Dry Base

[Nutfarm]

I got home from vacation to a call from my favorite LFS with an offer... $1@lb -Dry Tonga Base-

Good deal right?

Honestly I donno, I've never dealt with tonga, but I was thinking about getting some base and seeding it with some Figi and Marshal Isl rock anyway.

Currently there's 200lbs (if I buy it all it's $.50@lb) sitting and waiting for my reply. I'm thinking steal of a deal, but would appriciate other opinions.

 

[1979camaro]

if you think you will be able to sell whatever you dont personally use, and youve got time...i say go for it...if you can sell that at even 3-4 a pound you're gonna triple your outlay at the minimum

i have some of the tonga branch...its pretty heavy stuff imo, so the volume you get for your $1 may seem low, but the resale value is relative...so it doesnt matter much

 

[wayne]

It's a lot of rock if you get it all. For the time and expense involved, I don't think 2 dollars a pound profit is going to be worth it.
Other than that, it's a great deal on base rock

 

[S.Reef]

Its a very good deal on base rock let alone Tonga rock. I would take it all. Whatever you dont use keep it. Who knows what you will wan to start up in a year or so. Plus you can sell the excess.

 

[Nutfarm]

I called last night and had it placed on hold

Yes it is a lot of rock, but it's going into an 85 (~170lbs recomended for a show tank). I'll most likely put most of it in and break the rest up for invert shards.

As for expense, there's no issue there. I've had the tank set up in the past for growing corals so all the equiptment is already here. The only expenses are going to be the rock itself and the slight bump in the electric bill. Ahh, and the clean up crew, as there won't be any (or many) fish.Time wise, there's no problem.

Time is the best part. There's nothing better than watching things come alive. Before I used liverock, not dry base, and everything happened fast. I'm looking forward to keeping an eye on seeded corals moving to the new rock. Best part for me is the first little bit of coraline that forms on an otherwise dead piece.

 

[dattack]

In 6 months or so when your TOnga rock becomes covered with live organisms and coralline algae, it will be work $10 lb in your area probably.

 

[wayne]

I don't think I'd ever pay that much for tank rock, but there's certainly market options
As a note I don't think I'd ever put 170 lbs of Tonga in an 85, especially if I wanted room for stuff to grow. It is a lot of rock , and it's not too bricklike in my experience. How does this stuff look?

 

[Nutfarm]

I bought all of it! 200lbs of dry base at a final price of $50

Woody <-- the guy selling the base, was closed yesterday and needed the space for the base he ordered. This stuff is from someone's attic and was given to him with a tank, stand and equiptment.

It doesn't look that great, afterall it's dead rock. Whoever had this in the first place must have used copper

I'm going to be rinsing this for the next couple weeks in fresh water baths in hopes of getting any copper deposits out. If anyone has any tricks up thier sleeves, please tell.

I test fitted the base in my (still dry) 85. I understand what you mean, wayne, about it being too much rock for that size tank. Keep in mind that this is not a show tank though. I've got the entire bottom to play with. There will be rock in the front of the tank, not only the back. You can truely think 3D on the reef design with this one

Apon testing, I'm planning on using around 3/4 of this rock and +/- 25 lbs liverock from differant distributers in the area for seed. Once everything's up and running (coraline formations start etc.) I'll fill empty spaces on the rocks with xenia, misc polyps, and of coarse leathers.

This little excursion should take me about a year before anything's added, after that I'm expecting another year before anything's sold.

 

[dattack]

How did you know the previous owner of the rocks used copper? If copper was used then forget about using in a reef tank but it will still work for a fish only tank.
Just because it's dry rock doesn't mean it contained copper.

 

[Nutfarm]

I don't have a clue if the previous owner used copper. The reason for my concirn is the cleanliness of the smallest and deepest cracks.

I'm well aware of what even the smallest amount of copper will do to a reef. I'm also willing to invest months into cleaning it out of corals to make them suitable for life.

That said... I filled a bucket with base and drained a bit of water from my 150 to top the bucket off. I'll check it in a few days for copper. If nothing shows, it's a false alarm. Just in case, if anyone has any copper killing ideas, other than religious rinsing, lemme know.

 

[Nutfarm]

5X money back on 50 lbs already LOL

I got a call from the guy who origionally sold me the base rock. Apparently he ran out and a customer was in need of 50lbs more base. 50lbs @ $2.50 was worth a 30 minute drive to deliver it.

Came home with no money though... Spent it on some good looking fiji, Topped off my cleanup crew (100 hermits @ $.25), and picked up supplies and food for the next 6 months.

 

[1979camaro]

damn

where did you get hermnits at a quarter?

 

[Nutfarm]

The guy I told you about in Portland... Woody. His normal price is closer to $.75 but the more you're there and more you spend, cheaper things get

 

[1979camaro]

nice...i still haven't made it up there