which type of live rock is best?

[Jack]

Really? I thought you were arguing against my point :-) Who can tell on these boards!!

Instert lots of smiles

[naesco]

Get half the rock you need and add the rest over time.
That way you have room for some of the choice pieces you see from time to tiime.

[Troy F]

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Jack

Instert lots of smiles

Oh, so now you're against me too!!

[Jack]

Oh, so now you're against me too!!

Hehe, no! What have I got myself into??

[sumpfinfishe]

I have all kinds of rocks in my reef and I think it adds to a reef in some cases to use not only various shapes but also different forms. I have Fiji, Jakarta, Marshall Isl, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

My favorites are the Tonga Branch and the Vanuatu shelf pieces.

For once I have to disagree with Brad

I've found all rock is the same after it's been in your tank for a year.

I can still see the difference in my rocks after 6 years, not only in shape and density- but the growths of coraline and the differences in things like tube worms and other small critters are different.

Sorry Brad

cheers, Rich

[Aquattro]

Rich, I too can tell which is what, but my point is none seems any better at being rock than the other. All personal preference anyhow.

[ryan_lalande]

brad is right oveously shapre matter and for instance tonga is mostly tube rocks and suck but after a few years the rock all look the same

i read sum threads were a guy was saying different rocks had different growth...let me tell you tht were you rock comes from has nothing to do with teh featherduster worms that grow on it..i got all kinds of rock and those thing grow anywre especailly on the back tank glass.....also coralline algea can grow on any and everything the type of rock dosent effect the color of the coralline or anything.,.you lights do

rock is rock..aside from possibly shape which you can get in almost any type of rock, and density which works out good for pricee and size of peicees, brad is right that after a few years of your tantgs snails and crabs pecking away at your rocks, they are all gonna appear the same

[sumpfinfishe]

Ryan- I disagree with you 100%
Most of my rock is 6 years old, and I can still tell which pieces of rock came from the different locations around the globe!

For example:

My Fiji rock is more abundant with feather dusters and worms, and the coraline growth is also a deeper shade of purple.

My Tonga branch has little to none of the same type of feather dusters, yet has a blotchy red shade of coraline growth, and also a greener crust.

The Vanuatu rock has a wide aray of colorful red and pink crust coraline branches, as well as being the second lightest shade of green crust, with only brown feather dusters.

The Jarkarta rock is a very faint shade of green, which has the lightest coloration of all my rock, with little coraline growth and no visable feather dusters.

The Marshal Ils. rock is almost completly covered in coraline with little green appearance left, it also has more feather dusters than any other piece in the tank.

Sure if you looked into my tank and didn't know a thing about reefing, then you would say it's full of a bunch of rock and corals. However any experienced reefer would be able to tell right away that my rock not only differs in size and shape, but also in colors and life forms.

Rich

[Doug]

I can still tell the difference in mine, but it makes no difference. Its all the same basically. I have 12 yr. old Florida rock, thats much less porus then the Fifi, but still as nice. I think my large pice of Marshal, is one of the less attractive. I recently had a friends large pieces of home made rock in my tank and it was just as nice as any other I have. As a matter of fact, when its covered in growth, it may be nicer.