This article was originally written in 2005-6 when boat
rock was new, and still in the closet, mostly to
explain the situation since live rock sellers were
not being forthright and transparent about the
product they were selling. It was the first public
article of its kind telling the story of what changed
with Fiji live rock.
Now many know the usually poor quality cheap rock
they see is boat rock. The boaters put the air-freighters
out of business. They won. But still many sell boated
Fiji live rock without clearly stating what it is, and
boat rock is not the same as air-freighted live rock.
That is why we think the customer has a right to know.
So, here is the nearly-original 2006 expose'...
Have you seen those super low prices on live rock lately?
Do you think the suppliers must have been taking advantage of
you before if it's cheaper now? Think again my friends!
Welcome to boat rock. The majority of live rock from the Pacific,
which almost all comes through Los Angeles, California,
is now being brought in by boat. That's right, boated to
the U.S. from Fiji, and formerly from Tonga, and a load
from the Marshall Islands was once boated here.
I'll bet a big flock of birds was following
that boat across the sea!
International air freight is tremendously expensive.
Most of the cost of a box of live rock is freight, not rock.
International air freight usually costs 3+ dollars per pound,
if you're getting volume discounts, as opposed to domestic
air freight which runs 75-cents to a dollar or so per pound.
So the big boys thought there was a little money out
there they didn't have their hands on, and decided there must
be a way to get it. Their solution: Boat the rock here rather
than air freight it, saving way over a dollar a pound, if not nearer two,
and keep the difference, except a quarter to keep their rock
looking cheaper. Boat freight is about .20 cents/pound.
There are many live rock sellers in L.A. (wholesalers and retailers)
selling this rock now. It has been on the market for months.
Have you heard of it? Is anyone telling live rock buyers this?
Would you want to know how your live rock got here?
Yes, of course you would!
Why? Because there is a difference in how LIVE rock is that has
been air freighted in directly from the islands and rock that
has been in a sea container and box for weeks or months.
I suspect there is little LIVE about live rock that has been
boated here. At the LEAST, it takes WEEKS out of the water to
get here. Why aren't the big guys advertising this new
method of getting rock here? I haven't heard a single breath
of "check out our new rock, it was BOATED here."
It is at the very least deceitful, scamming the consumer,
unless you tell them, which is how it is often sold at the retail level.
I find it disgusting when sellers can't be honest to the buyer,
the customer, so am compelled to tell you about it. I would bet
anything that you could not find anyone selling it, that would
admit it to you! Otherwise, I would suggest asking!
(reminder: that was in 2006, and some today will tell the truth,
but many to most don't, It is just called Fiji live rock, just
like, and as if it was air-freighted live rock).
The sad thing is that many unsuspecting hobbyists buy this instead
of real fresh live rock, or an expensive filter, and are not getting
what they expected. They then get out of the hobby, because they
got dead rock. Good ain't cheap, and cheap ain't good. You will
always get what you paid for. The cheapest anything is never the
best anything. This is especially true when you are buying live rock,
or for that matter livestock of any kind.
Would it be of benefit if you, the hobbyist, knew absolutely
positively if your rock was boated or air freighted in? YES !!
So, where is MACNA, those guys allegedly on your side to insure you
get the stuff that has been handled properly, and you are thoroughly
informed of how? I don't see them taking up this issue.
It's been out there on the market for over a year now.
If you want to boat rock in, fine; but, you MUST tell the people
what they are buying. It is no different than the automobiles
that will be sold to unsuspecting buyers that were once flooded.
What spores will sprout or what will grow out of
rock that has been out of the water for many weeks?
That's why they're not telling you! It is only bacterially
active, after a long hard cure, so will serve that purpose.
The purple coralline will come back eventually, and it has
that starter culture of bacteria in it. Don't expect the old
feather duster farm like air-freighted Fiji of yesteryear.
It's fine for base rock, but it ought to be way cheaper.
The cheapest rock is unfortunately what many are looking for.
The Fiji live rock has plummeted in quality, and that will affect
the success of your tank, its inhabitants, and your enjoyment.
We will never sell boated rock that came over in a shipping
container WITHOUT TELLING YOU IT WAS BOAT ROCK. For over a
decade we have chosen to only sell the real deal ... fresh
live rock that has been air freighted in. Most of the time our
live rock is less than 48 hours from island to you. Our
customers tell us they get live crabs, urchins, cucumbers,
macros, feather dusters sprouting, a myriad of life, and some
have said they even got live sponges, anemones, and clams
over the years! That's how quickly our rock gets here.
That's what real deal live rock is my friends ... covered in life,
not death. It smells like the ocean at low tide, or a tide pool.
Not a cesspool.
It is good for base rock if you have a big tank to build up a
foundation we would suggest covering with a layer of real fresh
air-freighted live rock. Or if you are on a tight budget,
it can acceptably serve the purpose, if you get the
'high' grade available which is chosen for good shapes.
We still won't touch the cheap grade which is what most
seem to have, poor shapes.
