Live rock

[AlexKilpatrick]

I will be ordering about 150 lbs of LR in a week or two. From what I understand, it is pretty hard to get a deal with a group order of LR -- we would have to buy 20 boxes from Walt Smith, for example, but I thought I would check here and gauge interest.

If we get enough people, it would be shipped via air freight, so we would need someone available during the day, with a truck, to go pick it up. Walt Smith does all their shipping on Wednesdays, but I am certainly open to other options.

[dan]

why don't you buy it from lfs. i would think in the long run it would be cheaper. no shiping and you get to hand pick each peice. you don't have to buy it all at once. 20 pounds here and 20 pounds there and before you know it you got it all. JMO you never know what your getting online. what they show you is not allways what your going to get and what you get may be not what you want. again JMO cb pet has nice looking LR

[Polkster13]

Also, ordering it like that, you will still need to cure it. You won't be able to just drop it into your display tank. I personally wouldn't do that anyway with any rock, regardless of the source. It will go into my quarnitine tank like everything else. However, live rock shipped in a box like that is going to take several weeks to cure, whereas what you get at the LFS will just need to stay in your QT for a couple of days to a week at most.

[GaryP]

There is some very nice Tonga at a few of the shops in SA right now that is not much more expensive considering how light it is.

Felipe was showing me some new "ultra grade" LR that Walt Smith is collecting now. It was pretty awesome. It was VERY porous. It has some sort of polynesian name that I don't recall now.

Gary

[AlexKilpatrick]

Well, first of all I am setting up a new tank so I am planning to cure it there. I know this takes a long time.

I could buy it at the LFS, and I have no problem with than in principle. However, from what I have seen a typical price for cured rock is $7 /lb. I can get uncured rock for around $3 /lb, and less if I can get a break on the shipping. With 150 lbs, that works out to a nice chunk of money ($600 extra, to be exact). At that price, I can wait for it to cure.

[mathias]

wow $7 lb is a lot..... keep looking

[SBreef]

Alex,
Check with CB Pets, they are in Bulverde. Great prices on LR. I know it is not $7.00 a pound. Most stores in S.A. start near $4.00 and up for cured rock.

Roy

[mathias]

How far is round rock from sa?

[captexas]

Definately check with CB Pets, I know Bulverde is a little bit of a drive from Round Rock, but it might be worth it. I know in the past they have had excellent prices (under $4) on quality live rock when you buy it by the box, you just have to call them so they plan on getting enough boxes in for you.

If you can't work something out with them or another decent LFS that doesn't charge outrageous prices on rock, let us know, probably won't get near 20 boxes through a group order, but might help out with alittle extra.

[MikeyBoy]

Check with Filipe @ Fin Addict, he is getting some killer live rock and if you buy a big order, he gets real right on the price.

Here is a pic of some I just got from him, it is (1) 40# piece sitting on top of (2)-20# pieces to build the arch, then it has another 150# on either side. This is in a 215RR

I think this is going to turn out real nice.

Mike

[alexwolf]

I think $7 a pound for fully cured rock isnt too bad of a price personally. If places charge $4-5 for uncured, I would gladly pay the difference.

[::pete::]

Mike its looking ... good!!! Little dark ... ;)

Alex ... 7.00 for cured is a good price. I paid 11.00 at Austin Aquariums covered in corraline. Luckily I only need a few more lbs!!!!

[MikeyBoy]

Pete, your not right, that almost isnt fair, you have my lights!!!!
Your killing me!!

[NaCl_H2O]

I bought 700 lbs of LR awhile back and got Aquatic Warehouse (Tamer) to order it for me. I bought mostly Premium Tonga Uncured, and some branch, and a little base rock. He gave me a great price (basically his cost) because he knew I would be back to buy corals to place on the rocks ;)

His prices were even better for Fiji type LR. I checked all the LFS in SA and that was the best price I could get - I didn't check Fin-Addicts, they were just getting started then.

Note: The above posts are correct in that you wil get a "BOX" of LR, and won't get to select only the best pieces.

Also, I agree that you are better off geting uncured LR if you have the ability and patience to cure it - you will end up with better "life" in your tank. Make sure you have a VERY GOOD skimmer!

[GaryP]

He gave me a great price (basically his cost) because he knew I would be back to buy corals to place on the rocks

You can put a lot of coral on 700# of rock.

Gary

[AlexKilpatrick]

How far is round rock from sa?

LOL. With low to moderate traffic, it is 2 hours to N San Antonio from where I live. For a 5 hour trip, it better be a pretty good deal on LR. :)

[AlexKilpatrick]

Check with Filipe @ Fin Addict, he is getting some killer live rock and if you buy a big order, he gets real right on the price.

Here is a pic of some I just got from him, it is (1) 40# piece sitting on top of (2)-20# pieces to build the arch, then it has another 150# on either side. This is in a 215RR

I think this is going to turn out real nice.

Mike

That is really nice rock. I wonder if it is exactly equivalent to smaller rock, though? Intuitively, I would want to say that 10 15 lb rocks would have more filtration capability than 1 150 lb rock, because it would have more surface area. I don't know for sure, though.

[AlexKilpatrick]

Mike its looking ... good!!! Little dark ... ;)

Alex ... 7.00 for cured is a good price. I paid 11.00 at Austin Aquariums covered in corraline. Luckily I only need a few more lbs!!!!

I got a nice rock for my nano from Austin Aquariums that was very covered in corraline, had some really nice mushrooms, a bit of caulerpa, and some other minor things. I was glad to pay $7/lb for that. And if I just wanted to add 10-20 lbs or so to an established tank, I would pay the premium for cured rock as well.

BUt the curing process is not a huge deal if you are setting up a new tank. IN a few months, you won't be able to tell the difference, and I would rather spend the $600 I save on corals.

[alexwolf]

of course if you are starting up a new tank, yeah!!!! but if you have an existing one yikes!!!

[CD]

AlexKilpatrick,

Give Carlos over at River City Aquatics a call.
I had discussed obtaining rock in bulk with him at one point and he will probably order and take delivery of it for you for a very fair price, if you ask nicely. :)
It's a whole lot closer to RR as well. You should at least check it out.
Shoot Carlos a call at 219-7200

Chris

[AlexKilpatrick]

Chris,

Thanks for the tip. I will definitely give him a call. I really like to support our local shops, and I am willing to pay more than the online price just to support them, because they provide a lot more than an online shop. But I'm not willing to pay *too* much of a premium for the privelege of shopping locally.

[CD]

No problem and hope it works out for you.

I think Carlos will save you alot of coin and you will be supporting this LFS.
If nothing else, Carlos already has the least expensive LR pricing locally- unless, of course, TimM. is selling live rock again.
Don't bother wasting your time looking for a cheaper price here in Austin at an LFS as you won't find one.
SA certainly seems to have much better pricing on rock in the stores than we do.
Good luck.

Chris

[Polkster13]

I remember paying 13 dollars a pound for live rock. Of course that was back in 1988 and I was living in Weaver, Alabama and there was only a couple of pet stores in a hundred mile radius that carried anything in saltwater. Oh, those were the days. :roll2: