which type of live rock is best?

[dekay]

seems like most ppl have fiji live rock. any specific reason why? tonga rocks are expensive, that i can understand. but what about live rock from kanai?

[Wilty]

Tongo branch is really nice (as in looking). I ordered some deep water Tongo and it is fairly dense. Too dense for my liking. I have not tried Kanai. Don't know why Fiji is so common Must be the shipping and harvest laws.

[Quinn]

I am very satisfied with my Kanai, considering the price I paid. Some nasty hitchhikers and problem algaes, but nothing a bit of hard work couldn't fix.

[Jack]

Figi rock is nice. Some people like to splurge and get different kinds of rock like Tonga and Marshal because of thier shape, size, density, etc but for me Figi is fine. Like teevee said, that kanai is supposed to be nice aswell and for the price you just can't beat it.

[Aquattro]

I've found all rock is the same after it's been in your tank for a year. Get the best price you can for 80% of your rock, and then hand pick the top pieces from your local LFS. Type doesn't really matter in the end.
I have Fiji, Tonga, Jakarta, marhall and others and it all looks the same now. The rock I paid $15/lb for is the same as the $3/lb rock...really!!

[Troy F]

Type doesn't really matter in the end.

Other than density and shape which do matter. A bunch of heavy round boulders will cost more and be a real beeyotch to aquascape.

Brad, one of these days I'll have to tell you a story about a friend that said a very similar thing during a poker game with my hockey buddies.

[Aquattro]

Troy, I've seen round heavy boulders in every type of rock I listed. That comes under quality of rock, not type. Granted, some are predisposed to a particular density, but overall, rock is rock.

[EmilyB]

Fiji has IME always been very porous rock, (I have handpicked most of mine) hence very good biofiltration. I've tossed other varieties that I've picked up along the way because they are just a chunk of solid rock. :biggrin:

[Troy F]

I thought I was just clarifying your point. The thing with really dense rock is that even though cheaper per pound the volume is smaller. Does that make sense? All of the Fiji rock I've seen is really porous. Less means more.

[Aquattro]

I thought I was just clarifying your point.

Really? I thought you were arguing against my point :-) Who can tell on these boards!! :biggrin:

[Jack]

Really? I thought you were arguing against my point :-) Who can tell on these boards!!

Instert lots of smiles :lol: :mrgreen: :razz: :biggrin: :cool: :smile:


:wink:

[naesco]

Get half the rock you need and add the rest over time.
That way you have room for some of the choice pieces you see from time to tiime.

[Troy F]

:mrgreen:

[Aquattro]

Really? I thought you were arguing against my point :-) Who can tell on these boards!!

Instert lots of smiles :lol: :mrgreen: :razz: :biggrin: :cool: :smile:


:wink:

Oh, so now you're against me too!! :razz:

[Jack]

Oh, so now you're against me too!!

Hehe, no! What have I got myself into?? :lol:

[sumpfinfishe]

I have all kinds of rocks in my reef and I think it adds to a reef in some cases to use not only various shapes but also different forms. I have Fiji, Jakarta, Marshall Isl, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

My favorites are the Tonga Branch and the Vanuatu shelf pieces. :biggrin:

For once I have to disagree with BradI've found all rock is the same after it's been in your tank for a year.

I can still see the difference in my rocks after 6 years, not only in shape and density- but the growths of coraline and the differences in things like tube worms and other small critters are different. :cool:

Sorry Brad :razz:

cheers, Rich

[Aquattro]

Rich, I too can tell which is what, but my point is none seems any better at being rock than the other. All personal preference anyhow. :razz:

[ryan_lalande]

brad is right oveously shapre matter and for instance tonga is mostly tube rocks and suck but after a few years the rock all look the same

i read sum threads were a guy was saying different rocks had different growth...let me tell you tht were you rock comes from has nothing to do with teh featherduster worms that grow on it..i got all kinds of rock and those thing grow anywre especailly on the back tank glass.....also coralline algea can grow on any and everything the type of rock dosent effect the color of the coralline or anything.,.you lights do

rock is rock..aside from possibly shape which you can get in almost any type of rock, and density which works out good for pricee and size of peicees, brad is right that after a few years of your tantgs snails and crabs pecking away at your rocks, they are all gonna appear the same

[sumpfinfishe]

Ryan- I disagree with you 100% :lol:
Most of my rock is 6 years old, and I can still tell which pieces of rock came from the different locations around the globe! :exclaim:

For example:

My Fiji rock is more abundant with feather dusters and worms, and the coraline growth is also a deeper shade of purple.

My Tonga branch has little to none of the same type of feather dusters, yet has a blotchy red shade of coraline growth, and also a greener crust.

The Vanuatu rock has a wide aray of colorful red and pink crust coraline branches, as well as being the second lightest shade of green crust, with only brown feather dusters.

The Jarkarta rock is a very faint shade of green, which has the lightest coloration of all my rock, with little coraline growth and no visable feather dusters.

The Marshal Ils. rock is almost completly covered in coraline with little green appearance left, it also has more feather dusters than any other piece in the tank.

Sure if you looked into my tank and didn't know a thing about reefing, then you would say it's full of a bunch of rock and corals. However any experienced reefer would be able to tell right away that my rock not only differs in size and shape, but also in colors and life forms.

:mad: Rich

[Doug]

I can still tell the difference in mine, but it makes no difference. Its all the same basically. I have 12 yr. old Florida rock, thats much less porus then the Fifi, but still as nice. I think my large pice of Marshal, is one of the less attractive. I recently had a friends large pieces of home made rock in my tank and it was just as nice as any other I have. As a matter of fact, when its covered in growth, it may be nicer. :biggrin:

[Samw]

Does anyone have tube worms growing out of their tonga branch? There probably aren't many bristle worms in there either. I probably wouldn't want to use 100% Tonga branch rock in my tank. I tried cutting a Tonga branch with my jigsaw once. Thought I was going to break the blade.

As a note, the Fiji base rock at J&L right now is man-made.

[dekay]

As a note, the Fiji base rock at J&L right now is man-made.

what does that mean?

[Quinn]

Are you guys referring to the $1.99/lb Fiji base rock J&L has right now? I don't think that stuff is live. I think it is dead/base rock, but was Fiji, and therefore they are charging $0.50/lb extra because it is nicer shapes than their normal base rock.

[Samw]

As a note, the Fiji base rock at J&L right now is man-made.

what does that mean?


The rock is man-made as oppose to natural rock. The last time I checked, they had the Walt Smith (Fiji) aquacultured rocks as Fiji base rock.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=176568&highlight=aquacultured+and+liverock+and+walt

http://www.reeferrocks.com/liverock/history.htm#4

[dekay]

Just called them. They're not live rock but have coralline algae. Does that mean they lose their filtration function or what? I'm confused.

[dekay]

oh damn, they're cement?

[Wilty]

From my understanding, the bacteria that living in the liverock does the 'filtering'. The more pores the rock the more bacteria. If this concrete rock in pores, and is left in the ocean it grow. Then it should behavior the same way. I am chooses not to find out first hand however. lol

Leaching phosphates for ??? however long does not appeal to me. :lol: I also think you will find Real Live rock of any type will have no life in it.

[Samw]

oh damn, they're cement?

Interesting question. Here's their website:

http://www.pacificaquafarms.com/cultured.htm

I can't say without a doubt that this is the same stuff as what you see at J&L though. All I know is that they told me it was Walt Smith aquacultured man-made rock.

[Jack]

All I know is that they told me it was Walt Smith aquacultured man-made rock.

I can second that.