# Fyi: Rare Live Rock!



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Hey Folks,

Wanted to let OUR community know before others get their hands on this .

I'm not a big fan of BA's and think twice/ thrice about buying live stock from there. But this is a big exception. Considering this live rock is probably the best live rock I've seen in person ever. It's probably the most colorful rock that any store's brought in to Canada in ages.

*It's Vanuatu liverock!* I don't think anyone in Canada has brought this stuff into the country in ages. Yes, even JL aquatics hasn't been able to bring the stuff in cuz the U.S. market just gobbles everything up. But BA's Scarborough has managed to get some of this very special rock. It's priced at a premium at $14 per lbs, but I personally think it's worth it. Get it while you can!

The rock is RAW/ FRESH and UNCURED but is the most colorful liverock I've ever seen. Google it and you get a good sense of what the colors are like in person.


----------



## KeMo (Sep 3, 2010)

Sounds nice but at 14 a lb Ill show you the sexiest live rock out their

Oh and its some what local 
Cheak out the Blue Ridge

http://www.redfishbluefishaquatics.com/livestock?page=shop.browse&category_id=101

OMG i want some


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

So is redfishbluefishaquatics.com Canadian? Besides, the color on Vanuatu Live rock is not limited to 1 color. On the pieces I have there are Blue, Orange, Red, Purple, Violet (yeah there's a difference), Green, Yellow and White. No shipping fees and customs duty to deal with. Just crappy tax.


----------



## acer (May 18, 2010)

don't know if I got lucky or if BA's is just using Vanuatu as a selling point... but NAFB and SUM are selling Indo-Pacific LR for 6.99. once the coral line comes back to life (about a month or so), the rock looks just as good and as many colours.

but I want what KeMo wants if I'm going to be paying 14 a pound for rock... actually I think I'd prefer it be jewel encrusted for that much.


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Yep, I'd be suspicious as well with anything that comes from BA's, but I did my research and I know what Vanuatu live rock should look like - I've been looking for nearly 2 years! So I went there myself and I was pleasantly surprised. In anycase, Indo LR, you should be getting for $5- $6 a lbs. Unless its totally raw with all the macro algea and stuff on it. 

There is a difference between Vanuatu and Indo live rock. From what I've seen and read, you get far more cool stuff that grow on it than other live rock types. Besides the regular coraline and macro algea, encrusting monties both hard and soft corals... I purchased a small piece nearly a year ago from a fellow member here and it came with an orange encrusting monti which grew from it.


----------



## acer (May 18, 2010)

hmmm ok. sounds cool, but still a bit expensive for my liking.


----------



## KeMo (Sep 3, 2010)

Yes red fish blue fish is Canadian .

It is pricey but it is alot more porous . They claim that with the blue ridge LR you only need half of what you normally would. So it ends up being about the same really.


----------



## aquanutt (Aug 27, 2010)

Expensive, not for my wallet at least not at this time not with this tank.
Looks very good and I can imagine some of you guys doing some awesome rock scaping with that rock.

I found a nice link with good info about live rock and pictures to compare.

http://www.aquacon.com/saltwater_aquarium_liverock.html

sly


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Yeah, I've known about aquatic connection - been lickin my lips wishing I could order from them over the past year (they're American and won't export). Thanks for the link sly - I'm sure others will find it useful.


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Haha, AquaCON - a fitting name apparently. Google reviews for them - half their images on their site are culled from forums like RC and personal blogs.


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

o0o00o. Didn't know that, just as well I couldn't get stuff from them I suppose.


----------



## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

I dont think there is anything special about those rocks, and I highly doubt that Vanuatu live rock has ability to grow more stuff on it than other rocks ! 

I started with mixed rocks, about 50 lbs of dry rocks, 9 months have passed, and all the dry rocks are now filled with coralife algea ( many colors) and sponges and fan worms and .... . its what can grow in your water and system. 

afterall, in a reef tank, all your rock work is going to be covered with corals, so besides biological availabilities, I dont think the looks of it is worth paying twice for them.


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Easy to see how others can doubt it. As mentioned previously I have a piece I bought nearly a year ago and it came with an encrusting monti. Coral spores can develop from live rock so long as it hasn't been scrubed off during the collecting, housing and shipping process. Google it and see other people's experiences of coral sprouting from their liverock - doesn't have to be a specific kind. I've seen it happen even on a fist sized piece of fiji liverock I bought. It was just a plain rock with orange and yellow on it 6 months ago, now it's got some weird spong and I think some zoas growing on one side of it.


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

You know what? I just wanted to share the source of what I know to be a valuable type of live rock with people on this forum. Not to promote big al's - in fact I strongly dislike them and have in the past warned people about buying live stock from them. 

People, don't believe me if you don't want to. I don't care. I thought I was doing a service to this community but hey, apparently not. 

Go do your own research then. I stand by my research and still believe vanuatu live rock is the best for color and potential re-colonization of organisms from it's native habitat.


----------



## KeMo (Sep 3, 2010)

Was @ big al's last night. They Rock is Very Nice. They were selling it at 11 a lb though. 
OFF topic But i swear big al's puts dead rock in with their Fiji Tanks and then call it all Fiji.
Watch out for some LR from the big als @ Young & steels as some i got had Rock boring
peanut worms.


----------



## Big Ray (Dec 8, 2009)

Cypher said:


> You know what? I just wanted to share the source of what I know to be a valuable type of live rock with people on this forum. Not to promote big al's - in fact I strongly dislike them and have in the past warned people about buying live stock from them.
> 
> People, don't believe me if you don't want to. I don't care. I thought I was doing a service to this community but hey, apparently not.
> 
> Go do your own research then. I stand by my research and still believe vanuatu live rock is the best for color and potential re-colonization of organisms from it's native habitat.


I do not think anyone is calling you wrong lol your opinion on what looks good can not be wrong or right  so relax.

in terms of biological availability, they are the same. if your water is not good (which is NOT during cycle at lest) most if not all those coraline algeas, sponges, and other creatures die off, and need to grow back out, and that is dependant on your water parameters, so any rock at those parameters would look the same given they have the same lighting. you said "potential re-colonization of organisms from it's native habitat." our tanks are no where close to what oceans are.

others argued that at 14 bucks a lbs, you can get 1 lbs of fiji rock at 5 buck and a Frag of monti  you choose the color.


----------



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I was there today...I feel the same about BA's as everyone else but that stuff really is NICE! Under 20lb is 13.99/lb though, and the smallest nice piece I could find was 4lb, so I walked away...


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

Wow Carmen, you really did the whole GTA fish store circuit this weekend didn't you!? LOL! Nice. Man, if 4lbs was the smallest piece you could find, then I guess people have been buying the stuff after all - probably all the smaller sized rocks too - lol. I myself bought 10lbs worth of rock and got about 6-7 medium sized pieces. One thing you might be able to do is ask their manager if they can break the rock into a smaller size if you only want like 2 lbs or so. Worth a try if you're close by.


----------



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Yea  I was in a mood...
I get to Mississauga regularly, but probably won't go back to Scarborough for a while now. It just kind of happened...snails were .99 at Sea u marine... So if I'm there, I might as well hit NAFB, but Big Al's is right in-between, and it *is* tent sale weekend... 
If NAFB would just move to Burlington, it would save me a lot of driving! In my experience, they're always the ones that make the drive tempting and worthwhile 
I REALLY don't need more LR anyhow...


----------



## Cypher (Apr 15, 2006)

LOL, yeah that's the logic I use too Hehe... SUM, BA Scarb, and NAFB all kinda close to each other, if I go to 1, might as well go to all and save some gas on separate trips lol.


----------



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Yea, that's it, it's just the smart thing to do...all in the name of saving  I wonder if my hubby will buy that logic?


----------

