The Practice of Mining Dry Rocks

[Red_Blenny]

Does anyone know how the non-reef rocks that is used in this hobby collected? I noticed that the non-reef rocks is labeled as 'good for the reef forest' or 'a good alternative to collected reef rocks' but I always wondered that even though it's safe for the reef, is it safe for the non-reef things (like forest, mountains, hills, etc)?

[BioFish]

The dry rock I've seen available (that claim to not be harvested from reefs) are collected from locations where the ocean used to cover..... dried up. I believe Bulk Reef Supply sells this type. I'm on my phone so I cant provide sources or links, but hope that helps.

[Octoman]

A lot of it is from terrestrial limestone quarries. Rock quarries may not be the best thing for the environment, but not nearly as destructive as collecting live rock from the ocean.

[BonsaiNut]

A lot of it is from terrestrial limestone quarries. Rock quarries may not be the best thing for the environment, but not nearly as destructive as collecting live rock from the ocean.

Do you have any source for this information? Or is this just your opinion?

In my opinion, rock is rock. It is just as possible to have live rock collected in a environmentally friendly and sustainable fashion as to have dead rock collected in a destructive and irresponsible fashion.

When you look at Florida, for example, where hundreds of square miles of reef have been covered by landfill (the island of Key West, for example, is more than 2/3rds landfill), or where valuable shoreline has been dug up for artificial harbors, or where the state has no apparent issue dumping fill to build roads, bridges and railroads (including the road that runs all the way from Miami to Key West), the harvesting of live rock never had more than the tiniest fraction of an impact compared to the wholesale destruction due to construction projects. But people don't like to hear this - they'd rather blame a reefer for his garbage can of live rock than the entire HARBOR where they keep their diesel spewing pleasure yacht.

Just saying...

[Octoman]

Here are a few examples after a quick search...

http://naturesocean.com/base-rock/
"2. Question-Where does our coral base rock come from? Live Rocks
Answer: Our base rock is mined from inland ancient reefs and has become a common way for sustaining live coral rocks and existing coral-based ecosystems in both reef and fish tank aquariums. "

http://www.dryrockusa.com/
"We have 600,000 pounds of Florida limestone product that was hand set 10 years ago in 25 feet of water offshore of Islamorada, Florida in the clear waters of the Florida Keys. Each time we harvest rock, we add rock that was hand sorted at our quarry in South Florida to the existing Mariculture site. "

http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=135&category_id=15&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=34
"This rock is mined from an ancient reef 30 miles inland, in an enivromentally responsible manner. "

[Octoman]

And if you were talking about my environmental impact comparison, that is my opinion. I agree that there are much more significant impacts to reefs than responsible live rock collection, however, it is not always collected responsibly. And, with so much other destruction going on, it makes what is left behind so much more precious. I feel that taking rock from an existing limestone quarry (I would guess it represents a only fraction of a percent of their product) and culturing it is a better alternative because there is 0 impact to living reefs, which I feel is a much more rare and sensitive resource than the habitat impacted for quarries.

[BonsaiNut]

And if you were talking about my environmental impact comparison, that is my opinion. I agree that there are much more significant impacts to reefs than responsible live rock collection, however, it is not always collected responsibly.

I agree in principle - just be careful about quoting the wrong facts.

The live rock business in the United States and many other countries has been completely shut down - do as much to abuses (as you state) as hyperbole and misinformation (as I state).

Check out this site for "sustainable" live rock harvesting.
(http://tbsaltwater.com/)

Now is taking rock from land, dumping it on the ocean floor, and then several years later removing it and selling it any more environmentally friendly than removing the rock that was there in the first place? I guess it is a question of scale. I would argue that all the live rock ever used in the entire world wouldn't fill a single limestone quarry. It is a tiny, tiny amount. More important than harvesting in general, is the way in which it is harvested. But non-reefers would rather simply outlaw the practice altogether - reefers represent too small of a group to defend themselves against frivolous government overreach.