Live Rock

[dbroncos]

Has anyone bought from Bommie Reef live rock? If so what was your experience?

 

[Subsea]

I can bump this for you.

I looked at their website. They have only been in operation for 1 year and seem to focus on pest free. At best, I would call their stuff coralline rock.

I buy diver collected live rock because of the interesting hitch hikers.

Gulf Live Rock

gulfliverock.com

 

[homer1475]

Just looked at the site myself. Sure its "live" rock, but it is not ocean rock by any means. Meaning it has nitrifying bacteria on it, but thats about it. You can do the same with dry rock, a brute trash can, a bottle of your favorite cycling bacteria, and some time.

Might as well save yourself some money and just buy rock out of an LFS thats been sitting in bins of water. Basically the same thing.

Kind of expensive for dry rock thats been sitting in tubs of water.

 

[dbroncos]

I can bump this for you.

I looked at their website. They have only been in operation for 1 year and seem to focus on pest free. At best, I would call their stuff coralline rock.

I buy diver collected live rock because of the interesting hitch hikers.

Gulf Live Rock

gulfliverock.com

So Gulf live rock offers both premium deco and coralline live rock - which would you recommend?

 

[Subsea]

So Gulf live rock offers both premium deco and coralline live rock - which would you recommend?

I have purchased several hundred pounds of premium deco rock over the years. For two seasons, I cultivated live rock in greenhouse with 10K gallon system.

I cherish the hitch hikers that come in with the rock.

Gulf Live Rock

gulfliverock.com

 

[Soren]

So Gulf live rock offers both premium deco and coralline live rock - which would you recommend?

That depends on why you want it.
Coralline rock is good for saving some money when building the foundation of your reef and adding established bacteria and other internal life forms.
Premium deco rock is the same as coralline rock but with added macro-life forms on the surface, such as macroalgae, clams, embedded bivalves, corals, etc. that take longer to establish and only establish on the surface rocks, hence the higher cost.

If starting a new reef tank, I've read the most recommendations to buy mostly base or coralline rock to save money and buy some premium rock (possibly after a wait period) to add the larger life forms.

As @Subsea mentioned, ocean live rock, especially premium deco rock, are excellent sources of interesting hitchhikers if you like to take the risk of the potential of some bad hitchhikers (I certainly do).

 

[Subsea]

That depends on why you want it.
Coralline rock is good for saving some money when building the foundation of your reef and adding established bacteria and other internal life forms.
Premium deco rock is the same as coralline rock but with added macro-life forms on the surface, such as macroalgae, clams, embedded bivalves, corals, etc. that take longer to establish and only establish on the surface rocks, hence the higher cost.

If starting a new reef tank, I've read the most recommendations to buy mostly base or coralline rock to save money and buy some premium rock (possibly after a wait period) to add the larger life forms.

As @Subsea mentioned, ocean live rock, especially premium deco rock, are excellent sources of interesting hitchhikers if you like to take the risk of the potential of some bad hitchhikers (I certainly do).

I haven’t found a hitchhiker that couldn’t be removed. The most difficult was a mantas shrimp. I finally had to remove the rock he was in and put in a dry 5G bucket until he fell out of the rock.

Two of the nicest hitchhikers (Rose Coral & Gorgonion) are on the same small rock which was removed from lease in 30’ of water two years ago during Easter week.

PS: Only in the past year did these two corals emerge.

 

[Curley's Glove]

So for the new reefer, aquacultured rock is not a bad direction; in fact it is the future. For most starting out, creating your own cultured rock is NOT pragmatic. Lol to those suggesting it, really? Most new reefers need to deal with their parameters and consistency, not pests that can drive them out of the hobby before a tank is established. Too bad there are so many arrogant people on R2R...

if you are starting a reef for the first time, find a couple people you trust, and take most of what you read on R2R with a grain of salt lots of arrogance here...try HumbleFish too..

...and check out 19:43 of the following video...



As far as Bommie Reef goes, they took amazing care of me, worked with me with shipping problems, and are first rate, CLASS act people- the kind you want in your corner in this hobby, they are old school reefers who like to share knowledge, not make quick, offhanded comments...email them with specific questions pertaining to your goals, short and long term and make your own judgements...