AquaBiomics?

[Subsea]

My comment was more of tongue-in-cheek and jest but I guess my delivery failed to launch. Did not mean to offend you.

I was not offended. I was amused.

Russ is very friendly and very knowledgeable about macro algae & sea grasses. He is my go to guy for ornamental sponges. Check out his free guide:

Marine Plants In The Aquarium: An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

An online guide to the identification and care of marine plants and macroalgae in the aquarium.

www.marineplantbook.com

Marine Plants in The Aquarium" is an online resource for the identification and care of marine macroalgae and seagrasses in the saltwater aquarium. The guide features over 70 of the most commonly available species of marine plants with full color photographs, detailed descriptions and aquarium care. Many of the species included in the guide are available to purchase online from Gulf Coast Ecosystems. Click on each link below to begin the exploration.

Table of Contents​

About The Author	Introduction	Marine Plants In The Aquarium
The Refugium	Substrates	Selecting Quality Plants
Aquascapes	Lighting	Reproductive Cycle
Filtration	Nutrients	Maintenance
Case For Caulerpa	Green Macroalgae	Red Macroalgae
Brown Macroalgae	Seagrass	Mangroves
References	Glossary	Online Articles

 

[Subsea]

No 10lbs should be fine. The more I think about it the more it makes sense. I’ll just order 10-20lbs and fill my 20L remote refugium with it. Also order some live sand and add it to the refugium. I’ll keep it all lighted with DT lights off and give time for bacteria to spread out. With live rock in remote refugium tank should keep any hitch hikers contained there and out of the DT or can at least hope. My other tank (23 years) old has all Fiji live rock and wasn’t fun. Originally had multiple gorilla crabs that were not fun catching. Once I got one I’d see another later on. Total of 4 and haven’t seen any for years so hopefully no more are hiding! Lately it’s a bristle worm farm. Can’t ever see them but if you touch any rocks you’ll sure find one. Yes I could seed my new tank with some of it but rather not. Besides anytime in the past I’ve rearranged the rocks it turns my clowns into killers. Otherwise they’re peaceful and get along with everyone. Except for the mystery hand that enters into their space!

The biodiversity of Gulf Live Rock is so much more than bacteria. Check out his hitchhiker list:

HITCHHIKER IDENTIFICATION

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Cerith Snail​

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Coralline Alga​

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Medusa worm​

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Oculina Robusta​

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Sea Cucumber​

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Watercress Halimeda Alga​

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Feather Duster​

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Cup Coral​

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Red encrusting sponge​

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Rose Coral​

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Bristle Worm​

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Jewel Box Clam​

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Tube Coral​

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Red Berry Sea Grapes​

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Long Spine Urchin​

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Limpet​

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Blushing Star Coral​

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Tunicate​

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Tiger Goby​

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Brittle Starfish​

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Gorilla Crab​

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Dwarf Octopus​

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Mantis Shrimp​

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Flower Anomie​

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Astraea "Turbo" Snail​

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Hermit Crab​

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Coffee Bean Snail​

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Reef Starfish​

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Royal Sea Goddess Nudibranch​

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Light Bulb Anomie (NOT Aiptasia!)​

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Sea Grapes​

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Spider Decorator Crab​

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X-Mas Tree Worm​

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Porcelain Crab​

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Sea Cucumber​

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Serpent Starfish​

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Red Cling Crab​

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Welk Snail​

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Codium "Dead Mans Fingers"​

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Decorator Crab​

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Turkey Wing Clam​

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Gorgonian​

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The

 

[KC2020]

This tank I’d love to keep bristle worms etc out!

Have you considered live sand ? I've had really good luck with it and it's typically hitchhiker free.

If your tank up and cycled or are you just setting up ?

 

[jonelder68]

Have you considered live sand ? I've had really good luck with it and it's typically hitchhiker free.

If your tank up and cycled or are you just setting up ?

Yes was planning on doing live sand as well. Not running yet. It’s pretty much ready to go but just taking my time wanting to do it right. This will be my first attempt at SPS tank.

 

[taricha]

aquabiomics has a hard time meeting demand for clean testing live rock /rubble because when they get stuff in, then test it - sometimes tests positive for pathogens or at least sketchy things they don't want to send out. (Eli's talked about this a few times)
Any source can contain potential-pathogen DNA (including your hobbyist buddy or LFS with great looking corals.) That doesn't mean the material will cause disease. Not all of the diseases that we know of in corals even have their pathogens identified. SCTLD - we don't know for sure which bacteria are actually the bad guys, we know of groups of bacteria that often appear in infections.

To me this is sort of like the discussions around "clean chaeto" where people complain it's got "bugs" (copepods, amphipods) in it.
I don't know what people's definitions of "clean" are - but certainly nobody believes that chaeto could possibly be grown in an axenic sterile monoculture without bacteria, diatoms, and thus ciliates, copepods etc.

Anyway, I'd be happy with a clean environmental DNA bill of health from aquabiomics, and I'd also be happy with material from a hobbyist/LFS system that is healthy, full of awesome corals and apparently disease free over an extended time. I'd also be happy with sources like the gulf live rock providers that supply many reefers and have many happy customers who say their systems got this material and are healthy and grow coral well.
I consider all of those to be acceptable standards of healthy material.

 

[LiverockRocks]

Highly recommend Gulf coast Ecosystems for macros: HERE
TBS hitchhiker list: HERE

We've had our holding system tested multiple times the past 3 years by AquaBiomics for fish / coral pathogens. Results have always been 0 fish / 0 coral pathogens that he tests for.

 

[AquaBiomics]

To answer the OP question: the limitations on our live rubble and sand are two fold.

1. Availability - some of this is seasonal and some is just variation in whats available from the suppliers. Our Caribbean suppliers are wonderful. Our wholesalers that import from Indo Pacific, well, thats been a real challenge. Others in the industry may relate.

2. Testing - there is always a built in delay because we have to test the material before selling. About half of it fails - usually because its contaminated with Uronema, which is so common in the hobby supply chain. So each month we roll the dice and some times we're unlucky and don't have much or any to sell. Its a rough business model.

This month for the first time I'm testing some of our homegrown rubble - dry sterile rubble we inoculated and cultured for a year in the greenhouse. If this works it could pave the way for a more stable supply.