why is aquacultured live rock more pricey?

[gregmookelly]

I am close to finally setting up my tank in which I will put nothing from the ocean(except aqaucultured live rock) and do not understand why it is more expensive. Taking rock from land and putting in the waters around Florida for 6-12 months seems cheaper than taking it and shipping from tonga or figi. I know the companies involved have to pay for the rights to do this but is it really that much more expensive? Please realize that I will not buckle and buy the cheaper rock stolen from a reef but I am a little confused.
thanks

 

[SteveP]

Two reasons I can come up with:

1. Labor (and everything else) in the US is more expensive.

2. The rock rubble they put in the water is probably heavier than true reef rubble so shipping costs are higher.

Steve
8{I

 

[500 G]

Fiji rock, divers go out,dive for rock and thats it.

Acuaculture, land(water rights) have to be leased, permits have to be obtained, rock has to be put in the water (labor), get cultured (takes time, and time is money), then the rock has to be harvested, more labor. Probably more insurance and taxes in U.S. too. And the rock they use is heavier too.

 

[MarkO1]

Check out the "package" from TBSaltwater.com. You just might end up spending less all things considered, I know I did.
_________________
Honda 1300

 

[fishfarmer]

Have you checked www.gulf-view.com prices? I think they are selling some premium coralline rock at a comparable price for Fiji.

 

[Anonymous]

I think regardless of your location Aquacultered rock is compariable in price to that lifeless stuff that is imported.

Even if it was not it is worth paying extra for the life that is saved in shorter transport and for zero impact on the reef and furthering the hobby you have choosen to producing what it consumes.

 

[morepunkthanewe]

I can almost guarantee that you will get more live critters on Florida Aquacultred rock than pacific wild rock. Sponges, corals, macro algae, tunicates, and larger inverts are abundant. Aquaculture rock is never out of water for more than a few minutes at a time until shipping. Wild rock from the pacific can sit for days out of water while all the life on it dies. The only drawback from aquaculture is that you may get nuisance critters too, but as long as you look over each rock carefully it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I would rather get 50 helpful organisms for one pest, than no living organisms at all. I have been using Sea Critters
( www.sea-critters.com ) live rock for years and been really happy with it.

 

[pcragg]

What is keping me from buying Florida aquacultured rock is that I hear a lot of complaints on this board that they sometimes come with mantis shrimp hitchikers. Where as the Fiji rock just comes with red-eyed crabs. Any truth to this?????

I would buy the Florida rock if I didn't have to go through the BIG hassle of catching shrimp.

 

[MarkO1]

I found 4 mantis shrimp on my rock. I found it pretty easy to catch them either by net, or by whacking them into a corner with a small wooden stick.
I may still have more in my tank (they're either mantis or pistol) but I'm not really worried either way. The mantis are relatively small (1-1 1/2" long) so they really haven't hurt any of my other inhabitants.
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economic discussion

 

[danmhippo]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MarkO:
<strong>The mantis are relatively small (1-1 1/2" long) so they really haven't hurt any of my other inhabitants.</strong><hr></blockquote>

he he he he he.............BWAH HA HA HA HA..........

 

[Anonymous]

I just bought two pieces of Fiji from Paragon aquatics.

I drove up to Connecticut and hand picked my two rocks. I wanted to make sure they would fit in my 15 gal high tank.

It was fully cured rock, and I am at the end of the mini cycle that it produced from being out of the water for about 2 hours.

I also am in the process of trapping a mantis that came with the rock.

No matter where you get your rock, you can end up with bad hitchikers.

I applaud you for doing a captive tank. I am planing on only buying captive-bred livestock.

B


B