Live rock vs cultured live rock???

[Picasso]

Yesterday, I was at my LFS and they had just received a load of live rock. There was a huge hunk that I was drooling over. It was covered in pretty polyps and coraline algae. I wanted that rock!!!! My lights aren't up to snuff for corals and I only just got everything set up so Im glad I resisted the urge!!! Over the next few months, I want to get my lights right and fill my tank with live rock before I bring any corals or fishes home. I want to be a responsible aquarium person and I've been reading online about different types of live rock. Does the cultured stuff do the same job as the real stuff? Does it matter? Do they really take these live rocks from existing reefs in the waters? How do you know which is best?

thanks,
catherine

 

[Oscarsdad608]

If you check the local clubs in WI you can find great live rock from $2 and up.

 

[dustin_P74]

live rock is live rock no matter what them name in front of it is

 

[daugherty]

some of the rock is more dense and some is more porus i like the more porus rock

 

[Bifferwine]

You can get maricultured live rock, which is more environmentally friendly than wild live rock. Maricultured live rock is usually man made, then dumped in the ocean, where it is inhabited by bacteria and hitch hikers, the same stuff you'd find on wild live rock. Then the "rock farmer" goes out and brings back all the rock, and dumps a new batch in.

http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/ has maricultured live rock for sale, and for very cheap. A lot of people have gotten their rock from that company.

 

[yote]

Thats where my LFS gets their rock.And you cant beat it as far as the life on it,and just how well they ship it.
We've found every thing from live eels and octos to fish,shrimp,seastars.Seems like everything living in their rock at harvest time,survives the trip to your LFS then to your home.

 

[dustin_P74]

you seem to be forgetting a creature there yote

 

[yote]

Thanks for the flash backs Dustin:grumble:

 

[dustin_P74]

that was just for full disclosure

 

[Picasso]

LOVE this idea! We are all from Tampa so it's really cool to get rock from there! Thanks!

Catherine

 

[ccCapt]

DO NOT BUY FIJI CULTURED ROCK.

I had a chat with Anthony Calfo at our last frag swap. He showed pics of how cultured live rock is made. In Figi, there is a limit on the amount of live rock that can be harvested, but there is no limit on how much calcium carbonate can be "mined" from the reefs. They have actually built concrete plants near shore and BLOW UP the reef, take the calcium carbonate (live rock, dead coral etc) to the concrete plant and "make" cultured rock. The pictures were unbelievable.

DO NOT BUY FIJI CULTURED ROCK.

 

[Bifferwine]

DO NOT BUY FIJI CULTURED ROCK.

I had a chat with Anthony Calfo at our last frag swap. He showed pics of how cultured live rock is made. In Figi, there is a limit on the amount of live rock that can be harvested, but there is no limit on how much calcium carbonate can be "mined" from the reefs. They have actually built concrete plants near shore and BLOW UP the reef, take the calcium carbonate (live rock, dead coral etc) to the concrete plant and "make" cultured rock. The pictures were unbelievable.

DO NOT BUY FIJI CULTURED ROCK.

Okay, but most cultured live rock doesn't come from Fiji. Tampa Bay Saltwater's doesn't, there's is dead stuff collected from the Bahamas and relocated to their lease areas near Florida.

 

[yote]

Thats information that needs to be on the front page of the site.

 

[ccCapt]

Okay, but most cultured live rock doesn't come from Fiji.

Never said all cultured rock comes from Fiji.
Go into a Petco and see what they are selling. Read the tag on the rock.

 

[Bifferwine]

Never said all cultured rock comes from Fiji.
Go into a Petco and see what they are selling. Read the tag on the rock.

Heh. Probably why I didn't know what you are talking about -- none of the Petcos in Tucson carry "live" rock. But it doesn't surprise me that Petco would buy from a company that does business like that. Petco is well known to have the lowest standards in the industry, as far as ethical practices go.

 

[Picasso]

You know what really stinks here is that there are people trying to be responsible with their purchases and there are those that take advantage. I guess the real lesson is to research your purchases just like diamonds. The Tampa site has videos of their facilities. And, I know the environmental lobby is very strong in Florida. Also, they haven't used oceanic sand in concrete in Florida in forever. I'll still research the company. It breaks my heart to hear stories of what is happening to our world's precisous reefs and I appreciate you bringing this to our attention!

Catherine

 

[lightcs4]

Hey Capt, Do you have any links or further info about the issues with some of the cultured Fuji rock? I would be interested in learning more about the problem and what to look for if I need to purchase additional rock.

 

[Stupidsreef]

Heh. Probably why I didn't know what you are talking about -- none of the Petcos in Tucson carry "live" rock. But it doesn't surprise me that Petco would buy from a company that does business like that. Petco is well known to have the lowest standards in the industry, as far as ethical practices go.

Indeed I would agree with your statement Bifferwine. I'm no fan of petco either. Nor does our's sell LR anyway.

I've heard tons of good & bad both about Tampabay's LR. I've seen it too. I can't say yah or Nay about it other than it looked just like my stuff, which is not Tampabay and I'd love to try there stuff.

The best advise I can give is to inspect the rock before you buy it. If it's really heavy or smells horrid or has what you think to be dead or dieing corals on it, then leave it be. But if it is light for it's size, does not smell horrid and has coralline growth on it, then it's most likely good rock to buy. Another key is to hold it up out of water and see how fast the water drains out of it. True good LR will drian a lot fast & then drip for a while. If the water falls out as fast as you lift it out, yet the rock still feels heavy then I'd leave it be. Dead Coral Rock doesn't hold much water and is very heavy even out of water. Hope that helps you somewhat.

 

[Damseluver]

It might also help to steer new hobbyist away from the notion that they need two to three pounds per gallon of LR to start there tanks. Given time a combination of base rock and live rock will achieve the same results. Basically culturing rock right at the hobbyist level and greatly reducing the price of admission to the hobby which is more important than ever these days.

If any one thing is preached more on these forums it is patience. Oddly when it comes to rock that goes out the window and common recommendations are as I stated above.

 

[Picasso]

I got very upset at the idea of reefs getting blown-up to make "cultured rock" and I wrote the the guys at Indo-Pacific (www.ipsf.com) His response to the concern of destroying reefs is this:

There are indeed companies that make live rock or dry base rock out of reconstituted limestone rock (ancient coral). But limestone is one of the most common terrestrial substrates on earth! Ancient reefs are all over the planet, including in the United States, and some are far from present oceans, like in Idaho and inland Texas. The crushed limestone material is often used by the thousands or millions of tons for construction projects. You are not harming present day reefs in any way by using this material or rocks made from it.

One of the companies that makes environmentally safe rock for aquariums is garf.org. They call it aragocrete.


Best regards,

Gerald

Does anyone know about this garf.org?

Catherine