TBSALTWATER Live Rock

[davisg]

So all my live rock came in from tbsaltwater.com and I could not be happier with it! I got the 20 gallon package for my 35 gallon tank. That came with 40 lbs of live rocks (6 rocks total) and 20 lbs of live sand, and then I added another 15 lbs of live sand to the order for a total of 35 lbs of sand. I'll spare all the details about how I set everything up and just tell you what I got in on the rock.
Hitchhikers:
4 Black Sea Urchins
3 Porcelain Crabs (3 of my favorites)
Couple Hermits crabs and snails
Several pink, orange, black, green sponges
Tunicates (Orange, pink, purple/maroon, red)
Feather Dusters
Spaghetti Worms
Tube/Cup Corals
Cotton Tip Coral
Keyhole Limpets
Live barnacles over almost all the rocks
Rocks are all covered in Coralline Algae
A Pistol Shrimp (somewhere/I'll remove later when it gets bigger)
Gorilla Crabs (Few hiding in holes which will be removed when bigger)

Shipped:
20 Hermits
20 Snails
2 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Serpent Starfish
1 Brittle Starfish
Orange Sponges
Red Sponges
Yellow Ball Sponge
Candelabra Gorgonian with a Basket Starfish hitchhiking (Another of my favorites)
Flower Anemone (My GF's favorite)

I've only had the rocks for a week and a half and every day I'm finding new things, new creatures, new life. Next month this list could double.. Richard was very nice, his customer service was great and I can't say enough good things about his product and how happy I am. The ammonia hasn't even risen above .50 and unless something dies, which is usually inevitable even though I took great care in putting the rocks in without much out of water time at all I doubt it will rise. If it does, water change. Anybody thinking about rocks, I'd say give tbsaltwater a go. I'll post some pictures and if you want to see something I listed that I didn't post a picture of send me a pm.
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[aquaworld75]

I had a similar experience. I picked up my live rock and sand directly and loved the extras and natural experience. Enjoy the live rock and evolution of your tank


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[FutureInterest]

I've got some as well and it's very interesting what is living in there. The gorilla crabs and pistol shrimps though have been a nightmare to deal with though... Even when small they will actively tear up corals looking for food. It's at the point where I am feeding them liberally to keep them sated until my interceptor comes in and I can nuke them.

 

[lmm1967]

FutureInterest;1104814 wrote: I've got some as well and it's very interesting what is living in there. The gorilla crabs and pistol shrimps though have been a nightmare to deal with though... Even when small they will actively tear up corals looking for food. It's at the point where I am feeding them liberally to keep them sated until my interceptor comes in and I can nuke them.

Have you attempted trapping them and putting them on the Free section?

 

[FutureInterest]

Yes. I've got 3 baited traps in there currently to no avail. These buggers are very cautious and seemingly smarter than I am. I respect them and all life in general but they must die for their sins.

 

[lmm1967]

My gorilla crabs are pretty much trained to come out when I shine a flashlight in the tank for food. I could literally pick them up without a problem.

The pistols should be too small to cause any harm.


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[FutureInterest]

Interesting. I'm glad yours are trained like good lil monkeys .

My experience has been very different. I have some nems and lps that were hard to acquire and I don't like that these guys are tearing them up looking for food. I found one of them tearing into one of my colorado sunburst nems. Poor thing had dozens of tentacles just floating in the water and lying on the rockwork. At first I was like wow, what's all this pretty glowing stuff on the rocks?

Another gorilla that is much smaller has been raiding a purple passion nem daily even though I've been feeding the crabs by just blowing large mysis into the rockwork daily.

As for the pistol I've seen the pistol go in and take food from a cb rainbow nem as well and nearby acans. The pistol though will only snatch food... I have not seen it tear into anything once they've engulfed them. I still want them all out of the tank though.

 

[lmm1967]

I don't blame you. Mine are all in a secondary tank plumbed into a coming sump.

If they were trappable and a little closer I'd take them.


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[lsu_fishfan]

You could always add a fish that will take care of them for you.

 

[FutureInterest]

LSU_fishFan;1104858 wrote: You could always add a fish that will take care of them for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Mzqxxio_w">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Mzqxxio_w</a>

In all seriousness I'm considering it. I've always wanted a tusk anyways...