Liverocks.com - gulf rock or keys rock?

[saberry]

There looks to be quite a difference between these two based on the pictures on their website. After reading all the great comments here about liverocks.com, I was wondering which type you all have been getting???

I am leaning towards the keys rock since this will be to seed the tank only and it appears to have a lot more corraline growth. What do you think?

 

[acid_burn]

Yeah the keys rock, rocks!

I got a total of 70lbs of keys, the coraline growth wasnt like the rock pictured on the site but it was still encrusted with it. Compared to the LFS fiji I bought in Feb. of this year, the keys has far out grown the fiji in the little time i've had it.

Rich

 

[Bearfan]

I also love my gulf rock, it has more critters than the keys. I think a mix would be even better.

 

[dralarms]

I liek the gulf rock better because of the critters. But both keys and gulf are great.

 

[CBRGuy]

I have one piece of gold rock and it look pretty close to the keys rocks, but I really like the keys rock. I got a ton of critters, but most of them had to go..

 

[saberry]

I have one piece of gold rock and it look pretty close to the keys rocks, but I really like the keys rock. I got a ton of critters, but most of them had to go..

To be honest, that worries me a little. I'm concerned about getting some of the unwanted critters right off the bat and sabotaging my new tank. Since my tank is cycling, my plan is to put the live rock straight into the tank, but obviously I don't want to put unwanted guests in there too. What's the best way to minimize the chances of this (I know nothings full proof)?

 

[CBRGuy]

I have read people that do hypsalinty dip or carbonated dips that really didn't work for me. (I tried it with my last 40# of rock) I put the rocks in there the tank after the dip delt with them one at a time. Right now I have a mantis shrimp in my tank that is causing all kinds of problems. It came with 40# that I just got on tuesday. The other 100# did not contain any mantis shrimp And I didn't dip them. I just reached in a pick off the crabs one at a time. They are very easy to catch just scare them out from one side with a net then you can just pick them of

 

[saberry]

Is it typically crabs and shrimp that people have to deal with or is there much occurence of the nuisance anemones (forget what their called - aptaisia?)?

BTW CBRGuy, how do you plan on catching the shrimp?

 

[Bearfan]

Is it typically crabs and shrimp that people have to deal with or is there much occurence of the nuisance anemones (forget what their called - aptaisia?)?

Constantly...comes with the rock.

 

[Nitrate]

If you are going to do a reef tank then gulf rock probably isn’t the right choice. If you are doing a FOWLR then I would highly recommend it.

My nitrates are at their lowest levels in 2 years after only one week. My fish have never been happier because of all the nooks and crannies they have to hide in and my predatory fish love hunting down the crabs and shrimp. There is a lot of aiptasia, but you must take the good with the bad. liverocks.com is true "live" rock.

 

[saberry]

If you are going to do a reef tank then gulf rock probably isn’t the right choice. If you are doing a FOWLR then I would highly recommend it.

My nitrates are at their lowest levels in 2 years after only one week. My fish have never been happier because of all the nooks and crannies they have to hide in and my predatory fish love hunting down the crabs and shrimp. There is a lot of aiptasia, but you must take the good with the bad. liverocks.com is true "live" rock.

I will be going reef, so it sounds like keys rock will be the better choice. If it does not have quite as many critters, that's OK. I suppose that decreases the likelihood of getting pests as well as the beneficial ones.

 

[jeffw85]

Just got 120# of the Keys rock delived Fri am. Beautiful, tons of life and coraline, plus many many critters--FYI

 

[rockkfish]

I have read people that do hypsalinty dip or carbonated dips that really didn't work for me. (I tried it with my last 40# of rock) I put the rocks in there the tank after the dip delt with them one at a time. Right now I have a mantis shrimp in my tank that is causing all kinds of problems. It came with 40# that I just got on tuesday. The other 100# did not contain any mantis shrimp And I didn't dip them. I just reached in a pick off the crabs one at a time. They are very easy to catch just scare them out from one side with a net then you can just pick them of

will a freshwater dip cause them to jump off