Live rock dilemma.

[SamMule]

Hi, first post here from NW Montana.
I am putting together my first 2 saltwater tanks.
Buying a used RSM 250. Live sand is included, but not rock.
Second tank is a brand new Biocube 16.

As you can imagine, good quality live rock is hard to come by up here. The stuff at my closest LFS is loaded with aptasia and algae. A little apprehensive to buy that without curing.
Second option is some nicer looking reseeded dry rock that is curing in a tub at another fish store. However, it is 2 hours away, and I am worried about the bacteria dying during transport. I have large coolers that I can keep it submerged in, but not sure that would be sufficient.
Third option is to have some real aquaculture rock flown in from Salty Bottom Reef co. I can have it shipped fully submerged, but am still worried about die-off and weather it would even be worth the hassle?
4th option is to forego the live rock and use caribsea or something similar. (Apprehensive to go this route...)

Planning on a few small fish and eventually some soft corals after the tanks are stabilized.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Quietman]

Cured rock isn't necessarily 'live' rock. Cured just means all the biologics have had a chance to decay away in a dark, heated (usually) tank. Once those die off and decay there's no food for bacteria so any "cycling" will have to be redone. That's not to say cured rock is bad...it ain't.

True live rock needs to be cycled and then that bacteria population maintained with food. That can be from the ocean (expensive and hitchhikers but high success with corals) or other tanks (other people's problems) properly maintained.

I'm sure that aiptasia rock is fully cycled...wouldn't touch it if they gave it to me free.

The other cured rock probably good. But still may need cycling.

You can also buy cheap dry rock, stick in a bucket with a heater and saltwater and cycle it why you're building everything else.

Or just put rock and sand in your tank and cycle it. Fast start products out will cut time in half (Dr Tims for example) if you're in a hurry.

 

[SamMule]

Right, I already have a barrel of heated saltwater ready to go and some microbacter start xml.
I would prefer the real "live" stuff, but am just not sure it will be worth it after transport.
From what I've read, the man-made stuff has longevity issues.
I also considered a combination. Some real live rock in with some reseeded dry rock with the hope that the live rock will help "seed" anything missing to the dry rock.

 

[NatD]

Hi there!

I lived in the Bitterroot Valley for a few years, so believe me I understand where you are coming from.

Even though we are home in Denver now, with a selection of LFS, I still chose to have fully submerged aquacultured rock flown in to the airport. I think it’s worth it.

Once you’re ready for fish and coral, you may end up getting a lot of your livestock online. Though I will say with the long shipping delays in MT, I would caution against FedEx overnight in Winter or Spring. The overnight there isn’t real overnight, as you know.

 

[Quietman]

Right, I already have a barrel of heated saltwater ready to go and some microbacter start xml.
I would prefer the real "live" stuff, but am just not sure it will be worth it after transport.
From what I've read, the man-made stuff has longevity issues.
I also considered a combination. Some real live rock in with some reseeded dry rock with the hope that the live rock will help "seed" anything missing to the dry rock.

I used the 'man-made' stuff, read similar stories of longevity. The Life Rock Shapes from Caribsea have been wet for almost 8 months with no issues in flaking, crumbling, or discoloration (surprisingly to me). Seems as hard as day I started. I attached stilts using E-Marco 400 and they are still solid. My rocks are stacked loose as well, so they do get moved with fragging and cleaning...again, no crumbling.

My parameters are normal: 8.0 pH, 450ppm Ca, 8.0 dKH, 1500 Mg (bit high). I do run a bit cooler than most by a few degrees.

 

[PatW]

I have heard that starting from dry rock gives many tanks issues because of the lack of flora on the rock. I fought cyano for years. The snails kept it off the rocks but the sand was nasty. I finally added a potload of various bacterial cultures for reef tanks and the cyano vanished.

The best option is to go with a very high quality live rock flown in. I think if you even seed your tank with a small amount, it will really help. I would suggest that after the cycle, that you dose with a variety of bacterial cultures to enrich you flora. Good luck.

 

[Dave Garrett]

If you are close to Spokane and even in Kalispel area keep watching craigslist or even put an ad on Craigslist for wanting live rock... Maybe someone is downsizing or tearing down a tank... Not saying you can not get pest this way but close inspection of rock might save some headaches.... Just another thought... Dave

 

[SamMule]

I'm close to kalispell. Thats my closest LFS. Ive been through CL, but nothing close right now. I'll probably just have some stuff flown in then.
Salty bottom has competitive prices, even with paying a little extra for the shipping.

 

[Slawman]

If you can get hold of fresh live rock, that is best. You end up with a diverse range of creatures coming in and mostly good long term. If you can't get that my approach would be to get dead rock from somewhere you can be confident it has not been exposed to copper or excessive phosphate and seed it yourself.

 

[SamMule]

Ok. I guess I will get some of the real stuff flown in then.
Another question...
So, I get some flown in and assume I will have some for-off in transport.
Am I better off curing in a barrel without light?
Or should I put it directly into the tank and let the whole thing cycle?
Wondering if the curing process would kill off any beneficial hitchhikers?

 

[Jdwest]

I'm close to kalispell. Thats my closest LFS. Ive been through CL, but nothing close right now. I'll probably just have some stuff flown in then.
Salty bottom has competitive prices, even with paying a little extra for the shipping.

Use them a lot very nice live rock

 

[Intense37754]

I’ve looked at a lot of them in FL and have always wanted to order from Tampa Bay live rock because they ship in water and they’re the only ones that say they do that I have seen. Everyone else is concerned about the weight but I rather pay a little more and not run the chance of having something die off especially if it’s not a pest

 

[NatD]

Ok. I guess I will get some of the real stuff flown in then.
Another question...
So, I get some flown in and assume I will have some for-off in transport.
Am I better off curing in a barrel without light?
Or should I put it directly into the tank and let the whole thing cycle?
Wondering if the curing process would kill off any beneficial hitchhikers?

Since you’re just getting started, put the rock right in the tank and let it cycle there. Good stuff flown submerged to your airport will have almost no die off and a super fast cycle.

Check out Tampa Bay Saltwater also. Their site has great helpful info.

 

[WVNed]

I used 150 pounds of TBS rock and 140 pounds of CaribSea Life rock. It all looks the same after 6 months. I am very impressed with the CaribSea stuff so far.

I got it all and put it in the tank. Trying to cycle with live rock is exactly like trying to cycle with fish. You have to carefully control the ammonia levels or you end up killing all the stuff you paid so much to get.

If I did it again I would do it differently.
I would buy the CaribSea rock and cycle it with bottled bacteria. Then I would order the live rock and put it straight into the tank and let is cycle again.

CaribSea rock

The TBS goes in late at night after I picked it up at the airport.
8-12-19
A week of closely monitoring ammonia begins. It kept spiking up. I used a large bottle of Fritz Turbo start and some Biospra
and lots of Prime.

8-25-19

Now

 

[Intense37754]

If they look alike now what happened to the hitchhikers that came with the Tampa bay rock? Did you remove them or die off over time? I’m only asking this because I like the look of the rock over a pristine reef tank.

Also I was speaking to someone who makes/sells bacteria in a bottle and they warned against using seeded rock with bacteria. I’m going to get torched for saying that without remembering exactly why. Lol and I won’t mention which company it is either

 

[Indytraveler83]

My strategy when I first started was to use 75% dry rock and 25% true live rock. That 25% I sourced from a few different places to get true biodiversity. It was also easier to keep it alive when dealing with 5-10 lbs at a time, rather than 100 lbs. The furthest I transported was about 3 hours, and it was fine as long as it stayed wet and at a reasonable temperature (in a foam cooler in the back seat of a heated car).

 

[Intense37754]

Ok. I guess I will get some of the real stuff flown in then.
Another question...
So, I get some flown in and assume I will have some for-off in transport.
Am I better off curing in a barrel without light?
Or should I put it directly into the tank and let the whole thing cycle?
Wondering if the curing process would kill off any beneficial hitchhikers?

If there’s no fish I would put in the tank and watch your parameters and hitchhikers you don’t want, gorilla crabs come to mind

 

[WVNed]

The algae didn't make it long term. I keep a lot of fish and they tend to pick a tank clean over time.
I got about 10 different kinds of crabs.
This guy lives in my sump. These are molts

The sponges are still in there and shrimps you can hear but never see.

 

[Intense37754]

That is awesome!
Good place for the crab/s to live out their lives.
Perfect excuse to pass by the woman for a new large tank and sump.

Sorry to hijack your thread

 

[fish farmer]

Ok. I guess I will get some of the real stuff flown in then.
Another question...
So, I get some flown in and assume I will have some for-off in transport.
Am I better off curing in a barrel without light?
Or should I put it directly into the tank and let the whole thing cycle?
Wondering if the curing process would kill off any beneficial hitchhikers?

I've cured in tank and in a tub both times, small amounts 20 to 30 lbs. I like having a tub so I can inspect and pick off dead/ dying things like sponges. Sure some things will die depending on the shipping but many things will live. I don't like the really packed full of life rock that is sold because of some of the life forms will more thank likely die during cycle and beyond....like the oysters that come on LR. I've bought a corraline covered rock from a Gulf of Florida source which wasn't the premium stuff but still had plenty of life represented.