Ocean Live rock fans
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check this video out… turning bare sand into a thriving ecosystem.
Yes life is taken away but life is also given the opportunity to thrive.
I think the Florida prices are pretty good, shipping is what kills it. 20 years ago sourced Fiji rock for $5 to $6, up to $10 lb locally for it. I think I spend $4 lb for basic gulf cultured coralline 20 years ago, people complained about prices of rock back then.
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I definitely see that it’s not horrible for the environment but I fell like so much money and time is put into the the process of forming live rock. I know many disagree but I enjoy watching Marco rock slowly become live lock in our own aquariums. Don’t get me wrong it for sure has its downsides and definitely takes longer.
I take old dead live rock and put it in my 45 sump and in 6 months to a year you cant tell the difference.
Just find old live and dont use the dead concrete rock.
I would be more concerned with over fishing the ocean than I would removing some rock.
Again most live rock is dead, dry, and dumped into the ocean and then havested.
The $25 a pound live rock is a joke, imo.
Just find old live and dont use the dead concrete rock.
I would be more concerned with over fishing the ocean than I would removing some rock.
Again most live rock is dead, dry, and dumped into the ocean and then havested.
The $25 a pound live rock is a joke, imo.
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Well, if the rock is cured or you cure it and inspect hitchhikers can be reduced to a minimum. A lot of that is what brings biodiversity to your tank. Granted some things like anemones you will want to get rid of and I was never fond of mantis shrimp. Even back in the early 90's good rock was still $4-$8 a pound. The hobby has never been cheap and never will be. I could probably buy a really nice BMW for the money I have spent but reefing is a passion especially now with children grown and ex-wives behind me
I know this may be a stupid question but does anyone know why dry rock continues to grow in popularity if live rock has so many more benefits?
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I think the main answer lies somewhere between price and hitchhiker paranoia.
Another factor I believe plays a roll is the evolution of the hobby. I think it’s moving from people wanting a natural slice of the ocean floor in their living room to more of a neon colored high end coral collection based hobby.
Let’s face it. If someone’s sole interest in the hobby is collecting and growing the most colorful and beautiful corals they can find then ocean live rock probably isn’t that attractive. If rock is nothing more than filtration and a place to glue corals then why pay extra right?
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For sure agree with that, personally I definitely prefer the natural environment look.
They must be stopped
Everything seems to be a considered a pest.
Just look at some of the recent threads. I've seen bristle worms, tube worms, sponges, algae, etc. all considered pests. Heck even coralline could be considered a pest since it could suck up excessive calcium and alk. Corals can be considered pests as well...
Control and cost. Aquascaping liverock is not easy. More and more people are treating their tanks as works of art
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Affordability, availability and yes some hitchhiker paranoia. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with using a bunch of dead rock, but you really have to spring for some real to properly seed it and get the Coraline going. Just like a sand bed mostly dead is fine as long as you add some live sand to it to seed. Bottles of stuff might help but they are not the total solution.
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I know right! I love almost all hitchhikers! They add a ton of interesting life to my tank IMO. The only things I pull are mantis shrimp, fire worms, and large crabs. Everything else, so far, has a spot in my tank.
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I think the art aspect has a huge impact on whether or not someone wants ocean rock.
If someone is a torch head and just wants a blue tank full of neon torches then I see why they don’t really care about ocean rock.
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LOL "bristle worms, tube worms, sponges, algae, etc" and coralline are exactly the kind of things I want from live rock. No better CUC/detritus eaters than bristle worms. I have a lot of the little red ones, but I have also had the gigantic, ink spewing, monsters from Hawaii that were kind of scary but a coral banded shrimp dispatched most of those. What I smell from those type of concerns is the OCD Acropora purists.
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You people are really a bad influence LOL. Still sitting here eyeing some of that Aussie rock. Live Rock&Reef in Tampa (100 miles away) has it starting at $19.99lb shipped. Some would look really nice in my ongoing remodel as I really don't have much diversity in coralline anymore. I mostly have this dark blood red now that looks good but also like everything is covered in red cyano. Looks like they also have the last of the Walt Smith Fiji rock. Not a huge fan but at least aquacultured in the Pacific 5 years.
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