Ocean Live rock fans

[schooncw]

You just took a left hand turn without using your blinker...

As an environmental scientist, I can tell you that humans have very little impact on the earth. We mess up ourselves regularly, but the earth and it's oceans really don't care about us.

I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you broadly suggesting that climate change, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, etc. has nothing to do with "human" activity?

 

[jabberwock]

I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you broadly suggesting that climate change, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, etc. has nothing to do with "human" activity?

Yes, if they are even true...

 

[chousecat]

I am interested in TBS but was wondering if there was a California or west coast equivalent version of it? Wanted to reduce the transit time when getting the rocks.

 

[Reefing102]

I am interested in TBS but was wondering if there was a California or west coast equivalent version of it? Wanted to reduce the transit time when getting the rocks.

I don’t believe there is a west coast source. However I do believe TBS is essentially 1 day air (shipped in the morning for delivery to your local airport that afternoon). @LiverockRocks can better help with that

 

[Doctorgori]

Yes, if they are even true...

Science and politics are usually a bad mix, as is calling politically biased opinion news….I dunno what to believe anymore….

…but back on topic, back in the 90’s you regularly found brains and porites on fiji and tonga rock as well as coco worms, dragons breath, feather dusters et …
Then a few bad threads on hitchhikers and high airfares and voila’ dry rock is born….
IMO dry rock is semi-garbage,…I have some but its definitely problematic insofar as micro recruitment goes…basically it takes a while for critters over 1cm to find housing,,
Edit add: if you look closely at real ocean rock, its the boring critters and sub surface biology thats the biggest difference. Dry rock NEVER gets spontaneous sprouts of macro algaes, feather dusters, worms, et et …

Anymore my tanks are a mix of ole skool branch rock, some KP stuff and that stuff that looks like it was cut from a Florida canal….

if someone can pull off shipping 2yr old mariculture pacific rock to the US, they would clock $$$$ …
Wonder why there is no mariculture biz in the Gulf of California?

 

[djf91]

Science and politics are usually a bad mix, as is calling politically biased opinion news….I dunno what to believe anymore….

…but back on topic, back in the 90’s you regularly found brains and porites on fiji and tonga rock as well as coco worms, dragons breath, feather dusters et …
Then a few bad threads on hitchhikers and high airfares and voila’ dry rock is born….
IMO dry rock is semi-garbage,…I have some but its definitely problematic insofar as micro recruitment goes…basically it takes a while for critters over 1cm to find housing,,
Edit add: if you look closely at real ocean rock, its the boring critters and sub surface biology thats the biggest difference. Dry rock NEVER gets spontaneous sprouts of macro algaes, feather dusters, worms, et et …

Anymore my tanks are a mix of ole skool branch rock, some KP stuff and that stuff that looks like it was cut from a Florida canal….

if someone can pull off shipping 2yr old mariculture pacific rock to the US, they would clock $$$$ …
Wonder why there is no mariculture biz in the Gulf of California?

The microfauna off the temperate coasts of California would be totally different from that found in the tropical South Pacific.

 

[Doctorgori]

The microfauna off the temperate coasts of California would be totally different from that found in the tropical South Pacific.

Absolutely, but I was talking about the Gulf of California which has Angels, Idols and other tropical fish. Seems to me from a proximity/shipping thing, it would be a decent mariculture alternative/opportunity, no? Gotta be something else to it…..

 

[jabberwock]

Absolutely, but I was talking about the Gulf of California which has Angels, Idols and other tropical fish. Seems to me from a proximity/shipping thing, it would be a decent mariculture alternative/opportunity, no? Gotta be something else to it…..

Great White sharks...

 

[C4ctus99]

Great White sharks...

And the regulatory nature of California… kinda like with Hawaii and the ban on fish

 

[Jrain904]

And the regulatory nature of California… kinda like with Hawaii and the ban on fish

Hawaii aquacultured live rock would be dope AF

 

[LiverockRocks]

I am interested in TBS but was wondering if there was a California or west coast equivalent version of it? Wanted to reduce the transit time when getting the rocks.

Howdy,
In terms of fast and fresh; rock is harvested 3-5 days before it is boxed in oxygenated water and shipped in less than 24 hours.
Order fulfillment is from 1 week up to 3 weeks (depends on weather and holidays).
We've been shipping to CA weekly via Southwest and of course, UPS.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Howdy,
In terms of fast and fresh; rock is harvested 3-5 days before it is boxed in oxygenated water and shipped in less than 24 hours.
Order fulfillment is from 1 week up to 3 weeks (depends on weather and holidays).
We've been shipping to CA weekly via Southwest and of course, UPS.

When i opened my boxes in the garage, all i could smell was the fresh ocean. The amount of live critters is simply astounding. Worth every penny.

 

[Jrain904]

Well folks today WAS the day for UPS to deliver my highly anticipated TBS treasure chest but I guess UPS has other plans as they decided to delay it for an extra day. My tracking info says the box is wet so idk if that’s what the delay is for.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything will be just fine. But I’m setting up a holding container with fresh SW, a heater, and powerhead just in case there is a bunch of die off.

 

[nuxx]

Picked to go the ultra clean route with my last tank. Even acid bathed all my dry rock before curing...

I'd say I was pretty happy with it, but the Australian live rock we're bring in is pretty nice...

 

[zoomonster]

Forget what I said about live rock & reef. I did order 25lbs, but not pay yet. and caught some details after ordering. First off shipping is not included (as I first thought and the checkout implies) and it looks like they may be drop shipping from CA like all the livestock they sell. UPS ground would have been 1 day if they were actually shipping from Tampa. They haven't sent me a quote yet, but I checked a drop shipped powder blue tang from them and they wanted $103.79 shipping for a $128.89 fish lol. Needless to say, I fully expect to cancel and decline the Paypal invoice when I get it.

So... live rock and reef did come through and I went through with the order. The story is it is shipped from NY. A 6500 pound shipment is due first week of May and supposedly <1000 pounds not already sold if you're looking. So basically, air from Australia to NY and then UPS overnight (ground not that much cheaper) to me. With shipping the price is $25.38 a pound. There was some possibility of getting ready to ship cured but that concerned me after he was adamant about "the coralline colors won't survive in any tank, so don't buy it for the color". So, I'm taking my chances with 25 pounds from a fresh shipment of uncured rock. We'll see how it goes and of course the order is guaranteed paying by PayPal.

 

[Jrain904]

Well folks today WAS the day for UPS to deliver my highly anticipated TBS treasure chest but I guess UPS has other plans as they decided to delay it for an extra day. My tracking info says the box is wet so idk if that’s what the delay is for.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything will be just fine. But I’m setting up a holding container with fresh SW, a heater, and powerhead just in case there is a bunch of die off.

UPS finally delivered my treasure chest and I am happy to report that everything seems fine. I ordered 5lbs of premium rock and I got several baseball to softball size pieces that all had nice sponge, some coral, macro algae, and coraline algae. I also saw a lot of nice and interesting worms, 1 crab, 1 awesome urchin, several starfish, and fan worms. I think this package is a nice value and recommend it. Thanks TBS!

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Glad to hear your live rocks arrived. The best way to get these rocks is to bypass the delivery guy. You pick up the live rocks at the airport the moment it arrives is the best way to guarantee freshness.

 

[Jrain904]

I also got in 10lbs of KP aquatics premium rock today. Tank is looking full!

I put most of the TBS rocks in my refugium as I’m trying to change over from chaeto to caulerpa and the TBS stuff didn’t disappoint and had a couple different macros growing on it. I did place two pieces of TBS into the DT that had some nice cup corals on it.

 

[C4ctus99]

I also got in 10lbs of KP aquatics premium rock today. Tank is looking full!View attachment 3116342

I put most of the TBS rocks in my refugium as I’m trying to change over from chaeto to caulerpa and the TBS stuff didn’t disappoint and had a couple different macros growing on it. I did place two pieces of TBS into the DT that had some nice cup corals on it. View attachment 3116349View attachment 3116350

Out of curiosity, why phase out chaeto?

 

[Jrain904]

Out of curiosity, why phase out chaeto?

Don’t get me wrong, it grows fast and works great. I just think a huge brick of chaeto is ugly AF. I want my refugium to look a little nicer and more natural.