Choosing LR

[33w_fish_guy]

What should i look for when shopping for [acronym:4849a0eca5="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:4849a0eca5]?

What types are best and the worst?

Im flabbergasted with choices:
Gulf
Keys
Fiji
Tonga

What should I pick?

All I am looking for is a something that will provide a nice enviroment for clownfish and anemones and is not too complicated to care for.

[fishfreek]

Personal preference will dominate with your question as to whats best/worse.

Tonga has a unique shape that is not found in the other types. Most fiji rock is more rounded in shape and fairly porus. The gulf and keys rock will be dense in compairson to the fiji rock.

The care requirements for the rock will be the same reguardless what type you get. The gulf or keys rock will have more initial life on it when compaired to fiji or tonga. This is because the keys and gulf rock has less travil time between the source and you.

When buying live rock at the local stores smell the rock. If it smells foul or sour then put it back and get from another tank. If it smells sweet or like the ocean then its good. Look for shapes and sizes that work in your tank and then look for color and other things growing on the rock.

When buying th erock online dont be fooled by higher cost precured rock. Precured or uncured with both require an additional curing time when the rock arrives to your door.

[Mr Crabs]

I just picked up 30lbs each of Fiji Keys and gulf in the past 2 weeks. So far I have no preference. I like them all in their own ways. I asked this same question a week or two ago and the consensus was mix it up, which I did and am quite happy with the decision. That would be my recommendation but what do I know....I am a rookie. As far as tonga I dont have any but saw some at my 2nd home [acronym:f8d764bf74="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:f8d764bf74]. It was the brach type and it might look kinda cool in a tank but it didnt do anything for me so I passed on it. I think its mostly personal preference.