My reef is falling apart thanks to "Real Reef"

[Gw2kpro]

I talked to Real Reef. They offered to send me new rock. They said they haven't had this problem before. It is not that I want new rock, I just want what I have to stop falling apart. That can't happen. RR wants to make it right but there is no good solution. Luckily one of the guys at WWC use to work for RR. I am going to talk to him and see if he can be up with a way to get my corals off the old rock and on to the new rock. I am just sick to my stomach. I had finally got to a mature tank so I could just enjoy watching things grow. I had seen this coming but had hoped it wouldn't have happened.View attachment 1277552
I don't see this as being a easy or fun thing to do.

That is heartbreaking.

 

[Homelander]

So sorry to hear

 

[Fishurama]

This thread made me go back to BRS and remember all the Pukani and Tonga rock I have bought... Seeing them "retired" on BRS kills me. I should have bought more </3

BRS Pukani Dry Live Rock (RETIRED)

Why does BRS recommend this? BRS Pukani Rock is by far our customer’s favorite rock. It fills the most volume per pound compared to other styles of rock, with tons of nooks and crannies for corals to be placed and small critters to hide out. BRS Pukani Rock is pest and algae free to give the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

BRS Tonga Shelf with Base Dry Live Rock (RETIRED)

Tonga Shelf Rock with Base has come in many different sizes and shapes with a base or stem. Sold by the Pound - 15-pound minimum order Tonga Shelf Rock with Base, perfect for overhangs, caves and holding lots of corals in large tanks. Free of nuisance algae and pests. Shelf with base pieces...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Waynerock]

Just another reason to use farmed live rock from people like Tampa Bay Saltwater and others that use real rock from the ocean to begin with. Never had a problem like this in over 30 years.

I swear the use of dead and man made rock is the cause issues that we never had back when I started reefing when all there was rock from the ocean. Maybe they are not connected but I have a feeling. I really had no clue about Dino’s and cyno issues in the circles I reefed with. Never had access to information and other reefers like we have today so maybe the problems where big back then and I never knew. I had books not online forums. I like the forums better. Granted the critters and hitchhikers where hit and miss.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I could be wrong, but I believe that they are using land based rock that they ‘plant’ in the ocean and allow it to become ‘live rock’... I don’t think that the state allows the removal of ‘natural’ live rock.

The land based rock is actually old coral rock in many cases mined from the land. Some of the rock was provided by Walt Smith "dry" for replant in the Gulf for new life to settle on. Most natural Florida rubble rock is quite dense versus other sources like Walt's rock. To bad the government in Fiji has fallen for the lies of others about aquaculture in their country. Walt provided much in advancing both the use of good practices and benefitted the local people with jobs and a future. My tank is all rock from Fiji over twenty years old. Wish I could get a fresh box today just for the incredible diversity that benefits the aquarium.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I swear the use of dead and man made rock is the cause issues that we never had back when I started reefing when all there was rock from the ocean. Maybe they are not connected but I have a feeling. I really had no clue about Dino’s and cyno issues in the circles I reefed with. Never had access to information and other reefers like we have today so maybe the problems where big back then and I never knew. I had books not online forums. I like the forums better. Granted the critters and hitchhikers where hit and miss.

I actually loved the hitch hikers most of all. It made unpacking a few thousand pounds of rock a treasure hunt! I had all sorts of crabs, shrimp, and other inverts survive and put the in different aquariums. Mantis Shrimp were crafty little critters but a blast to keep and watch.

 

[Hemmdog]

They aren’t harvesting any more rock from the ocean. So if you can find dry ocean rock at your LFS or on Craigslist you shouldn’t feel guilty about destroying the reefs. The deed is done with that rock already. Give it a good home, they truly are superior to any man made rock.

 

[Wh00pS32]

I swear the use of dead and man made rock is the cause issues that we never had back when I started reefing when all there was rock from the ocean. Maybe they are not connected but I have a feeling. I really had no clue about Dino’s and cyno issues in the circles I reefed with. Never had access to information and other reefers like we have today so maybe the problems where big back then and I never knew. I had books not online forums. I like the forums better. Granted the critters and hitchhikers where hit and miss.

I would have to disagree.
I've been reefing since 2000, first 14 years was with natural rock and last 5 years with artificial (Real Reef).
I have never had dino or cyano problems ever with either type rock and TBH i havn't had any problems with the Real Reef rock at all.

 

[Hot2na]

I guess FAKE rock is just as bad as FAKE news...lol

 

[eschaton]

It will grow things just like live rock. It’s pretty from the start and doesn’t destroy the reef. I bought half live rock and half real reef.

All of the major Florida suppliers of live rock basically take mined rock (mostly old coral, since Florida is a gigantic exposed reef bed) out of the ground, drop it in the ocean for a few years, and then harvest it once it's full of life. Thus there's no net reef destruction whatsoever, and you get all the freebies like cool macros, sponges, tunicates, some random coral polyps, etc. Of course it's more expensive, relatively dense, and doesn't have the full reef life contingent (since AFAIK none is from the Keys) but it's better than any other options available now on the market, which seem to boil down to fake rock, dead rock, or mostly dead rock which has been seeded with coraline and bacteria.

To the best of my knowledge real indo-pacific reef rock is basically gone from the hobby due to various bans.

 

[andyg1960]

Dremel off the coral and Reggie to new rock

 

[DSC reef]

Just another reason to use farmed live rock from people like Tampa Bay Saltwater and others that use real rock from the ocean to begin with. Never had a problem like this in over 30 years.

+100

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Sorry for your loses! I am using real reef rock myself. Rocks been in my tank for over a year now. I also have the purple rock from Caribsea as well in the same tank. This thread has me worried. Been thinking about switching over to live rocks from tampabay anyways and going bare bottom and this pretty much is pushing me to that direction sooner rather than later.

 

[SPR1968]

Sorry to hear your having problems with it.

I’ve got around 90kg of the Real Reef Rock in my S650 which is around 4 years old and I’ve had no issues whatsoever with it

I like it, and infact have a new batch of 150kg awaiting installation in my new tank when it’s ready.

 

[S.Pepper]

rcpalmer, seriously feel terrible for you. I know that doesn't help, but it's all I have. Best of luck.

 

[rcpalmer1]

I have pieces that are pretty old and no issues what so ever.

There is some counterfeit rock some places sell as real reef rock though..
I got some and it fell apart. The minute I got it i knew it was different. It had a little more of a sand texture to it..

I talked to the place I bought it from and they said it was like a new version 2.0 of their rock. No way was this real reef rock though. I also have some of reel reefs 2.0 rock.

I got this rock from Reef A Palooza 2017. I got a tank at the same time and called Real Reef and asked about storing the rock for a few weeks until I could get the tank plumbed. The person I talked to said he had sent the rock so I am sure that it was not counterfeit. I am not sure but it seems like I remember them calling it 2.0. MAybe it was like Real Coke and they went back to the original.

this wAs one of the boxes I got.

 

[rcpalmer1]

Dremel off the coral and Reggie to new rock

With over 100lbs and over 100 coral it is going to take more than a Dremel. That is was I am going to talk to WWC about Wednesday. To see if I can bring the rock there and they cut it up and I get coral back.

 

[Karliefish]

I know this thread is over two years old but I wanted everyone to be aware of a similar problem that is occurring with my Marco Rock. Approximately 6 months ago, I bought 200- lbs of Marco Rock (all shapes and sizes) from BRS. I spent considerable time cleaning and soaking the rock to get all the dust and fine particles off. I then spent over two weeks getting my aquascaping looking ”just right”. My tank is 365 and has been running now for 5 months. Recently, I noticed a lot of small pieces of Marco Rock all over the bottom of my tank (bare bottom tank) along with a large amount of granular dust particles that are starting to make the tank really unclear. The rock clearly has something wrong as no matter how much time I spend sucking-up the fine particles on the bottom, a couple days later its covered with fine particles again. I thought when I bought Marco Rock from BRS I was getting a highly reputable/quality product. It really doesn’t do any of use any good to hear we “might have gotten a bad batch”….NO batches should be bad for what we spend on this rock. It‘s so painful to see what’s happening as I have patiently done everything by-the-book in setting-up my new tank.

 

[sfin52]

Ivery

I know this thread is over two years old but I wanted everyone to be aware of a similar problem that is occurring with my Marco Rock. Approximately 6 months ago, I bought 200- lbs of Marco Rock (all shapes and sizes) from BRS. I spent considerable time cleaning and soaking the rock to get all the dust and fine particles off. I then spent over two weeks getting my aquascaping looking ”just right”. My tank is 365 and has been running now for 5 months. Recently, I noticed a lot of small pieces of Marco Rock all over the bottom of my tank (bare bottom tank) along with a large amount of granular dust particles that are starting to make the tank really unclear. The rock clearly has something wrong as no matter how much time I spend sucking-up the fine particles on the bottom, a couple days later its covered with fine particles again. I thought when I bought Marco Rock from BRS I was getting a highly reputable/quality product. It really doesn’t do any of use any good to hear we “might have gotten a bad batch”….NO batches should be bad for what we spend on this rock. It‘s so painful to see what’s happening as I have patiently done everything by-the-book in setting-up my new tank.

I've never heard that with Marco rock. Isn't Marco Rock old rock mined from Florida's ancient reefs?
I would imagine that you are still getting loose bits out or small fractures from when it was mined and broken

Real reef rock is man made. I can see how that would fail.

 

[TerraFerma]

Bad batch. I've had Real Reef going for upwards of 5 years with no issues. Real Reef needs to make you whole on this.