comes out of them. So far Ive got a black sea urchin, a chocolate chip star and bristle stars, orange boring sponge and a few other things.

 

[streetdoc]

I bet a lot more cool stuff washes up over there with the increased wave action versus the west coast.

 

[dsmith]

you think i can take a piece of dead rock from the beach put it in a 5 gallon bucket and find something from jersey waters

 

[streetdoc]

Never know until you try I have found a couple of Octopi in dead rock near the shore here as a kid, none in the last 15 years or so though.

 

[streetdoc]

Just had a thought. Not sure what the water temp is in the Atlantic up there but you might need to be careful what you take from the ocean temp and put into an aquarium temp. My reef temp is 80 +/- 1. The Gulf temp ranges from the 70's to very low 90's briefly. Everything I have collected has done well so far. Good luck!!