www.LiveRockUSA.com
Division of Live Rock, Inc.
We will only sell US licensed Aquaculture & Mariculture Products.
Stop the Destruction of our Natural Reefs Support the total ban
on Imported Live Rock "Save Our Reefs"
Stop the Destruction of our Natural Reefs Support the total ban
on Imported Live Rock "Save Our Reefs"
Live Rock, Inc.
84771 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-3131 Main line
305-664-3133 Fax line
888-ROCK440 Toll free
84771 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-3131 Main line
305-664-3133 Fax line
888-ROCK440 Toll free
Copyright 1999 – 2009 Live Rock, Inc All Rights Reserved.
Live Rock Care
About the “Live Rock” for your tank
Basic information on the care of Aquacultured “Live Rock”
This area is intended to inform you of the basic needs for your new rock. What follows is a description of the minimum, basic and simple approach to care for our rock and is not intended to describe the only or even the best way to maintain your reef tank. This is based on our practical experience in running tanks.
·Perform a 5%-10% water change weekly
·Use only RO/DI for startup and make-up water. Do not use any tap or well water in your tank. Use of a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Meter is highly recommended regardless of the source of your RO/DI water. TDS reading should not exceed 18 parts per million (ppm). A reading of 0-3 ppm is best.
·Reef tank water temperature should between 78 and 84 degrees
·Check and Maintain salinity level daily, 1.024-1.025 specific gravity or 34-35 parts per thousand (ppt). Use a salinity Refractometer with automatic temperature compensation.
·Maintain the following consistently and avoid large swings in any of these areas by doing a little to your tank each day as opposed to a big husbandry program every other week
·Maximize water flow…It is a must! Power heads, wave makers or dedicated pumps are fine; just remember “Live Rock” needs water flow.
·Use of a protein skimmer is highly recommended for “Live Rock”.
·Provide lighting of 2.5 Watts per gallon, minimum for 12 hours a day- rock only. Most reef aquarium 40 watt daylight bulbs will work. I recommend one actinic and two 6500K-10,000K daylight bulbs. Metal Halide lighting users should be 20,000 K for 4-5 hours and blue florescent for 12 hours.
·Use rock ratios of 1.5 pounds to 2 pounds of “Live Rock” per gallon of tank seawater capacity as a minimum for full reef tanks
·Maintain calcium level of 450 - 500 PPM
·Maintain phosphate level of <.0 - .10 PPM
·Maintain pH of 8.2 - 8.4
·Maintain Alkalinity of 8.-8.3dkH
·Stabilize your tank. Stabilization equals algae control. You will always need clean up crews for your reef but most algae are opportunistic organisms. Swings in salinity or temperature or both WILL encourage the spread of this problem.
Additionally, there are many informative sites and publications to help you optimize your tank. We learn something new everyday… from our customers, other sites and chat rooms, etc. A couple of informative sites to check out include <http://www.reefcentral.com> and <http://www.garf.org> .
Do I need to cure or isolate my rock (Florida Keys Premium, Top Shelf or Live Base Rock)?
The term, "cure" really only applies to “Live Rock” imported from the Indo Pacific such as Fiji rock, Tonga rock, etc... Imported rock is shipped dry in waxed cardboard boxes to LA., then on to distributors in New York, Chicago and Miami. From there it goes to dealers and trans-shippers. All this dry transporting means a lot of die off and thus, the need to "cure" the rock.
Conversely, we handle our rock very differently and make every effort to deliver to your door fresh and most importantly ALIVE. The whole idea of “Live Rock” for a reef tank is the bio-filtration the rock provides. If you cure our “Live Rock” much of the incredibly diverse biology living in and on the rock will die. We do not recommend doing this in any form, even to remove the hitchhikers.
You need not "cure" our “Live Rock” like you would imported rock! Every effort has been made to harvest and deliver your rock to you fresh and alive. Expect only a small ammonia spike of 0.25 for up to 72 hours. Using a protein skimmer and a 10-20% water changes will resolve the spike. Then simply follow your regular maintenance schedule.
Should I “isolate” the rock before I put it in my reef tank?
We do have customers that isolate the rock. This is done to prevent any ammonia increase due to shipping, from harming delicate life forms already in the system. For established tanks and it is recommended, you may want to isolate our rock in a fully functional system for 3-5 days before placing the rock in your established tank to minimize potential ammonia spikes.
A typical ammonia spike from our rock is .025 for 72 hours. Skimmers and a 10% water change are all that you need to deal with this. However an isolation tank will solve more severe ammonia spike due to an organism in the rock that dies during shipment. Unlike the "cure" process an isolation tank should have good water flow, and lighting. A Rubbermaid type roughneck container and a Hang-on saddle filter and protein skimmer will work fine. Measure the ammonia level for 72 hours.
Can I put the rock directly into my tank when I receive it?
For new tanks always put the rock directly into the tank when it is received. For established tanks you may consider isolation for potential ammonia spikes. Please do not "cure" your new “Live Rock” like you would import rock! Every effort has been made to harvest and deliver your rock to you fresh and alive. Expect a minimal ammonia spike if one occurs at all. Use of a protein skimmer will solve this or you can perform a 10%-20% water change, and then simply follow your regular maintenance schedule.
Live Sand
Do I need to have live sand in my tank?
Live sand is part of natural reef systems therefore we recommend it for your reef system.
Can I order Live Sand from your company?
We currently are curing 5000lbs of premium aragonite sand and will continually have it available starting April 1st.
How much live sand do I need in my tank?
The appropriate amount of live sand is about 1 pound per gallon of tank capacity which will equal about 2 inches of sand in the bottom most tanks. Many tank owners are running up to 6 inches. Some are running 8 inches or more, which is only for the more experienced or courageous tank owners.
Rock Types and Combinations
What is live base rock (LBR) and what is it used for?
We harvest 1000- 5000 lbs of rock at a time. Once the rock is placed in our holding tanks, we see that some of the divers’ selections do not meet the high quality standards of porosity, color or life-form attachment for our Keys Premium Rock. This rock is kept in the same holding systems and has the same bio-diversity and bio-filtration.
Many of our customers with large tanks (120 Gallons or larger) use LBR. Since some of the rock at the bottom of the reef in large tanks will not be as visible, it can be used to support the other, more visible Keys rock in the tank. In addition, it is a way to save a little money on the rock that is not as visible, but is required to perform the same function in the tank environment.
With other customers it is simply a matter of budget, and many of our LBR customers have told us that our LBR is of much better quality than what they can purchase at their local fish stores or other on-line sites.
Can I purchase Rubble from your company?
Yes. It is made up of very small pieces of “Live Rock” and is used in sumps by aquarium hobbyists and for attachment substrate for coral frags. If you want your order to be made up of rubble, please click the LBR selection for weight and price and indicate your request for Rubble clearly in the special notes section of your order. Let us know what you will be using it for, so we can match the best pieces for that type of use.
How soon after I set up my tank with live sand and rock can I add clean up crews?
You can add clean up crews a week after the rock goes in your tank.
Can I order a combination of Keys rock?
Yes. You can order in combinations of any of our available rock per the options provided on our product specifications page.
Can I mix these rocks in my tank?
Yes. You can even mix our rock with import rock if so choose.
What size rock pieces can I expect to arrive with a typical order?
A standard mix for new tanks includes one large piece and assorted medium-large, medium and small pieces. This combination meets most of our customer’s expectations.
Very Large= 20 to 80 lbs. (Large “Feature Pieces” require special shipping)
Large = 12 to 15 inches across and runs 12-20 lbs. each
Medium-Large = 8-12 lbs each
Medium = 5-8 lbs each
Small = 1-5lbs each
All sizes above are approximate as each and every rock is unique.
Can I make special requests for rock sizes?
Yes. We inventory over 5000 lbs of rock at all times and can meet most any size request you have. Please let us know your tank size in gallons and how much rock is already in the tank (if any). Or, please specify the sizes you are looking for by referencing common objects/shapes such as the size of a baseball, football etc. and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Special notes for Plexiglas tank owners: Many Plexiglas tanks have limited openings. Please be sure to let us know the opening size.
All unique requests should be noted in the special notes section of the order.
Hitch-hikers and Life Forms
What type of life forms will I find on the "Live Rock" I purchase from your company?
Live forms attached to our Florida Aquacultured “Live Rock” may include beautiful corals, coralline algae, spiny oysters, thorny jewel boxes, feather dusters, crabs, clams and many other tropical reef dwellers found in the Atlantic Ocean. For additional and very specific information there are several sites and publications where you can learn about the critters including HCC Interdisciplinary “Live Rock” Report for the National Science Foundation and http://www.reefs.org <http://reefs.org>.
I have heard so many concerns about bristle worms and mantis shrimp coming into tanks via “Live Rock”. What is your experience with these creatures?
We get two hitchhikers on our rock with a bad reputation. Bristle worms and mantis shrimp.
Bristle worms are common to all reef systems and can be expected in any “Live Rock”. Like many reef creatures there are all different types of bristle worms from all over the world's reef systems. Most are reef safe, work as sand stirs and will eat any waste decay or detritus they come across. Unfortunately we have observed some eating certain types of soft coral polyps. The best way to remove them from the reef is with a siphon hose at night as you see them on the rocks. Most of the larger species we get never leave the sand and cause no trouble so leave them to their work. The small pink ones you find on the rock can be removed with the hose to a bucket. Do not get the worm in your mouth! Start the siphon, and then put your finger over the bucket end. Move the other end of the hose over the worm and take your finger off the hose at the bucket end. Goodbye worm!
The second type of hitchhiker we get is the mantis shrimp. Like the worms, mantis shrimp come in many shapes and sizes. Ours fall in the category of south Atlantic rock mantis. We get a lot of requests for them with rock shipments due to their color and intelligence. They can break your aquarium glass on smaller aquariums! Like most shrimp, they have very sharp points on their body armor and if they catch you just right can puncture the flesh like any of the armored inverts. They will scavenge dead fish and get blamed for doing the killing when they are caught eating a dead fish. What they will kill is mollusk, turbo snails, and some types of crabs if they get real hungry. Small pieces of raw shrimp or squid 2-3 times a week and they leave everybody alone. Unfortunately the siphon hose will not work on these guys. I see traps for sale but have never tried one and am a little suspicious how well they work on such a smart and fast creature. If you use the carbonated water trick do not dip the whole rock in it. Instead, try to find the hole the shrimp lives in and remove that rock. Pour a small amount of carbonated water in the hole only. I understand this works well and does not destroy the biology of the “Live Rock”.
Basic information on the care of Aquacultured “Live Rock”
This area is intended to inform you of the basic needs for your new rock. What follows is a description of the minimum, basic and simple approach to care for our rock and is not intended to describe the only or even the best way to maintain your reef tank. This is based on our practical experience in running tanks.
·Perform a 5%-10% water change weekly
·Use only RO/DI for startup and make-up water. Do not use any tap or well water in your tank. Use of a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Meter is highly recommended regardless of the source of your RO/DI water. TDS reading should not exceed 18 parts per million (ppm). A reading of 0-3 ppm is best.
·Reef tank water temperature should between 78 and 84 degrees
·Check and Maintain salinity level daily, 1.024-1.025 specific gravity or 34-35 parts per thousand (ppt). Use a salinity Refractometer with automatic temperature compensation.
·Maintain the following consistently and avoid large swings in any of these areas by doing a little to your tank each day as opposed to a big husbandry program every other week
·Maximize water flow…It is a must! Power heads, wave makers or dedicated pumps are fine; just remember “Live Rock” needs water flow.
·Use of a protein skimmer is highly recommended for “Live Rock”.
·Provide lighting of 2.5 Watts per gallon, minimum for 12 hours a day- rock only. Most reef aquarium 40 watt daylight bulbs will work. I recommend one actinic and two 6500K-10,000K daylight bulbs. Metal Halide lighting users should be 20,000 K for 4-5 hours and blue florescent for 12 hours.
·Use rock ratios of 1.5 pounds to 2 pounds of “Live Rock” per gallon of tank seawater capacity as a minimum for full reef tanks
·Maintain calcium level of 450 - 500 PPM
·Maintain phosphate level of <.0 - .10 PPM
·Maintain pH of 8.2 - 8.4
·Maintain Alkalinity of 8.-8.3dkH
·Stabilize your tank. Stabilization equals algae control. You will always need clean up crews for your reef but most algae are opportunistic organisms. Swings in salinity or temperature or both WILL encourage the spread of this problem.
Additionally, there are many informative sites and publications to help you optimize your tank. We learn something new everyday… from our customers, other sites and chat rooms, etc. A couple of informative sites to check out include <http://www.reefcentral.com> and <http://www.garf.org> .
Do I need to cure or isolate my rock (Florida Keys Premium, Top Shelf or Live Base Rock)?
The term, "cure" really only applies to “Live Rock” imported from the Indo Pacific such as Fiji rock, Tonga rock, etc... Imported rock is shipped dry in waxed cardboard boxes to LA., then on to distributors in New York, Chicago and Miami. From there it goes to dealers and trans-shippers. All this dry transporting means a lot of die off and thus, the need to "cure" the rock.
Conversely, we handle our rock very differently and make every effort to deliver to your door fresh and most importantly ALIVE. The whole idea of “Live Rock” for a reef tank is the bio-filtration the rock provides. If you cure our “Live Rock” much of the incredibly diverse biology living in and on the rock will die. We do not recommend doing this in any form, even to remove the hitchhikers.
You need not "cure" our “Live Rock” like you would imported rock! Every effort has been made to harvest and deliver your rock to you fresh and alive. Expect only a small ammonia spike of 0.25 for up to 72 hours. Using a protein skimmer and a 10-20% water changes will resolve the spike. Then simply follow your regular maintenance schedule.
Should I “isolate” the rock before I put it in my reef tank?
We do have customers that isolate the rock. This is done to prevent any ammonia increase due to shipping, from harming delicate life forms already in the system. For established tanks and it is recommended, you may want to isolate our rock in a fully functional system for 3-5 days before placing the rock in your established tank to minimize potential ammonia spikes.
A typical ammonia spike from our rock is .025 for 72 hours. Skimmers and a 10% water change are all that you need to deal with this. However an isolation tank will solve more severe ammonia spike due to an organism in the rock that dies during shipment. Unlike the "cure" process an isolation tank should have good water flow, and lighting. A Rubbermaid type roughneck container and a Hang-on saddle filter and protein skimmer will work fine. Measure the ammonia level for 72 hours.
Can I put the rock directly into my tank when I receive it?
For new tanks always put the rock directly into the tank when it is received. For established tanks you may consider isolation for potential ammonia spikes. Please do not "cure" your new “Live Rock” like you would import rock! Every effort has been made to harvest and deliver your rock to you fresh and alive. Expect a minimal ammonia spike if one occurs at all. Use of a protein skimmer will solve this or you can perform a 10%-20% water change, and then simply follow your regular maintenance schedule.
Live Sand
Do I need to have live sand in my tank?
Live sand is part of natural reef systems therefore we recommend it for your reef system.
Can I order Live Sand from your company?
We currently are curing 5000lbs of premium aragonite sand and will continually have it available starting April 1st.
How much live sand do I need in my tank?
The appropriate amount of live sand is about 1 pound per gallon of tank capacity which will equal about 2 inches of sand in the bottom most tanks. Many tank owners are running up to 6 inches. Some are running 8 inches or more, which is only for the more experienced or courageous tank owners.
Rock Types and Combinations
What is live base rock (LBR) and what is it used for?
We harvest 1000- 5000 lbs of rock at a time. Once the rock is placed in our holding tanks, we see that some of the divers’ selections do not meet the high quality standards of porosity, color or life-form attachment for our Keys Premium Rock. This rock is kept in the same holding systems and has the same bio-diversity and bio-filtration.
Many of our customers with large tanks (120 Gallons or larger) use LBR. Since some of the rock at the bottom of the reef in large tanks will not be as visible, it can be used to support the other, more visible Keys rock in the tank. In addition, it is a way to save a little money on the rock that is not as visible, but is required to perform the same function in the tank environment.
With other customers it is simply a matter of budget, and many of our LBR customers have told us that our LBR is of much better quality than what they can purchase at their local fish stores or other on-line sites.
Can I purchase Rubble from your company?
Yes. It is made up of very small pieces of “Live Rock” and is used in sumps by aquarium hobbyists and for attachment substrate for coral frags. If you want your order to be made up of rubble, please click the LBR selection for weight and price and indicate your request for Rubble clearly in the special notes section of your order. Let us know what you will be using it for, so we can match the best pieces for that type of use.
How soon after I set up my tank with live sand and rock can I add clean up crews?
You can add clean up crews a week after the rock goes in your tank.
Can I order a combination of Keys rock?
Yes. You can order in combinations of any of our available rock per the options provided on our product specifications page.
Can I mix these rocks in my tank?
Yes. You can even mix our rock with import rock if so choose.
What size rock pieces can I expect to arrive with a typical order?
A standard mix for new tanks includes one large piece and assorted medium-large, medium and small pieces. This combination meets most of our customer’s expectations.
Very Large= 20 to 80 lbs. (Large “Feature Pieces” require special shipping)
Large = 12 to 15 inches across and runs 12-20 lbs. each
Medium-Large = 8-12 lbs each
Medium = 5-8 lbs each
Small = 1-5lbs each
All sizes above are approximate as each and every rock is unique.
Can I make special requests for rock sizes?
Yes. We inventory over 5000 lbs of rock at all times and can meet most any size request you have. Please let us know your tank size in gallons and how much rock is already in the tank (if any). Or, please specify the sizes you are looking for by referencing common objects/shapes such as the size of a baseball, football etc. and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Special notes for Plexiglas tank owners: Many Plexiglas tanks have limited openings. Please be sure to let us know the opening size.
All unique requests should be noted in the special notes section of the order.
Hitch-hikers and Life Forms
What type of life forms will I find on the "Live Rock" I purchase from your company?
Live forms attached to our Florida Aquacultured “Live Rock” may include beautiful corals, coralline algae, spiny oysters, thorny jewel boxes, feather dusters, crabs, clams and many other tropical reef dwellers found in the Atlantic Ocean. For additional and very specific information there are several sites and publications where you can learn about the critters including HCC Interdisciplinary “Live Rock” Report for the National Science Foundation and http://www.reefs.org <http://reefs.org>.
I have heard so many concerns about bristle worms and mantis shrimp coming into tanks via “Live Rock”. What is your experience with these creatures?
We get two hitchhikers on our rock with a bad reputation. Bristle worms and mantis shrimp.
Bristle worms are common to all reef systems and can be expected in any “Live Rock”. Like many reef creatures there are all different types of bristle worms from all over the world's reef systems. Most are reef safe, work as sand stirs and will eat any waste decay or detritus they come across. Unfortunately we have observed some eating certain types of soft coral polyps. The best way to remove them from the reef is with a siphon hose at night as you see them on the rocks. Most of the larger species we get never leave the sand and cause no trouble so leave them to their work. The small pink ones you find on the rock can be removed with the hose to a bucket. Do not get the worm in your mouth! Start the siphon, and then put your finger over the bucket end. Move the other end of the hose over the worm and take your finger off the hose at the bucket end. Goodbye worm!
The second type of hitchhiker we get is the mantis shrimp. Like the worms, mantis shrimp come in many shapes and sizes. Ours fall in the category of south Atlantic rock mantis. We get a lot of requests for them with rock shipments due to their color and intelligence. They can break your aquarium glass on smaller aquariums! Like most shrimp, they have very sharp points on their body armor and if they catch you just right can puncture the flesh like any of the armored inverts. They will scavenge dead fish and get blamed for doing the killing when they are caught eating a dead fish. What they will kill is mollusk, turbo snails, and some types of crabs if they get real hungry. Small pieces of raw shrimp or squid 2-3 times a week and they leave everybody alone. Unfortunately the siphon hose will not work on these guys. I see traps for sale but have never tried one and am a little suspicious how well they work on such a smart and fast creature. If you use the carbonated water trick do not dip the whole rock in it. Instead, try to find the hole the shrimp lives in and remove that rock. Pour a small amount of carbonated water in the hole only. I understand this works well and does not destroy the biology of the “Live Rock”.
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