Maricultured rock question

BeltedCoyote

Philosopher king of the Memes
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
7,425
Reaction score
36,784
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello all.

I’m closely nearing the point where my tank will finally be set up. I initially planned on using exclusively marco rocks but have since wanted to split my rock between dry (for a little aqua scaping) as well as maricultured rock for stability and biodiversity.

just wondering if there are any suppliers still shipping these days? If not, would it be horribly detrimental to start with dry and add “live” when I can get my hands on some?

thanks as always!
 

polyppal

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Messages
3,151
Reaction score
6,214
Location
Denver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The real live rock is pretty hard to get these days, though Tampa Bay Saltwater just posted today that they are resuming business!

Nothing wrong with starting with dry, its what 90% of us do. Sure, you can add some cultured LR later if/when you can get hold of it.
 

Ghost25

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
408
Reaction score
491
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got live rock from KP Aquatics recently. Having started a tank with dry rock and a tank with maricultured live rock I can say that going with real live rock from the ocean is absolutely worth it. Honestly I wouldn't even use any dry rock if you can afford it. You can see my build thread, or read others experiences.
 

reefinatl

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
586
Reaction score
798
Location
North GA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
KP, Gulf, and SaltyBottom. I used 25% from gulf and the rest dry rock. Got a few lbs of sand as well. Lots of banded brittle stars in the sand which is what I wanted. Pretty big gorgonian and some various corals. I had two mantis shrimp but that's about it for pests. Few small nems, anything that wasn't easily identifiable as a curly cue got superglued. Aiptasia at some point in almost any reef becomes a management thing, not eradication so don't let diversity scare you. The two rocks in the pictures had mantis so they were put in a fluval while I planned the next move.

20210224_124819.jpg 20210224_124859.jpg
 
Last edited:

reefinatl

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
586
Reaction score
798
Location
North GA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Oh and even the mantis, in a big enough system with enough live rock to support plenty of snails immediately I wouldn't worry to much about leaving them in, assuming wennnarae. I just had so much base rock I couldn't support enough snails to have breeding outpace their appetites.
 

squatchaquarist

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 8, 2021
Messages
58
Reaction score
81
Location
the benthic zone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve had aquacultured rock from Gulf Live Rock, KP Aquatics, and Tampa Bay. Loved each of them. Wonderful hitchhikers (corals, neat critters, macros, my pet mantis) and not so wonderful (I lucked out once and got a massive foot-long fish eating bobbit). Even with the potential negatives, the diversity is super cool. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night to spy on your rock with a flashlight.

Dry or not quite as alive rock is fine too. :) They each have their different “yay!” and “oh dear god” moments.
 

squatchaquarist

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 8, 2021
Messages
58
Reaction score
81
Location
the benthic zone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Oh and even the mantis, in a big enough system with enough live rock to support plenty of snails immediately I wouldn't worry to much about leaving them in, assuming wennnarae. I just had so much base rock I couldn't support enough snails to have breeding outpace their appetites.
My mantis from GLR lives peacefully in my display tank. I feed her frequently and I’m sure she goes after my snails, but it is nbd. The mantis hitchhikers from that area are small smashing varieties and seem to behave themselves in people’s reefs.
 

reefinatl

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
586
Reaction score
798
Location
North GA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My mantis from GLR lives peacefully in my display tank. I feed her frequently and I’m sure she goes after my snails, but it is nbd. The mantis hitchhikers from that area are small smashing varieties and seem to behave themselves in people’s reefs.
I had two and they were going through two dwarf ceriths a day. I wouldn't hesitate to keep them if I had a bigger and self sustaining cerith population though. They were given to a local guy to live in his oddball and hitchhiker tank.

Also glad I am not the only one that gets out the flashlight at 1am. There is some weird stuff in there.
 
OP
OP
BeltedCoyote

BeltedCoyote

Philosopher king of the Memes
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
7,425
Reaction score
36,784
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks like gulf live rock is accepting orders? If soo

excited ric flair GIF


edit: it’s the diversity I’m after. Not worried about any surprises that might come along. Just can’t afford more than 20 or 30lbs for a while
 

reefinatl

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
586
Reaction score
798
Location
North GA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks like gulf live rock is accepting orders? If soo

excited ric flair GIF


edit: it’s the diversity I’m after. Not worried about any surprises that might come along. Just can’t afford more than 20 or 30lbs for a while
I did 30, it's plenty to bring life in. What you see here plus the two pieces in the fluval. Almost every rock has a turkey wing clam too.
 

Attachments

  • 20210215_173652.jpg
    20210215_173652.jpg
    200.1 KB · Views: 27

RobB'z Reef

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 23, 2020
Messages
2,783
Reaction score
5,772
Location
Eau Claire
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Highly recommend KP rock. I believe they are still active and I don't recommend going any less than 50% of your entire rock scape. Dry rock is the worst. I mean horrible. But cost is a factor I get it. Even I went around 45% dry to make my budget but I just cringed putting it in my tank. Just my opinion. There's many roads to the airport. Some is better than none!
 

reefinatl

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Messages
586
Reaction score
798
Location
North GA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I want to buy a small box from gulf live rock. Will the mantis hitchhikers fight my golden coral bandit shrimp?
D
Well there is no guarantee one way or the other, but it won't really be a fight if they get into a scrap. Mantis are apex predators of their little crustacean kingdom
 

squatchaquarist

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 8, 2021
Messages
58
Reaction score
81
Location
the benthic zone
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My mantis and candy cane pistol shared a borrow for a while.

With Gulf Live Rock, you must speak to him on the phone about shipping it in water with overnight freight if you want to preserve as much as possible. Don’t rely on email, speaking directly to him is best. :)
 

tamanning

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Messages
315
Reaction score
408
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
On this subject I'm guilty of the worst habit. I Live in central Florida. I will run down to the coast a couple times a month to pick up rocks snails and other interesting things. I will pick a rock with something interesting growing on it put it in a 5 gallon bucket with sea water and a bubbler watch it for a day or so to see what comes out of it before adding it to my tank. My fish love the pods and my grazers get happy as well. The worst thing I didn't catch was a gorilla crab but I caught him and took him back to the beach.
 
Back
Top