tbs vs. others

[errorcode303]

intro:

I am planning to buy live rocks for my 55gallon tank. so far i bought 60 lbs of live sand (3 bags) from Petco $30 each. and i have 6 lbs of live rock from my local lfs ($5 per pound). and 11 blue legs hermits for $.30 each. i had the sand in for over 6 months now and the rocks and hermits are a week old. i had e-mail tbs for the 30 gallon package that cost about $470 and it has 60 lbs rocks, they dont have the rocks on hand and they have to call me some time late next week to get my credit card.

compare

www.tbsaltwater.com (Decorator Rock)

TBS is one of the most promoted company in this forum. everyone seems to like its rocks. however, it is the most expensive company. its website is the prettiest. over all cost to me for 60 lbs rock, 30 hermits, 15 snails, 2 cukes, 1 shrimp and 1 star is $470 include shipping. (30 lbs sand not include because i have the live sands already) rocks =$470/60 lbs = $7.83 per pound (with extras)

http://www.floridaliverock.com/ (Decorator Rock)

Gulf View's $198 for 30 lbs = $ 396 for 60 lbs include over night shipping. rocks =$396/60 = $6.6 (no extra)

http://www.liverocks.com/ (Loaded with Life)

Liverocks is heavly promoted at www.aquariumadvice,com "Loaded with Life"Gulf Rock - 40lbs overnight to your door @ $200.89 or $5.02 per pound delivered to your door, DHL. 80 lbs = $401.78 =60lbs for $301.2 (for compare)

over all
i can get the extras from my lfs for cheap. under $70. what do you guys think? advices ? there is just a lack of information from liverock and gulfview for me to decide. lack of pictures/info.

[errorcode303]

stat

liverock has 600,000 lbs. of 4 year old aquacultured rock, located in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

TBS has Over one million pounds of imported Bahamian coral rock that barged to the site and dropped by crane in September 1993. 12 years old located in state waters in the Gulf of Mexico in twenty feet of water six miles from shore

Gulf-View’s Aquacultured Live Rock was placed in the ocean 13 years ago this march. After picking some of the nicest land rock available from the Bahamas

compare

liverock's seed-rock origin and the water-deep (sun light will affect coral growth) are unknow, however the price is very competitve. users recommand it. DHL only, doesnt ship 100% underwater, feedbacks said about a gallon of water and wet towel.

TBS' rock are 12 years old 3 time older than liverock. grown in shallow waters, users highly recommand the package, has lots of corals on the rock according to the users and its website. airport only 100% underwater, if they ship it in the morning you can get it the same day. very expensive.

Gulf-View's (aka flordia live rock) rock are 13 years old, water location and deep are unknow. few feedbacks from users made it hard to accessed. the few that did recommand said its quility are on par with TBS. offer DHL and the airport/100% underwater shipping extra.

[scruffypup98]

I cannot believe you would not buy from liverocks.com. Read their feedbacks. I was going to buy from TBS a few weeks ago, but could not ever get ahold of them, and when I did, I was told it would be a 3-6 week wait for my package. Then I found liverocks.com, and after talking with one of the owners, I decided to go with them. When my packages arrived(80 pounds keys rock, 80 pounds gulf rock), I was totally blown away. It was the most beautiful rock I have ever seen. Massive amount of color, critters, and sea life. Later, 3 weeks later, I sent TBS an email asking them if they had been able to dive for rock yet, and I got a reply back stating, they would not tell me anything until I got on the waiting list. What a crock of bullshit! Why would I want to get on the waiting list until I knew for sure if they had the rock or not. I needed the rock now, and liverocks.com supplied my needs. I will never use anybody but them. They had the most reasonable prices, counting shipping. Even the rocks at your lfs is imported, and has been in boxes sitting around, from shipper to shipper to shipper, and needs to be cured for several weeks. I put my liverocks.com rocks in my tank, after recieving them in less than 24 hours, and never even had the slightest hint of a problem. So, you decide, but my money is on liverocks.com. You will never be disappointed. Never!

[fishfreek]

TBS is one of the most promoted company in this forum.

Liverocks is heavly promoted at www.aquariumadvice,com

This is clearly a repost from some other forum as TBS is NOT promoted on this forum aside from the random user posting about their experences and likes or dislikes with TBS rock. LiveRocks.com has proven their customer service here as well as many many members have prased time and time again the quality of the rock as compaired to other compeditors.

Why not buy a few lbs from each place and compair them yourselves. Post photos of each as well as showing how they where packaged. Since this message has absolutly nothing to do with LR.com directly im moving it out of the Liverocks sponsor forum into the general saltwater forums.

[ellisz]

I have ordered from Gulf-view and Liverocks.com. Both have excellent rock and were easy to deal with. I would not hesitate to order from either over TBS to save money.

[errorcode303]

TBS is one of the most promoted companies in this forum. this forum means www.reefcentral.com i am planning to order some from tbs and liverock to save money and also compare them.

this post has a lot to do with lr.com directly because those two are their main competitors. and i want the owner to defend lr.com and tell me more about its rocks. like i said above there are very few info about lr.com compare to TBS.

you might want to keep your sponsors happy by not comparing their competitors. however, this is the very same question that many reefers want to know like myself and this is really a opportunities for LR.com to get more business if it can better explain its product. face it TBS has a waitlist while it is the most expensive company.

[ellisz]

Zach from LR.com has posted in the general forums before. If you want others to see the post and/or comment on the different "brands" of LR, then the general forum is where you want to be. IMO

[lando]

and i want the owner to defend lr.com and tell me more about its rocks.

Defend against what? What are the allegations? You can go to their website for info on the rock. Otherwise, give them a call. I am sure Mike or Zach will be able to answer any questions you have. Not sure what the point of all of this is. Looks like you have done the research already. Personally, I have used liverocks.com and was very impressed with the customer service and the product. Not sure how they could improve on either one.

i am planning to order some from tbs and liverock to save money and also compare them.

I would love to know the results.

[malkore]

Originally Posted by errorcode303

i want the owner to defend lr.com and tell me more about its rocks. like i said above there are very few info about lr.com compare to TBS.

Then email sales@liverocks.com
or call (727)938-6522 and talk to them...the owners...not us.

Zach's a nice guy, but I think he's just one of several divers who retrieve the rock from the culturing pools...he just happens to be the most vocal, and runs his own saltwater forum. I've chatted him in email once or twice.

If you call, you'll talk to the guy who actually selects and packs the live rock. Can't recall his name but he's very nice, and if you explain 'hey it's a new tank, this big, etc...' he'll select more appropriate rock shapes and sizes to help you build a better rockscape. new tanks need larger base rocks...but if you were adding 15lbs to finish off a tank, he'd select more smaller rocks.

You have to remember, ordering online isn't just about quality of product, but also quality of service, and liverocks.com excel'd in both when I ordered from them. If you can get LR shipped over night air, guaranteed by 11am (like DHL), then a gallon of water and a wet towel is sufficient to keep LR live, thus reducing or even negating the necessity of a traditional cycle, IF you have sufficient quantity of live rock.
Sure you still have to be watching for a cycle to occur, but many LR.com users have reported never detecting ammonia or nitrite in their tanks...myself included

[Jermz79]

LR.com all the way!


TBS = overpriced Gulf Rock ... come on $7 somthing a lb. .... even my LFS is $5.99/lb and they get the same Gulf Rock as every other place in Florida!

Just my $0.02

[Zack]

Hello
I am currently on vaction now and will be back this weekend to work and comment on this topic. We do have rock in right now and encourage you to give us a call as our number is on the site. Thanks again for the postive comments and hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

[Bearfan]

Wow, Zack even piping up on vacation...I think that's called addiction.

[reefrunner69]

TBS is one of the most promoted companies in this forum. this forum means www.reefcentral.com i am planning to order some from tbs and liverock to save money and also compare them.

Did you look at the banner before you posted? This forum is not reefcentral, troll.

[reefrunner69]

We are not here for you to promote another forum, your last post has been deleted.