good live rock sources?

Danyal · #1 11/15/2007, 02:10 AM

were would you guys look if you had a 29g tank and wanted to find good uncured rock? so far i've got about 20lbs of rock but it was all pre-cured and at least 6mo old(except perhaps for a 5lb rock from work but that was a walt-smith rock) but i really want to get some nice un-cured rock as fresh out of the ocean as possible.

kdblove_99 · #2 11/15/2007, 02:15 AM

Check Aqualife they have some nice rock and it the cheapest i have seen around here

Jareth · #3 11/15/2007, 01:02 PM

I've heard nothing but the best regarding: http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/

Everyone who orders from them gives them praise. I plan to order 40lbs soon.

Marko9 · #4 11/15/2007, 01:05 PM

Ost and aquaworks has some great sumatra rock. I love the shapes and they always have great prices.

kevin95695 · #5 11/15/2007, 01:08 PM

Just curious... Why do you want it un-cured?

Marko9 · #6 11/15/2007, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kevin95695
Just curious... Why do you want it un-cured?

No aptasia

philter4 · #7 11/15/2007, 01:50 PM

I have gotten a lot of rock from tampa bay salt water also, they collect it and ship usually on the same day, so it is "cured" in the ocean with very little damage to the microfauna on the rock. There is also a huge amount of hitch hikers that enhance the rock, sponges tunicates, ect. I highly recomend them, the only problem is the small amount you want may be cost prohibited. IMO the quality is worth the extra shipping cost.

philter4 · #8 11/15/2007, 01:53 PM

By the way, uncured rock can still have or get aptasia and if it comes uncured you have to cure it which takes time and space.

Jareth · #9 11/15/2007, 02:33 PM

To tack onto this..

Has anyone seen any Marshall Islands or TBS-quality rock at an LFS in the area? I am trying to convince Fish Planet to order some but no guarantees.

kdblove_99 · #10 11/15/2007, 03:07 PM

I agree uncured means nothing to Aptasia. It will survive out in the sun for months. I have heard stories and if i recall last months speaker had this happen as well.

SO if you getting uncured just cause of Aptasia i would just get cured.

Hitchhikers ie: mantis shrimp now that is another story

kevin95695 · #11 11/15/2007, 03:24 PM

Live rock whether cured/uncured, still could get good and bad hitchhikers. Seems like you could save a bunch of money just buying inert rock if that's the why you want uncured.

MrMikeB · #12 11/15/2007, 03:28 PM

Aiptasia is like a cockroach - It really can live through pretty much anything. I had some rock I picked up that was covered in the stuff, and I left it in my garage for well over a month. It was dry and white as a bone. Added it back into a sump for seeding and well whaddya know?! Aiptasia!

Now I am not certain if the aiptaisia was in the main system I was seeding it from, but I have never seen any in there prior nor have I seen any since. Go figure, eh?

Danyal · #13 11/16/2007, 02:17 PM

i want un-cured because i love all the hitchhikers that are poping out of my current rock, i'm aware of the time it takes to cure. i don't really want aiptasia but i'll deal with it if it happens to be on the rocks, i'm not worried too much about mantis shrimp because i'm planning on getting one eventually anyway(although i would like to choose the specimen i get)
if i didn't want hitch hikers then i'd just get mostly cheap dry base rock and seed it with a couple pounds of cured live rock. i've thought of TBS, but at $6/lb plus $60 to get the ~35lbs i'm looking for is a lot more than i want to spend. i called O-street before but iirc, the rock was over a month old(and i called about a month ago) every other place i called wanted $8/lb or more.

yoboyjdizz · #14 11/16/2007, 03:14 PM

I really liked the marshalls island live rock i got from Premium Aquatics. You can order as much or little as you like but it you order 40 pounds or more the price drops a little.

audio101 · #15 11/16/2007, 03:45 PM

Sea Splendor gets uncured rock, def. stop by there when ever they get a new shipment in.

Danyal · #16 11/18/2007, 01:37 AM

i'll have to call sea splendor and see when they get uncured and how much. i've thought of trying premium aquatics, i'll have to check with on them again. i like the idea of being able to pick out all my rock but premium does have rubble for 1.99/lb and i've been thinking of putting about 20lbs into my sump.

Danyal · #17 11/18/2007, 02:11 AM

i just checked on premium aquatics, for 15lbs of rubble and 25lbs of uncured rock timora sea rock it'd be ~$220 shipped and that'd be UPS ground so it'd take quite a while to get here, while livestockusa would be ~$320 for 75lbs shipped but i'd have to find a way to get rid of about 30~40lbs of it(maybe a group buy?)