Who has the best deals on live rock?

[pumpdogs]

Who has the best deals locally on live rock?The internet has good prices per pound but you end up getting killed on shipping charges.

[mbbuna]

if you dont mind a 2 hour drive DR. Macs

http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/

[cmondo]

Yeah Dr Macs is the best around here, but That Fish Place up in Lancaster isn't that bad either, and it is only an hour away.

[Rhinecanthus]

Do they sell live sand there as well?

[cmondo]

I know they do at Dr Mac's I have seen him reach into some of his holding tanks and dig it out of the bottom. So you know the sand is actually alive.

Not sure about That Fish Place.

[wds21921]

TFP doesn't sell live sand per say as a normal product but you might be able to persuade one of the employees to donate you a cup or two which will easily seed your tank very well.
Live sand for the most part can be purchased at any of the LFS as an arogonite sand mix which you'll find in those wet bags.
I'm not completely sold on the concept because I think you can add good quality sand with live rock and get the same results. Plus it's more aesthetically pleasing. Just takes a little more time.

[Rhinecanthus]

I just got some great live rock from Something Fishy in Northampton, PA. Quite a drive for those of you in DE, but if you are ever in the area it is worth checking out.

[kaptken]

the live sand sealed in plastic bags at fish stores is only seeded with nitrosoma/nitrobacter bacteria strains to start the nitrogen cycle a bit faster. the same stuff you can buy in a bottle, like CYCLE, or other brands. it doen't have any micro critters, snails, micro stars, sponges or coraline to seed the tank. so it's probably better to simple add your dry sand, add some liquid bacterial boost, and place one piece of good live rock in the tank to start things off. the rock will have bugs, and worms and misc. micro life forms that will multiply as your bioload increases and gradually colonize the sand. add a rock a week to keep things going untill its fully cycled. its easier on the pocket book too.

i would also sugguest adding a few green chromis as your cycle starter fish rather than the usual blue damsels, or seargent majors or dominos. the damsels will torment any other fish you add later and be very hard to catch in a reef tank when you want to remove them. but the green chromis are nice peaceful community fish that will get along with most other fish you add later. They prefer to be a school of 3,4or 5 . nice effect and like damsels, don't cost much.

Ive seen something fishy's website, i believe they have upgraded it. sounds like a nice place to visit one day. ifi'm ever in that neighborhood.

[wds21921]

I've upgraded Jim's fishing technique with the hook and string to create a whole new series of anti-damsel weapons called Pen Harpoons.
Take a barb (No, not Chris' barb), like a dentist would use for a root canal, place it on the end of a small diameter stainless steel rod about 3/32" - 1/8" and then put it into a pen in reverse style, then as the damsel goes by, WHAM.