whats your input on AQUACULTURED LIVEROCK ??
- Thread starter sandman12
- Start date
lobstergrabber
Member
I have some Florida aqua cultured rock in my tank. It has more color than any of the other rock that I have purchased. It seems to be a little more dense so you will probably need more poundage to fill your tank to the desired levels. But for color and a good corraline base I don't see how you can go wrong.
Rich
Rich
phoenixrising
Member
In addition to the above comments, be prepared for plenty of hitch-hiking mantis. I am still finding them in my tanks. Not that I mind...I really like mantis in a controlled environment...but don't much care for them in my display tanks.
spider crab
Member
I love the Fla live rock I bought, lots of nice colors and mine didnt look like cement. You may want to shop around who you buy from. I am sure a lot has to dow ith how many years they have had it un the gulf and what kind of rock they are using to culture from. I think these folks get their rock from mines and it is just ancient dead coral rock.
I would be happy to email you with the place I dealt with though you can just do a search on Tampa and live rock and you will find them. They are the first company to gain a lease from florida for this purpose.
I own some fiji live rock and while I like it , I like the FL stuff better. If you buy it, get the "decorator" or "coral rock" grade. Costs about 5/pound but it will come with brain corals, encrusting sponges, wood sponges and a few hard colors (Golf ball and one other I can't remember the name of) as well.
The cautions about hitch hikers are correct, you will get some mantis and possible bristle crabs. Since you'll most likely need to recure it anyways, just pour some Soda water onto the rocks (outside of your curing container)and watch em shoot right out of it. They hate the stuff.This technique worked great for me and as far as I know I got them all out.
I am not terribly sure what density issue is, but maybe someone can explain that. Your mainly just looking for a place for all the benificial micro sea life to live in and convert your tanks waste products into less harmful by products.
Now all the above being said, I have not bought this rock via mail. I vacation in Tampa a couple of times per year and stop by the store just before I drive home. I live in NC and it takes about 11 hours to get home. They pack my rock in water so much of it survives and little curing is needed. Your results could vary alot if you had it mailed to you.
I would be happy to email you with the place I dealt with though you can just do a search on Tampa and live rock and you will find them. They are the first company to gain a lease from florida for this purpose.
I own some fiji live rock and while I like it , I like the FL stuff better. If you buy it, get the "decorator" or "coral rock" grade. Costs about 5/pound but it will come with brain corals, encrusting sponges, wood sponges and a few hard colors (Golf ball and one other I can't remember the name of) as well.
The cautions about hitch hikers are correct, you will get some mantis and possible bristle crabs. Since you'll most likely need to recure it anyways, just pour some Soda water onto the rocks (outside of your curing container)and watch em shoot right out of it. They hate the stuff.This technique worked great for me and as far as I know I got them all out.
I am not terribly sure what density issue is, but maybe someone can explain that. Your mainly just looking for a place for all the benificial micro sea life to live in and convert your tanks waste products into less harmful by products.
Now all the above being said, I have not bought this rock via mail. I vacation in Tampa a couple of times per year and stop by the store just before I drive home. I live in NC and it takes about 11 hours to get home. They pack my rock in water so much of it survives and little curing is needed. Your results could vary alot if you had it mailed to you.
zanemoseley
Active Member
does the soda water damage the live rock in any way?
spider crab
Member
It did not seem to for me. Perhaps someone more knowledgable could say for sure, though someone on this board gave me the Soda water advice. I checked the ingredients and it was just C02 and water. Other similar products like Tonic Water or Seltzer water probably contain some things you wouldnt want on your live rock. I just removed my rock from the curing tank and drizzled a bit of of the soda water into the crevices of the rock until the mantis shrimp shot out. Then I put it back into the curing tank. I should think the curing tank water would dilute any remaining Soda water even if it were harmful in some way.
lobstergrabber
Member
Another method someone mentioned to me to remove mantis's is to make high salinity dip(1.03 SG) and dip your rocks in that. It should not be that harmful to anything and it solves the same problems.
Rich
Rich
zafirablanca
Member
Hands down Florida Aquacultured. I have 250 lbs of it. The stuff at the LFS around here cost 5x what I paid for my FL LR, and has no visible anything. My rock is the showcase of my tank. I wouldn't even consider anything else.
Plus I really love the aquacultured idea of it.
-Christine
Plus I really love the aquacultured idea of it.
-Christine
zanemoseley
Active Member
Originally posted by zafirablanca
Hands down Florida Aquacultured. I have 250 lbs of it. The stuff at the LFS around here cost 5x what I paid for my FL LR, and has no visible anything. My rock is the showcase of my tank. I wouldn't even consider anything else.
Plus I really love the aquacultured idea of it.
-Christine
so what'd you use to dispense of the pesky mantis shrimp? Whats better high salinity dip or pouring soda water in the holes?
overanalyzer
Active Member
Zane - some people also use a fresh water dip - just get hte temp up and set each rock in a bucket of fresh water for 30-90 seconds and watch critters pour out. The other thing to do is check locally and see what is available from a local reefer. I got nearly 100 pounds from a fellow reefer @ a steal!
I would recommend taking some off of alocal reefer's hands or getting aquacultured.
If you buy NON-aquacultured you are taking rocks off of a reef ....
I would recommend taking some off of alocal reefer's hands or getting aquacultured.
If you buy NON-aquacultured you are taking rocks off of a reef ....
zanemoseley
Active Member
I'm getting Tampa FL aquacultured rock, I've heard the freshwater dip doesn't get rid of many mantis, but thats just what I've heard.
attml
Active Member
IMO Hitchhikers are one of the best part of the hobby! I am happy I put un-cured rock in my tanks! It increases the cycle time a little but you get more hitchhikers (good or bad)! I would be a little nervous of a freshwater dip - wouldn't you run the risk of killing all of the corraline algae?
If I cured my rock or did a freshwater dip when I first set up my tanks I might not have these beauties! (Hitchhikers from my Fla. Aquacultured Live Rock - Clockwise - Chiton, Chiton, Unknown, Limpet, Sea Slug, Sabellid Worm)
If I cured my rock or did a freshwater dip when I first set up my tanks I might not have these beauties! (Hitchhikers from my Fla. Aquacultured Live Rock - Clockwise - Chiton, Chiton, Unknown, Limpet, Sea Slug, Sabellid Worm)
zanemoseley
Active Member
ya I think I might just buy a mantis trap and try to catch all the mantis outta the tanks during the rock cycle and keep my inverts in the quar. tank until all the mantis are caught
will it be easy to catch all the mantis with premade trap?
will it be easy to catch all the mantis with premade trap?
sandman12
Active Member
wow thanks for all the info. I have a deal going iam getting it for $2.29 a pound!!! and sense i live in florida iam just taking the 1 hour trip up to hand pick it. Also i have seen the tampa web site but iam getting it for cheaper with my deal!! iam still cycling but it will be over in about a week ,iam getting the rock sat. will the cycle still cure the rock?
attml
Active Member
waterfaller1,
I have heard that keyhole limets will sometimes eat corals but I have several in my tank and they have been model citizens thus far. I did have one that was a little close to one of my corals one night and I put him in another tank but over all they have been a good part of my cleanup crew.
I have heard that keyhole limets will sometimes eat corals but I have several in my tank and they have been model citizens thus far. I did have one that was a little close to one of my corals one night and I put him in another tank but over all they have been a good part of my cleanup crew.
jonthefb
Active Member
there is an interestign discussion in the new reef invertebrates book by anthony calfo and robert fenner about buying fiji (island ) rock vs. aquacultured florida rock.....in it both authors hands down give props to the fiji...they say tha with the florida you might actually get more visible life int eh way of urchins, limpets, stars, etc, but for pure bacterial/filtration purposes (the whole reason we buy this crazy stuff) the fiji out performs the florida by far because it has been in and part of the ocean for an immeasurable amount of time! its a very interesting read and an excellent book...both authors say that if you are truly interested in saving the reef to purchase a good amount of the florida, but to combine that with the fiji/tonga/marshall/etc to get the maximum filtrative use out of your rock!
good luck
jon
good luck
jon