Ocean Live rock fans

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 14, 2023

paragrouper said:
I love the hunt for hitchhikers.

sure, some you got to remove, but it’s fun to find them.

Depends on where you get it from...i found a total of two small hitchhiking crabs on my wild ocean live rock

schooncw · Apr 14, 2023

Jrain904 said:
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?

Agreed. I would never start a system without live rock, however and on occasion, I am criticized and mocked by some very new to the hobby as being "behind the times" and that magic in a bottle is better, when I explain how beneficial live rock is......they just do not understand, that there is much more to "just" cycling a marine system. The fact that I have been in the hobby and the aquatic industry, longer than many of them have been alive, is irrelevant.

schooncw · Apr 14, 2023

Jrain904 said:
Oh no I have a couple of vermetid snails! They might “irritate” one of my corals!

If you choose to underestimate vermeteds, you may have issues in a few years.

leo12345 · Apr 14, 2023

AcroNem said:
When we say "cultured live rock" we are most often referring to rock that has been cultured on farms that are actually in the ocean. They still come with everything "wild" rock could come with.
The hobby has taken a huge turn to calling anything they didn't add to their system a pest, when in reality everything serves a purpose and there are only a few things you'd find on rock, wild or cultured, that could truly be considered a pest.

Not all, one from top of my head is bommies reef. it’s cultured rock 100% pest free.

Sump Crab · Apr 14, 2023

schooncw said:
If you choose to underestimate vermeteds, you may have issues in a few years.

I have had the rock they are on for around 15 years and I can honestly say I’ve had vermetids in my reefs for as long as I can remember and I’ve never had an issue with them. They are actually some of my favorite hitchhikers TBH! I can’t count more than 11 in my tank right now.

check out these photos. I’ve had them for a long time and you can see the old dead skeletons kinda just becoming parts of the rock by now lol!

AcroNem · Apr 14, 2023

leo12345 said:
Not all, one from top of my head is bommies reef. it’s cultured rock 100% pest free.

I didn't say all. I said "most often".
And I stand by my comment, many of the "pests" hobbyists attempt to eradicate are harmless and part of a healthy system.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 14, 2023

The hitchhikers associated with live rock are FAR EXAGGERATED. I've never had to deal with what so many people gravely fear about live rock but if i did have to deal with the worst of them i would and then enjoy the benefits live ocean rock has to offer.

Sump Crab · Apr 14, 2023

livinlifeinBKK said:
The hitchhikers associated with live rock are FAR EXAGGERATED. I've never had to deal with what so many people gravely fear about live rock but if i did have to deal with the worst of them i would and then enjoy the benefits live ocean rock has to offer.

The fact of the matter is the real “bad pests” that those people are trying to avoid are the ones that do best in captivity and therefore are prevalent in the hobby. “Pests” prevalent in the hobby will eventually, in all likelihood, make it into a tank no matter what procedures are taken to keep them out.

If that’s the case then not only will they still get those “pests” they are trying to avoid but they are also robbing themselves of all the really cool and beneficial hitchhikers too!

Not to mention the fact that the “bad pests” ppl are afraid of are usually beneficial critters that never even take over ocean live rock tanks anyway, too much natural competition.

livinlifeinBKK · Apr 14, 2023

Jrain904 said:
The fact of the matter is the real “bad pests” that those people are trying to avoid are the ones that do best in captivity and therefore are prevalent in the hobby. “Pests” prevalent in the hobby will eventually, in all likelihood, make it into a tank no matter what procedures are taken to keep them out.

Agreed. With the exception of rare mantis shrimps that occur hiding in live rock once in a while.

Sump Crab · Apr 14, 2023

livinlifeinBKK said:
Agreed. With the exception of rare mantis shrimps that occur hiding in live rock once in a while.

yes I have only ever removed mantis shrimp, fire worm, and large crabs.

C4ctus99 · Apr 14, 2023

@Jrain904 what is your go to place for rock here? I’ve made the drive to Tampa before, but wondering if you know anyone locally who would have it at a decent price

d2mini · Apr 14, 2023

YEP, I agree with the OP. I don't ever want to start a tank without real live rock... AND SAND!

The Tampa Bay Saltwater Experience

An in-depth look into Tampa Bay Saltwater and what it's like to order "The Package" for your new reef aquarium

www.reef2reef.com

Sump Crab · Apr 14, 2023

C4ctus99 said:
@Jrain904 what is your go to place for rock here? I’ve made the drive to Tampa before, but wondering if you know anyone locally who would have it at a decent price

Honestly I just eat the shipping. If I didn’t have a wife or kids I would drive to Tampa to hand pick it.

happyhourhero · Apr 14, 2023

Order I just got from gulfliverock.

C4ctus99 · Apr 14, 2023

d2mini said:
YEP, I agree with the OP. I don't ever want to start a tank without real live rock... AND SAND!

The Tampa Bay Saltwater Experience

An in-depth look into Tampa Bay Saltwater and what it's like to order "The Package" for your new reef aquarium

www.reef2reef.com

I was looking at that, but a little more than I can afford right now

Sump Crab · Apr 14, 2023

C4ctus99 said:
I was looking at that, but a little more than I can afford right now

Drive to Tampa and save on freight!

Gulf live rock . com is a lot cheaper btw

d2mini · Apr 14, 2023

Jrain904 said:
Drive to Tampa and save on freight!

I would TOTALLY do that.
Leave after breakfast, be home before dinner.

Eric Cohen · Apr 14, 2023

zoomonster said:
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.

Try my site and service. I’m here to help ya get what ya need and enjoy the process.