GULF-VIEW LIVE ROCK
- Thread starter Moti Mo
- Start date
I bought ~100lbs of the "coraline" from them a couple moths ago. Its pretty good stuff, but it comes with alot of nasties on it so watch out. I've got all sorts of little hitch hiker crabs and maybe a mantis or two. The crappy thing is that it apparently came with a few parasidic isopods.
Overall it has lots of life on it and I would consider it worth if even though it came with the isopods.
Overall it has lots of life on it and I would consider it worth if even though it came with the isopods.
I would go a step further and say it is some of the best you can get. Just by the fact that it had all the "nasty" creatures mentioned after being shipped from Florida to Seattle speaks volumes of the quality. All those things exist on the rocks from the south pacific but are long dead by the time it reaches the end user, makes you think of how much else is dead.
Also many things not mentioned, sponge, coral, clams,shrimp, etc.
One of the most important aspect of this rock along with www.tbsaltwater.com is that it is aquacultured. Absolutly none is taken from the reefs or reef rubble, just as important. This rock is mined from land and is ancient reef rock that is now above ground. These companys put the rock in the gulf and keys and seed it for 18 months and come back and harvest it. You can actualy ask for an exact size and they will go out and get it and ship it submerged.
These companies that actualy aquaculture items need reefers full support to change the industry from an industry that imports 90% of its consumption and actualy starts producing what it consumes.
I do not suggest you purchase aquacultured rock and tank raised livestock, but rather beg you and everyone to do so.
[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: Fishaholic ]
Also many things not mentioned, sponge, coral, clams,shrimp, etc.
One of the most important aspect of this rock along with www.tbsaltwater.com is that it is aquacultured. Absolutly none is taken from the reefs or reef rubble, just as important. This rock is mined from land and is ancient reef rock that is now above ground. These companys put the rock in the gulf and keys and seed it for 18 months and come back and harvest it. You can actualy ask for an exact size and they will go out and get it and ship it submerged.
These companies that actualy aquaculture items need reefers full support to change the industry from an industry that imports 90% of its consumption and actualy starts producing what it consumes.
I do not suggest you purchase aquacultured rock and tank raised livestock, but rather beg you and everyone to do so.
[ September 28, 2001: Message edited by: Fishaholic ]
Well said Fishaholic. Aquaculture is exactly why I'm looking at these two companies, not to mention there rock is 100 times better than any imported rock I've seen. Thanks for the tips and encouraging words guys. Hopefully I'll post a pic when I get it all up and running. (and remove all the mantis shrimp-hehe.)
I bought some of the "deco" rock from Gulf View in May. It had a large amount of coralline and tons of Halimeda, and I even got a really neat coral about the size of my fingernail. It has since grown to about 1.5" and looks like a tiny open brain. Also, lots of clams and two hermits.
All of this survived even though the shipping company delivered it a day late. I would highly recommend it.
Jen
All of this survived even though the shipping company delivered it a day late. I would highly recommend it.
Jen
Oops, I didn't mean for my post to sound negative.
The truth is that, compared to the 40 lbs of Marshal Island rock I bought, Gulf-View rock looks WAY more alive. Just about every rock has a small colony of some sort of coral (not particularly pretty, but coral nonetheless), some form of macro algae, feather dusters, and multiple kinds of coraline algae. As far as hitchhikers, along with the mantis, isopods, and crabs I also got urchins, a few snails, and even a tiny nudibranch. I've also got something on one of the rocks that looks like a tiny ricordia, but its too early to tell.
I think that part of the fun with any tank is finding new stuff living on/in the rocks that you had never noticed before. Gulf-view really delivers on the life with their rock.
The truth is that, compared to the 40 lbs of Marshal Island rock I bought, Gulf-View rock looks WAY more alive. Just about every rock has a small colony of some sort of coral (not particularly pretty, but coral nonetheless), some form of macro algae, feather dusters, and multiple kinds of coraline algae. As far as hitchhikers, along with the mantis, isopods, and crabs I also got urchins, a few snails, and even a tiny nudibranch. I've also got something on one of the rocks that looks like a tiny ricordia, but its too early to tell.
I think that part of the fun with any tank is finding new stuff living on/in the rocks that you had never noticed before. Gulf-view really delivers on the life with their rock.
I have never found mantis shrimp as of yet. The urchins only recently emerged after 6 weeks. Almost daily/nightly I find something new. Pretty cool. Dale also sometimes sells on ebay. He is always willing to make a deal. He even called me a week after the rock arrived to make sure I was enjoying it. He's a pleasant, very helpful person.
O.K. .... He is the ultimate rock god!!!
O.K. .... He is the ultimate rock god!!!
Dale's rock, ROCKS!
I've never had a Mantis and I've purchased over 150 lbs of mainly deco and corraline rock. Add his rock and you have instant color! The one thing I would look out for is those bristly rock crabs that sometimes hitchike on his rock. The one I have has grown to almost two inches and has an apettite for nassarius snails. Somehow he recently lost both his claws so he's not much of an issue anymore. The only other thing is the long spine urchins that are virtually guaranteed. Excellent hair algae eater but they get pretty big. I just give them away when they get too big for my tank. Don't worry about them eating your corraline as the corraline will grow faster than the urchin can eat it.
-Alex
I've never had a Mantis and I've purchased over 150 lbs of mainly deco and corraline rock. Add his rock and you have instant color! The one thing I would look out for is those bristly rock crabs that sometimes hitchike on his rock. The one I have has grown to almost two inches and has an apettite for nassarius snails. Somehow he recently lost both his claws so he's not much of an issue anymore. The only other thing is the long spine urchins that are virtually guaranteed. Excellent hair algae eater but they get pretty big. I just give them away when they get too big for my tank. Don't worry about them eating your corraline as the corraline will grow faster than the urchin can eat it.
-Alex
my whole 50 g. reef is from dale at gulf view the sand and the rock .the rock had coral tunicates sponges plants and even white and clear corals +a brain or 2 on the big pieces .asc for the sizes you what and the shapes ,dale is very good at giving what you whant
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