Anyone used it?

[FragMaster]

TBS has a site on the ocean floor in the Florida Keys my friend.
I have been there.

They harvested some of it from the bay for personal usage and to perform experiments with before they began selling it. They do not harvest rock from Tampa bay. It ALL comes from thier site's in the keys, and The GULF OF MEXICO (not temperate and not in the bay area ).

All you have to do is email them and ask.
They will gladly let you know I am sure.

Tampa Bay Saltwater is home of the largest Live Rock Farm in the world! We have over four million pounds of live rock under production on a five acre lease site in the Gulf of Mexico, and an Aquaculture site located in the Florida Keys. We offer invertebrates from the Gulf of Mexico, live sand, and the finest quality live rock available in the industry. If you already know what you need, you can Order Now.

 

[GSchiemer]

It says that their live rock site is in the GULF OF MEXICO. Tampa Bay is in the Gulf of Mexico. Tamp Bay is temperate. Check a map. :wink:

 

[FragMaster]

DOOUUUGH!!!!!!!!!!



They do not harvest rock from Tampa bay.

Also from thier website.

The Capt. of Big Roy was going to push that giant barge of rock out through Tampa Bay, under the Skyway Bridge, through Egmont channel, then into the inter coastal waterway, up through St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Duneden, then back out into the Gulf at Johns Pass for the rest of the trip another 25 miles up the coast to just off Anclote Key where our site is. I slept well that night; don't ask me why.

25 miles north ( I think?) of tampa bay, and 6 miles off shore.

The further out in the gulf you go the warmer the water is and the warmer is remains through the winter months. TO what degree of warmth it stays and remains I have no idea. Some places it never goes below 65 degrees. They have asite in the Keys though

Reefrocks.com harvests directly from the tampa bay though.

 

[GSchiemer]

Here's a quote under the sub-heading of "winter diving" from a Florida travel website related to Anclote Key, which is the collection area you mentioned:

...water temperatures hover around 58 degrees...

The further north you go along the Florida gulf coast, especially as you get to the panhandle, the colder it gets, so thanks for proving my point.

And six miles from shore is not the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. :lol:

 

[ChrisRD]

I'm with Len and Greg here - I prefer Pacific rock like Fiji, Marshall, etc. to the Florida aquacultured stuff. JMO...

 

[FragMaster]

The further north you go along the Florida gulf coast, especially as you get to the panhandle, the colder it gets, so thanks for proving my point.

No.. the point I was trying to make you missed. ( your as thick headed as I am :lol: )
My point was that they do not harvest rock from TAMPA BAY, AND that they DO have a rock site in the Keys. The water temperatures you posted represent the water temps directly inand around ancolet, not six miles off shore But thats not what I am arguing, as I am sure that site gets low temps as well.

You made a statement that they harvested all thier rock from the Gulf and right out of TampaBay, and that they did not harvest from true tropical waters. I just posted other wise and proved it (twice).
I told you I had no idea what the water temps where in and around ancolet key during the winter months so my proving a point for you while I was trying to dissprove you is bunk.
What I de-bunked was your idea that they only harvest rock from Tampa bay, and your idea that they dont harvest rock from the Keys.
Ancolet maybe named "Key" but its not a part of the "Key" islands.
The Key island chain are in the caribbean where its tropical. Thats where thier deco rock comes from,and over half of the rock the sell in general.
(or so I was told?).

Thier rock isnt the dense stuff set on spikes on the sea floor fellas. Now some of it can be dense! You can ask them not to send you dense rock though and they will not.
Here is some from 6 years ago I still have ( it was dried out for 3 years before I reused it AND it has only been in this tank with some small pieces of fijii for seed for around 3 months after being totaly dead for 6 years so thats why theres no life on it) This is roughly 40-45 pounds of rock. ( ofcourse the large piece of blue ridge didnt come from them or the large plate skeletons,. or the large piece of triangular shaped fijij in the fore ground)

 

[GSchiemer]

I looked at the site. I didn't see a choice of tropical versus temperate rock. It's implied that the rock they're selling now comes from the Gulf. And who would want or ask for the "dense rock" from temperate waters if there was a choice available?

I think this discussion has run its course. If you like the Tampa Bay rock, that's great. If you must have the last word, go for it.

By the way, those pictures do nothing to help your cause.

 

[FragMaster]

Just got this email from Richard today.
Email him your self G.
BTW the pics may not help my case but they arent ment to as in quality of life on the rock ( if you actualy read the post that rock has only been "wet" for less than 3 months, it was dry for 3 YEARS).
It is ment as an example of porus rock.
Do I have to weigh one and snap a pick of it? LOL!!!!

yes we have a site in the keys.....tell them to read the webpage!!


----- Original Message -----
From: Duane Jonhson
To: Richard Londeree
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 4:19 PM
Subject: Re: Hello!


Thanks for the quick reply Richard!
Do you have a site located in the key islanlds?
Iam in the middle of a hot discussion on reefs.org with someone who states you have on site in the Gulf and no site in the caribbean, but I could have sworn I saw some where you do?
Duane
----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Londeree
To: Duane Jonhson
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 6:31 AM
Subject: Re: Hello!


goes from 51 to 93!!!
----- Original Message -----
From: Duane Jonhson
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 4:54 AM
Subject: Hello!


I was wondering what the average temperatures are in the winter months, and the summer months where you grow your live rock?
Thank you!
Duane

 

[GSchiemer]

goes from 51 to 93!!!

 

[FragMaster]

Exactly. now think about those temperatures. Where else could they reach the 90 degree mark but in the caribbean?
I never once argued the fact that the gulf temps dropped below 60F btw.
Only that they grow rock in the Keys, and that they dont grow rock in tampa bay. Your stuck on that I think.
Its all on thier web site GSchiemer
Quote thier info page. Ah heck! Here:
(read the last three words of the very 1st line)

As I sit here writing this, it has been seven days since I had a near death experience farming our aquaculture site in The Florida Keys

Here is the link to the rest of that story:
http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/about/tbs6.html


This will be my last post on this because I have a fealing its headed the wrong direction

 

[GSchiemer]

Boy you're thick! Or maybe you just like to be argumentative.

I think we can all agree that THEY ARE SELLING ROCK THAT ORIGINATES FROM TEMPERATE WATER IN WHICH THE WINTER TEMPERATURE IS 51 DEGREES F! Okay, it may not come from exactly Tampa Bay but some place 25 miles north and 6 miles east. Whopee! It's still TEMPERATE water rock, NOT tropical in origin! Now, they MAY also sell live rock that originates from the Florida Keys, but that's not the one that is regularly promoted by you and others on the boards. It's the one with all the "life" on it, which is the GULF rock! :roll:

 

[FragMaster]

Dont make statements like "They dont sell rock aquacultured in the Keys" , and " The only rock they sell comes from directly from TampaBay" Then.

"Thick" Is avoiding replies to your owns comments.

"Thick" Is continuing to harp on things that arent being called into question over ,and over again. I never said the temps werent cold in the winter in the gulf. I only said that they didnt propogate rock in the TAMPA BAY, and that they DO sell rock they propogate from the KEYS.

"Thick" Is side stepping direct evidence and facts.


The only one who turned this into an arguement was you.

I'm done with this. re-read my posts man. CAREFULLY.
Then yours. Think objectively and you will see it.


Have a good one!
I'm Out!

 

[Anonymous]

Dont make statements like "They dont sell rock aquacultured in the Keys" , and " The only rock they sell comes from directly from TampaBay" Then.

Greg never said either of those things, nor anything even 'like' that, as far as I'm interpreting. :? It'd be nice if you discussed what people actually said, rather than what they sort of said, or perhaps what you thought they implied.

Bottom line, they sell some rock from an area that is temperate, not tropical. We all agree with that? How do consumers know which area the rock they've purchased is from?

 

[FragMaster]

Implied here:

Sure, if you're trying to replicate the temperate environment of Tampa Bay

And here:

The natural live rock from Tampa Bay, which used to be collected and sold legally, is only partly calcareous. The rest is silca and quartz. The local sand has the same composition. The "chunks" that they are using as seed rock now may be calcareous, but, regardless, ALL of the rock is very dense, the lifeforms are temperate, and overall it's inapproriate for use in tropical reef aquariums.

And here

It says that their live rock site is in the GULF OF MEXICO. Tampa Bay is in the Gulf of Mexico. Tamp Bay is temperate. Check a map.

And here

I looked at the site. I didn't see a choice of tropical versus temperate rock. It's implied that the rock they're selling now comes from the Gulf. And who would want or ask for the "dense rock" from temperate waters if there was a choice available?

edited and added :I think this discussion has run its course. If you like the Tampa Bay rock, that's great. If you must have the last word, go for it.
By the way, those pictures do nothing to help your cause.

Implication is what I was dealing with not the other way around.
. Editing lines after the fact then calling for backup is dirty pool.
I did stick to thing's said as well as implied. Personaly I see no difference
in implicating or out right saying unless your playing politics?

I never turned this into an arguement, nore did I want too.
I simply provided proof directly from thier site.



As far as I know you can request area, as well as rock types when you order. Has any one emailed them to ask yet? I have talked to them personaly via email as well as in person by apointment in their store in Tampa. You can request sizes, shapes, and request the realy porus stuff, as well as what area it comes from. I think the deco rock comes from the keys in the winter and the gulf in the summer. That would explain how they can give you deco rock year round.
Over all though if you dont ask you wont know where it comes from I wouldnt think.

 

[jandree22]

Agree to disagree. Pacific rock is better quality. Florida rock is better to the environment.

Regardless of any opinions based on the quality of the rock, by definition, Florida... even the Keys, is not Tropical. Key West lies about 70 miles north of the Tropic of Cancer.

 

[GSchiemer]

What do I have to say to get this thread locked so that I don't have to participate in this fiasco any longer?

 

[jandree22]

What do I have to say to get this thread locked so that I don't have to participate in this fiasco any longer?

just blame it on the monkey :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

What do I have to say to get this thread locked so that I don't have to participate in this fiasco any longer?

Just stop posting and the thread will fade away.

I will have to mention that I still have most of my hitchhikers from the original Gulf Rock from over 5 years ago; Porcelain crabs, Sea cucumbers, Urchins, Stomatella, Halimeda, plating coralline, sponges, Hair worms, Sand Skaters, Brittle Stars, etc.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not interested in the argument, but has anyone thought to look at ocean temperature charts? The climate zone might not mean much if warm currents are bringing water north. You might have fully tropical ocean temeratures in a technically sub-tropical climate zone, as you do in the Keys.

Just because Tampa is pretty far north up Florida's west coast doesn't mean the water at the depth of the rock plots gets that much colder than the water farther south. For all anyone in this discussion knows, warm currents might make tampa's sea floor practically tropical and supportive of life that thrives at the temperatures of our reef tanks.


Personally, I'd like to see some ocean floor temperature measurements comparing the keys and tampa. Not SST charts, but rather the water at a regular reef depth. That would settle this silly argument and tell us all whether or not the comment about cooler water life forms inhabiting the rock sold by this company holds any water.

 

[GSchiemer]

I'm not interested in the argument, but has anyone thought to look at ocean temperature charts? The climate zone might not mean much if warm currents are bringing water north. You might have fully tropical ocean temeratures in a technically sub-tropical climate zone, as you do in the Keys.

Just because Tampa is pretty far north up Florida's west coast doesn't mean the water at the depth of the rock plots gets that much colder than the water farther south. For all anyone in this discussion knows, warm currents might make tampa's sea floor practically tropical and supportive of life that thrives at the temperatures of our reef tanks.


Personally, I'd like to see some ocean floor temperature measurements comparing the keys and tampa. Not SST charts, but rather the water at a regular reef depth. That would settle this silly argument and tell us all whether or not the comment about cooler water life forms inhabiting the rock sold by this company holds any water.

The Florida tourism site recommends 3/8" wet suits for diving during winter months in the area where their live rock is situated because water temps are 51 degrees F. I would assume that divers are descending to "regular reef depth."