Will The Live Rock Survive?

[Manny’s Reef]

Hi everyone. I'm in a slight bind here and I wanted to request your opinion on here before I contact the shipper.

I placed an order from GulfLiveRock for their premo deco rock. We scheduled delivery for today. However, I just got off the phone with Southwest Cargo who informed me that the shipment will be in at 5:35 pm and they close at 5:30 pm. They are not willing to wait 5 minutes so I can pickup the shipment. I understand why as flights are constantly delayed. They say that the soonest I can pick up the shipment would be at 5 am the next day. The airport is in Boise where night temperatures are currently falling to around 25-30 degrees. Am I going to get 100% dead rock if I accept the cargo tomorrow?

I'm certain that the shipper is going to say the rock will be fine. He has an interest in saying so. But I know you all here are more honest and don't have an interest in him selling me the rock. So will the rock be ok or am I better off having him hang onto the shipment until I can get better weather out here?

I don't mind waiting. I'm in no rush. And the SW customer service rep informed me that there is only one flight that comes in from Tampa and it always arrives at 5:30 pm. So in reality, I cannot receive a shipment same day.

In advance, I appreciate your input. Thanks.

 

[fish farmer]

IMO I would stop shipment until the weather warms.

Is the shipment going to sit on the plane all night? Or get loaded into a warehouse where it might be warmer?

 

[Rubberfrog]

It will be fine. Pick it up first thing in the morning and warm it up slowly.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

IMO I would stop shipment until the weather warms.

Is the shipment going to sit on the plane all night? Or get loaded into a warehouse where it might be warmer?

It will be unloaded as soon as the plane gets in. So it will sit inside a building. But I have no clue as to whether or not the building has climate control.

 

[Reef.]

Tbf to Southwest cargo, it’s not just a 5mins wait, just because the plane lands at 5.35, doesn’t mean it will be off loaded and processed within 5 mins, could be 30-60mins.

Was the cargo hold heated? If not I wouldn’t worry about another 12 hours as it’s probably warmer on the ground than in the hold of the plane if it wasn’t t heated whilst flying.

I would contact the seller and ask them to ok you check over the rock and if you like the look of it then I would accept, there will be some die off but it’ll still be live, some bacteria I believe will go dormant in the cold rather than die, it’s when it’s out of the water that you get bad die off, just look at all the bottled bacteria you can buy and it’s stored in the fridge at the store.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

Tbf to Southwest cargo, it’s not just a 5mins wait, just because the plane lands at 5.35, doesn’t mean it will be off loaded and processed within 5 mins, could be 30-60mins.

Was the cargo hold heated? If not I wouldn’t worry about another 12 hours as it’s probably warmer on the ground than in the hold of the plane if it wasn’t t heated whilst flying.

I would contact the seller and ask them to ok you check over the rock and if you like the look of it then I would accept, there will be some die off but it’ll still be live, some bacteria I believe will go dormant in the cold rather than die, it’s when it’s out of the water that you get bad die off, just look at all the bottled bacteria you can buy and it’s stored in the fridge at the store.

I did contact the seller. He said he labeled it as live fish and so it gets put into a temperature controlled environment on the plane.

 

[Reefer of Oz]

I got some rock from Gulf Live Rock in the fall. It took 3 days in transit from FL to MN. Granted, temps were not as low at that time, but the amount of life that survived exceeded my expectations. Still seeing new critters emerge. Sponges, tunicates, duster worms, macro algae and even some LPS and SPS corals all are surviving or thriving.
IMO, you will be just fine in the morning. Enjoy it!

 

[Manny’s Reef]

I got some rock from Gulf Live Rock in the fall. It took 3 days in transit from FL to MN. Granted, temps were not as low at that time, but the amount of life that survived exceeded my expectations. Still seeing new critters emerge. Sponges, tunicates, duster worms, macro algae and even some LPS and SPS corals all are surviving or thriving.
IMO, you will be just fine in the morning. Enjoy it!

Alright thanks everyone. You all have me feeling much less stressed now. I will pick up in the morning and put it in a large bin I have ready circulating with heated saltwater.

 

[Rubberfrog]

Alright thanks everyone. You all have me feeling much less stressed now. I will pick up in the morning and put it in a large bin I have ready circulating with heated saltwater.

Do not put it straight from the cold into heated water. Turn off the heater today. Turn it back on after the rocks is in there and slowly bring it up to temp.

 

[Skyfish]

Completely dead no, you may lose some higher life forms of hitchhiker but bacterially it would still be beneficial.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

Alright here is an update. My wife got to the airport and picked up the box. It was stored in a heated warehouse overnight. However, when she picked up the box, it was soaked all the way through. If she didn't support the bottom of the box, the contents would have fallen right through. The Southwest cargo attendant made sure to tell me he see's boxes with "live fish" all the time and that this was normal.

Anyhow, I got the box home. I temperature acclimated the box by heating my house to 76 degrees , setting the box in my pantry, and allowing it to warm up for 2 hours. I also dropped the temperature in the heated water bin to 75 degrees. I dipped the back in the water for 15 minutes. Then I opened the bag.

Before shipment I contacted @Gulf Live Rock to request that they ship the rock in water. I wanted to try to preserve as much life as possible and thought this was a reasonable request. He agreed. He said he would fill the bag with water. When I opened the box there was no longer any water in the bag. It was single bagged and the rocks had perforated the bag. This probably could have been prevented with double bagging. Anyhow. . .

If smell is the indicator of the amount of die off in on the rock then "ay caramba." It smelled atrocious. It smelled like dead fish in the Snake River during low water season. Not even exaggerating. The stench was awful.

The rock itself looked amazing. Lots of coralline, sponges, algae, and even a few corals here and there. The hitchhikers are dead though. Pretty sure all of them. Literally there were tons of pods falling off the rock. Bristle worms had fortunately come to the surface from out of the crevices. They were dead; a good thing. Sadly, everything else was dead as well. The bottom of the bag had two beautiful mantis shrimp dead. A few emerald crabs. A few crabs I am not familiar with. Just lots of dead hitchikers.

Now I know many of you do not want mantis shrimps in your aquarium. I agree. Neither would I. That being said, i still would have liked to have saved the shrimp and donated it to my LFS. I am sure there are other hobbyists out there that are looking for mantis shrimp. This is more so true seeing that I googled the price of these things and saltwaterfish.com has them for $90. (the site seems sketchy) All this to say that it was sad seeing so many dead critters. I'm not sure if this amount of die off is normal or not but I know for certain that if I ever do this again, I will only order during warmer months.

There are a few favia looking coral on the rock that perhaps might be coloring up. There is also a tiny birdsnest looking coral that may have survived. There is a LARGE finger looking coral that is puffing up nicely and extending its polyps. I'll post later for an ID.

As for the rock, I still don't know what shape its in. I have the rock soaking in heated saltwater in a large bin. I have an MP40 in there providing some flow. I added an LED light but wont turn that on just yet. The smell wasn't so bad anymore this morning. I'll test ammonia later today.

All in all, the rock is beautiful. Lots of different colors throughout. I'm excited to get this stuff ready for the display.

 

[fish farmer]

If it was me I would be fuming that it wasn't double bagged. It's rock...it's going to shift and break the bag and/or the container. If it was dry shipped I would still want it double bagged for the same reason. I bought a box of Haitian rock from a known vendor once, that came literally hanging out of the box because of poor packing.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

O by the way, the box had two heat packs. Heat packs were freezing cold. Not sure if they provided any actual heat to the box.

 

[laverda]

If you were not in a hurry why did you order it this time of year. I hate to say this,, but I think a lot of the responsibility is in you. You knew what the weather conditions are there!
That said there is always some die off. Most live rock is out of water much longer and only shipped moist. I think it should have been double bagged, but I also think it will be just fine as is.
I think anyone that orders live animals in the middle of winter is not thinking about the realities of shipping and what those animals may have to go through. The weather may not be that cold where you are but many shipments go through an airlines hub before their final destination. Consider the weather there as well before ordering.

 

[Captain Quint]

I seriously doubt the LR 'bags' were filled with water. Some of the best LR sellers soak towels with the saltwater wrapping the LR, and it does a good job, but always gonna be a bit of a die-off unless fully submerged in containers which I've never heard of.

Keep us advised, please.

I read that you said it smelled pretty bad, which is alarming, but the inner rock should have many good bacteria still nice and healthy.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

If you were not in a hurry why did you order it this time of year. I hate to say this,, but I think a lot of the responsibility is in you. You knew what the weather conditions are there!
That said there is always some die off. Most live rock is out of water much longer and only shipped moist. I think it should have been double bagged, but I also think it will be just fine as is.
I think anyone that orders live animals in the middle of winter is not thinking about the realities of shipping and what those animals may have to go through. The weather may not be that cold where you are but many shipments go through an airlines hub before their final destination. Consider the weather there as well before ordering.

Shipment originated in Tampa Bay (warm weather). Flew into Los Vegas (warm weather). Then it arrived here where i could have immediately put it in warmth had I been able to pick up same day.
Otherwise, . . . congratulations? on your post? It failed to analyze the logistical portion of the whole thread but ok.

 

[Ippyroy]

I am sorry to hear he only used a single bag. For the amount of money you paid I would be calling him and complaining.

 

[laverda]

Shipment originated in Tampa Bay (warm weather). Flew into Los Vegas (warm weather). Then it arrived here where i could have immediately put it in warmth had I been able to pick up same day.
Otherwise, . . . congratulations? on your post? It failed to analyze the logistical portion of the whole thread but ok.

As you your self said the plane arrives after the close of business. Not to mention, it takes time to unload the plane. So you never could have gotten it the same day! The fact remains you ordered in the middle of winter in sub freezing weather.

 

[Reef.]

Have to say from this thread, I wish I lived in an area where they deliver to, sounds amazing rock, the only mistake the seller has made for me was not double bagging it (I would use tubs if this was my business).

 

[X-37B]

Your rock will be fine, imo.
The rock I got in the early 90's smelled horrible but when put in tank the life it still had was so much better than most I have seen in todays market.
It was only wrapped in wet newspaper.
The die off in the tank made a very strong biofilter as its as natural as it gets.
Keep is update.