Which Live Rock?

[yellow ace]

Hey, I can't decide whether to get Caribbean Lr or Fiji Lr...
I think Caribbean is gorgeous, but it looks like it would be a pain to clean. Please post pics of Carib live rock if you have any!
-Ace

 

[jr2857]

don't have pics but i would prefer fiji

 

[yellow ace]

Yeah, I think I'm gonna go with Fiji. I can't get much info on the Caribbean. I have a 46-gallon tank so I'm ordering 45 lbs. of fiji and then I might top it off with handpicked caribbean lr pieces.
-Ace

 

[jcrim]

I like tonga branch. It's relatively light and porous. The branches have more surface area for bacteria to grow. JMO

 

[nm reef]

I've always used fiji myself...but there are numerous other viable alternatives.....I tried a google search for info on Caribbean Lr and found this....
"This unique appearing live rock comes from Haiti and is actually ancient Lettuce coral heads that have been reencrusted over with coralline algae, sponges, tunicates, macro algaes, and other interesting invertebrates. Haitian live rock has many open areas due to its plating structure which will enable the aquarium to have better circulation, and a natural appearance.
Haitian live rock is much lighter than any rock available in the market making it much easier to provide the desired look in the aquarium at an affordable price. The recommended weight per gallon is between 3/4 to 1-1/4 pounds. This quantity will create a beautiful aquascape, with many open holes and crevices, for marine life to hide. The advantages of using this unique rock is the incredible diversity of coloration, massive size, and unique shapes."

 

[nm reef]

There are also a few sources for Caribbean Florida aquacultured aquarium rock. But....this type of LR is known to be rather dense and can have numerous pest hitchhikers....personally I'd avoid it.

 

[demi7996]

Originally Posted by Yellow Ace
Hey, I can't decide whether to get Caribbean Lr or Fiji Lr...
I think Caribbean is gorgeous, but it looks like it would be a pain to clean. Please post pics of Carib live rock if you have any!
-Ace
ok this is going to be the stupidest question ever, but do you have to clean live rock?

 

[jonny bolt]

I went with Tonga Branch when I started my first salt tank. My friend already had a tank with tons of Fiji LR. I liked the way it looked, but wanted something different and the pics of Tonga looked great. After setting up my tank, cycling it, and enjoying it for a few months, I realized that Tonga, in my opinion, is best used as "accent" rock......ie: making rock bridges, for bracing, etc. When I ordered my Tonga Branch, my friend decided to double the order cuz he wanted to start a second tank and could use that to help cycle it. After doing that, we then added some of the Tonga to his first tank, and created a very nice and natural looking aquascape using both the Fiji and the Tonga Branch.
So I would definitely opt to start with the Premium Fiji stuff. Then add some different types to help accent it.

 

[jhebi]

You can get some Toga branch and Fiji and lots of base rock and than you can save money and let the base rock seed from the rest of the rocks....
I am getting a 100gl tank and buying 100LBS of base rock and 50LBs of LR.
Save money and patience is the key to saltwater.............
:jumping: :jumping: :jumping:

 

[ktsdad]

Originally Posted by Demi7996
ok this is going to be the stupidest question ever, but do you have to clean live rock?
I have never "cleaned" mine, maybe I am doing something wrong?

I do take a piece out now and then (if needed) to remove unwanted algea growth.
So I guess I do "clean" mine occasionally.

 

[jonny bolt]

Maybe he was referring to the "cleaning" you should do upon receiving LR. Scrubbing away die-off N stuff before cycling it is always recommended.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by Demi7996
ok this is going to be the stupidest question ever, but do you have to clean live rock?

A pandora's box there....not a stupid question

I would say if you got a bunch in the mail with a lot of nasty die off, I would scrub a little in some saltwater.
If you buy it local and there is no stuff, not really.
I don't think it requires special cleaners (I think Kent makes one).
And then there is the whole idea of "cooking" LR - no, not in the oven or boiling but basically curing it in the dark for weeks and weeks and weeks on end. I'm still a bit lost on the concept but there are many proponents. Another way to run a tank

 

[jonny bolt]

Nice catch ophiura, thanks for pointing that out. I shouldve clarified in my post above......dont really need to do the "scrub N clean" on the LR if you getting it down the street. I got mine overnighted, so I had to do some scrubbin lol

 

[reeffer]

i just got 100 pounds of figi today, the benefit of scrubbing is to reduce the cycling time. if you clean off as much dead or dying material as possible you will cycle much faster.

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by reeffer
i just got 100 pounds of figi today, the benefit of scrubbing is to reduce the cycling time. if you clean off as much dead or dying material as possible you will cycle much faster.
But we are not really looking to speed up the cycle. Thats the whole point of the cycle is to stablize and maintain good bacteria. I ordered some lr online, actually 2 different batches. When the 1st came I put it in right away. No smell, no dead sponges etc. The 2nd batch came and smelled slightly, but had a ton of dead sponges etc on it so I had to recure it. That took 3 weeks and constant water changes.