Legal to take common rock from Ocean?

[montoya]

I'm going to be vacationing in Alabama this Spring at the Gulf Shores. While there I was thinking of gathering some rocks from the Gulf to use as base rock for a sump I plan to set up. Not much at all - maybe a 5 gallon bucket full at most.

Is this legal? I know in a lot of State/National Forests and parks now it is becoming illegal in more and more cases to remove any materials at all. Not sure if this is extending to seashores.

I don't plan to keep the rock live - I will boil it or something when I get it home. I only want the appropriate type of rock for saltwater. Even base rock around here sells for $5.00 - $7.00 lb. in a lot of LFS.

 

[dustin_P74]

i would go through the trouble if your just going to kill it, just look on craigslist for someone breaking down there tank

 

[Teixeira29]

Here is a good website to buy base Rock from marcorocks.com $.99 lb. Its a good place for that kind of stuff. Good Luck!!

 

[yote]

If your just going to boil and kill whats on the rock,then leave it where it belongs "In the ocean".
But to find out if it legal to harvest the rock,Give the areas fish and game officer a call.

 

[montoya]

As for killing what's on the rock I don't plan to break hunks off a reef or anything like that - just pick up a bucket full of rocks rolling around in the surf.

Base rock, aragonite sand, crushed coral, etc. that you buy in the stores comes from the ocean by the thousands of tons - no?

 

[Alexander]

you can get a serious fine for doing that. and i would def not boil your rock if you mean literally boil it

 

[Bifferwine]

Yote's got the right idea, check with the local game and fish agency. They should know. Yes, harvesters take it by the ton, but they have to pay a permit to do so. In many places, it's illegal to even remove small pieces of rock from the ocean (I know that Florida has very strict rules).

I highly doubt there'd be anything illegal about what you're proposing, but it doesn't hurt to check.

 

[montoya]

Thanks - I'll definitely check as everyone suggests. I thought someone might know off the top of their head if they had some experience with it.

My comment on the tons of rock and other substrate being harvested was more directed toward concern about my killing what is on the rock. My point is that much of the base rock and bagged substrates you buy in the store come from the Ocean and had some type of organisms growing on it (not all - some comes from land sources). At some point it was cleaned and dried effectively killing whatever was on it. You also go on somewhat blind faith or manufacturer's claims that the rock is harvested from responsible sources.

The same occurs with live rock. From the time it leaves the ocean until it hits your tank it is known and accepted in the hobby that a large portion of the organisms on the rock are going to die off. We even intentionally cure the rock to facilitate the process.

 

[yote]

Thats why I like Tampa Bay Saltwaters rock.You know when you open the box and find an eel looking at you,that the rock has been taken care of and has minimal die-off.

 

[sen5241b]

I've collected a lot of pieces of white branch coral off the beach and it looks great in the tank. I just let it turn bone dry for a month and then cure it in a 5G bucket of water. Coraline will grow quickly on white branch coral. Everything in the foreground, I found on the beach.