Live Rock Question

W

woohoo7676

AC Members
Jun 4, 2009
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So I'm at the stage where I need to put in the live rock and start cycling the tank (40 gal). My LFS has live rock that they say is cured for 5.99 a lb (5.00 if you buy over 40 lbs), which seems to be pretty expensive if i need 40 lbs of it. Looking online, it seems that live rock is much much cheaper (http://www.petco.com/product/101439/Live-Rock-Fiji-Premium.aspx?CoreCat=Live Rock Sand $114 for 45 lbs at petco online for example). Is there a reason I should buy the LFS live rock? Or maybe do proportions of both?

Any advice would be welcome =)

Thanks,
Tommy
 
The reason the price is higher at the LFS Is he is factoring shipping and his employee's time and you are getting nice rock.
I would buy Dry reef rock and then just buy ~15 lbs of LR to seed the dry reef rock. That way you can pick and choice nice pieces from your LFS without draining your wallet. ;)
 
One of the downfalls of buying liverock online is that you can't see what kind of pieces you get. (shape, size, condition, etc.). It's the base of the entire system your building. I am very patricular about the pieces I choose. but thats just me.
 
The liverock from Petco is not real rock... (if it is the same stuff they sell in the store). It is manufactured and then seeded. In truth, it is really not all that attractive (assuming, again, that it is the same stuff they have in the store). You can buy a lesser amount and "seed" the dead rock, but it will take longer to get things established. Really, live rock is not something you want to skimp on as it is the primary filtration device you will have in your tank. That being said, live rock can be expensive and it hurts when you have to buy a large quantity. You shoudl check craigs list in your area. In Tulsa there is always someone sellling liverock or tearing down a saltwater tank. You might be able to find what you are looking for for reasonable price.
 
You can easily pay more than $10 for amazing live rock. My LFW is around $10 for the good stuff, but he has rock from all parts of the world and it is absolutely loaded with hitchhikers.

Make sure you get rock you like because it is the foundation for the look of your entire tank. To me all the hitchhiking polyps, mini feather dusters, brittle stars, stomatella (sp) snails etc... are one of the main draws for a tank.
 
Thanks for all the input guys - I ended up taking you all's advice and getting some local live rock from a person on craigslist - good and cheap!
 
That's great that you found some. But be careful. I did that same thing when I first set up my reef. Thought I was getting a great deal. Come to find out that my rock was covered with aptasia(sp) and lots of other little things that quickly and painfully took over my tank. Good luck and just watch what you are getting.
 
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