Ever been dissapointed w/ online live rock purchase?

[Ram_Puppy]

I bought 30 lbs of lalo live rock from live aquaria a couple weeks ago. I must say, I am dissapointed. I have been 'trying' to like this rock, which I bought for a few primary purposes:

The many varieties of coraline and colors, and most definately, the shape, as advertised in their photos.

As expected, most of the coraline bleached out (at the very least) in curing the rock... I expect it will make a healthy return... What infuriates me, is the shape... one huge chunk of amophus blob, Lalo is supposed to be a dead coral head, this stuff is barely interesting enough to go into the refugium. The shape was not at all what was advertised, and I am very dissapointed. there is nothing 'premium' about it. I feel perhaps, since I bought the rock on sale, I bought the dregs of the shipment... and I am serious doubt if i will ever purchase anything from Liveaquaria/Dr. Fosters & Smith again. I had always heard good things, but my first experience is a total dissapointment.

Other than the huge chunk, there is one fairly 'varied' piece, only about 6 inches long, and a couple inches thick. the rest of the order was rubble.

Maybe my opinion will change after it's been in the tank six months, but right now, i think about how it will look in regards to the tonga rock I already have, and it's just ugly, the tonga was pretty even when it was in it's stinkiest phase of curing... anyhow...

I guess beware of sales on live aquaria at the very least. (and I expected a lot more life to arrive on uncured rock. This piece of rock looks like it was covered in sand or something... barely anything on it, only a small patch of coraline to begin with...


bahh... mouthful of sorry grapes... sorry.

[wkopplin]

The Tonga stuff Aquatic Warehouse gets is very nice stuff. I got quite a bit of live rock from CB Pets as well and was very happy with it. They get in some very nice Fiji rock that is way better then the stuff I have seen online. Plus, you can pick out the rocks you want. I think Richard will even order some for you in bulk, depending on the size of the order. As far as Fiji goes, the stuff I got from CB was the best I have received. The Tonga at Aquatic Warehouse is very cool, just very expensive (good to get a few "toppers").

[Tim Marvin]

Don't pick rock for the colors. Most of the time it will bleach somewhat and you usually lose the orange, reds, and yellows. Most tanks grow predominantly pink, purple, and burgandy coralline. Look for rock that has the micro critters you want living on it, like part Fiji, Tonga, and ????? LiveAquaria is trying to corner the market and the prices are skyrocketing. FFExpress was bought out by them and what a shame that was. Flying Fish Express had good prices. At any rate, I'd buy rock that you can see unless you really trust your source and even then you could get some big lumps. Sorry you had this experience, but if you just use it as the base and put a few premium pieces on top it will work out in the long run. A few months from now you'll have corals growing on it and the surface of the rock will be barely visable.

[Ram_Puppy]

Thanks Tim, I agree with you, it is usable, and I am wracking my head to put find a place for it in the tank. I bought my first piece of LR from Alamo, a gorgeous piece of Tonga, and have been eyeing the stuff at Aquatic Warehouse as well. CB Pets is fastly turning into one of my favorite stores, (my wife loves fresh water tanks, and I am thinking of doing discus again.) Richard and Mark are great guys.

LIke I siad, I don't so much care about the color as the shape... I feel that the pictures they put up are completely erroneous in comparison with the delivered product, and I wrote them a letter about it as well.

I will probably put the smaller piece in the main tank, and the larger in the refugium. Then buy some more tonga from somewhere here in town, cure it out, and put that in the display. It's only a 30 gallon display as you know, and I want every piece in the tank to be as special as I can make it.

THanks guys... reaffirmed what i have been thinking, the way to go, is local, unless you just can't get it here.

[StephenA]

I've always gotten my rock local and been very happy with it! I'd send them an email telling them how you feel.

[Ram_Puppy]

I did so last night... I was kind and courteous, and letem know how I feel.

[Tim Marvin]

They probably won't care really. You may get an appology but I doubt it. Most online store post the best looking rock they have under picture perfect conditions, like maybe some actinic light overhead and so on. It will all color up with some time. In a tank that small stick to picking out each piece yourself locally. You don't have to buy it all from the LFS either, buy a piece or two here and there when people break down or sell off surplus.

[Ram_Puppy]

I actually got a response from liveaquaria this morning around 11:00 they would like me to snap some pictures of the rock and send it in to them. Interesting.

[StephenA]

Keep us posted on what they do!