live rock -tampa bay saltwater

[whitebird9]

Has anyone purchased their packages? and what did you think of them??

[drillsar]

There good but a bit expensive.

[Safir]

if you calculate the cost of the rock, sand, and cleanup crew you get at your LFS, tampa bay's package isn't expensive at all, it just LOOKS expensive when you look at hte cost in one lump sum on a web page ;)

look for the thread "our TBS" in this frum or any thread in the tampa bay forum here for some TBS customer's opinions.

[jmait769]

Whitebird9

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big> <br />
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As Safir has stated, you can get a lot of info from the Our TBS thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=7560193#post7560193

I researched TBS and this is what I found: LFS charges $6 a pound for “Cured” rock. I bought 15lbs = $90. No life but I liked the looks of it.

I bought the 20 gallon “package” which came with 50lbs of live rock, 25lbs of sand and a cleanup crew package for $319. Shipping was $90 to El Paso airport for a total of $409. 50lbs X $6 = $300 if I bought the rock local. “Live” sand at LFS for 15lbs = $30. The live sand TBS sends is off of the sea floor. It will have lots of life in it.

So basically about $360 if I bought local.
Now the real value of TBS is that it truly is “live” when you get it. It comes immersed in saltwater and is teeming with all kinds of life that you will spend hours looking at.
Most people do not go thru a large cycle as the rock does not have that much die off from shipping. And then there is the coral and critter package TBS sends which was definitely worth the price of admission to me!!

So I look at it as I spent an extra $40 verses the LFS.
Some say the down side to TBS is that you may get some unwanted hitchhikers. I had two Mantis Shrimp that I did not want in my tank. I had to remove those. TBS has info on their site about good and bad hitchhikers.

Hope this helps in your research,

Jay

[HAMsmith]

The live rock at TBS makes all the rock at my LFSs look like moon rock.

The previously mentioned "Our TBS" thread:

Our TBS (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=7339859#post7339859)

[jaymz101]

Im a big fan of TBS. I dont have any but I know a few who do and next tank I set up will definately have TBS rock and sand. Yes you can get a few nasties (Mantis, gorilla crabs, stone crabs, etc) But you also can get corals and macroalgae and actual "LIVE" rock.

Benefits outweigh costs here IMO.

[whitebird9]

Thanks to all who replied - I did have a tank in Fiji many years ago and all the "live rock" from most places here in states looks dead to me. TBS really looks the way to go. I am setting up a 75 gal here and will go with at least one of TBS"s packages. At least their rock and sand is alive.