Live Rock Help,

[partyplayer]

So I have people that live in Florida and They want to send me rock from their oceans, If they send the rock to me and it is not in water what do I need to do to place the rock in my tank. is this a good idea or a bad idea? Please if you know the right answers please help me out. I am looking for answers that not harm my tank.

Thanks
Curtis Heldenbrand
Www.framesinmotion.net

 

[bsharpe]

Have it shipped in a styrofoam cooler, packed in wet newspapers, brush off any dead looking stuff and then put it in a rubbermaid tub or something similar and cycle it for, I would think at least a month. That's what I would do. I might be concerned about what comes with it, but that is a risk with all live rock. If you don't need that much rock, I woud just buy it at the LFS.

 

[partyplayer]

Where would you say is the best place to buy the rock. I just hate having to buy sand that should be free, and rock that should be free too. I don't know i guess I'm just weird on the stuff that we charge for. Please let me know.

 

[spstimie]

http://myfwc.com/license/saltwater/special-activities/
http://myfwc.com/media/443826/SW_RegulatedSpecies.pdf

Your friends would need to contact FL Fish & Wildlife and get the proper SAL permits(collecting for themselves and for you may require different permits). There are protected areas where nothing can be collected. These things are regulated and protected for a reason and (IMO) should not be free. They also need to contact the NOAA rep listed on the page about sand and live rock. Pretty sure you need a special permit for that and all of the rock I have ever seen out of FL is rock purposely dumped into the ocean and then harvested, not taken from an existing reef. There are also a ton of of regulated species on the attached list that they will want to be sure they do not collect. Our marine waters are protected this way all over our nation.

All that said, every time I have been to FL, I have met someone that has no idea about this stuff and collects whatever they want. FL Fish & Wildlife was at MACNA in Orlando and warned or ticketed everyone from out of state without the proper sales paperwork for marine animals.

Just for my own interest, Why should this be free? Should the sand for a sandbox be free or the river rock for landscaping? Or should we pay to have someone collect it and Big Brother regulate our natural resources?