[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

It costs more in Louisiana because you have to buy the judge, too.

How true,Ninong

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Joaco

Plant rock? are we talking about calcareous algae originated LR?

Joaco

No. Plant rock refers to live rock that has a lot of macroalgae growing on it. It is shipped raw with very little, if any, cleaning so that it retains as much life as possible.

Most live rock is collected and then cleaned off and then "pre-cured" for at least several days on racks with just saltwater spray to keep the live rock moist but dry enough to drive off problem crabs and mantis shrimp, etc. Then this rock is boxed and shipped out to dealers or transshipped directly to the hobbyists. But they also sell "raw" live rock that is shipped out right after it comes out of the ocean.

Right now I am undecided about whether to get transshipped rock and cure it myself in the aquarium in my room or chicken out and get fully cured live rock. The advantage of the transshipped live rock is that it has more life on it and it costs less -- I have a friend in the business.

The advantage of fully cured live rock is that I can order exactly what I want -- a nice mixture of various types from different places -- and not have to deal with much of a cycle in my room. I am truly undecided at the present time. The only thing that I am positive of is that I will not buy it locally. That idea went out the window in a hurry after I visited the largest local live rock source and had an unpleasant experience.

My thinking at the moment is that I might order two 38 kg boxes of transshipped Kaelini from my friend in the business and then order a small box of mixed fully cured live rock from an online vendor. That's one possibility.

The other possibility costs more but has more flexibility and provides a better assortment of types of rock from various regions: Order about 110 lbs of fully cured Kaelini (with a couple of flat pieces of Elkhorn Island included in that weight) from a source in Maryland and order about 90 lbs of fully cured Marshall, Fiji Buna Branch and Fiji Ultra from a source in Indiana. Even though this option costs more, it allows me to order 200 lbs of rock and get a good variety instead of getting all of the same stuff. The other advantage in my particular circumstances is that it eliminates the hassle of dealing with rock that is not fully cured in my room.

And the winner is:




UNDECIDED

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by Ninong

I even gave the Baton Rouge LFS a shot at overcharging me for this thing, but they didn't even know what it was. Never heard of it was the response. That's the same LFS that I paid $24.99 ea for two 30-lb bags of Southdown with the Carib-Sea label on the bag and $9.99 for a cheapy 1" bulkhead fitting that is $5.00 everywhere else. So you see, sometimes I feel sorry for them and give them a shot, but it's not easy.

It's not easy because you probably don't hold still. While you hold the gun, hold your breath...that should improve your aim
I practice euthanasia with LFS employees that call themselves 'professional aquarists' after a crash class of marine aquariums....i.e. the movie 'Finding Nemo'
My problem is I can't act like The Terminator...I hate entering a LSF and then leave saying:

I'll be back

Joaco

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by Ninong

It costs more in Louisiana because you have to buy the judge, too.

South American best scenario:

Guy #1: Hey, this judge is corrupted, I want another one, I need to be sure it's a fair trial.

Guy #2: I will talk to the Court members to see what they can do.

Guy #1: Ok, how much is that going to cost me?




Joaco

[Ninong]

Joaco,

Check out my thread in the Admin/Mod forum about my experience yesterday with live rock at one of the local sources (not Baton Rouge).

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by zhenya

How true,Ninong

Speaking of buying the judge: http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf...73970.xml?nola

You know you have problems when the judge and your own lawyer have already pleaded guilty and you are the only one still insisting that you did not bribe the judge in your child custody case. And it doesn't help your rep (if any) when you refuse to answer 102 of 105 questions in a deposition.

But money helps and he still has a lot of that left to throw around.

For those who don't want to bother with the whole story, here is the punch line:

Bodenheimer (the judge in the case) and Phil Demma, a mutual friend of Copeland and Bodenheimer, have pleaded guilty to federal charges that they conspired to rig the case in Copeland's favor in 2001 and 2002. At the time, Bodenheimer was seeking a contract to supply shrimp to Copeland's restaurants.

Copeland's corporate attorney, Bryan White, pleaded guilty to knowing of the conspiracy but failing to report it. He began serving a year-and-a-day sentence at a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Fla., on June 30.
Bodenheimer and Demma have not been sentenced.

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by Ninong

No. Plant rock refers to live rock that has a lot of macroalgae growing on it. It is shipped raw with very little, if any, cleaning so that it retains as much life as possible.

Oh ok, got it.
No surprise it is so smelly, you have to take a sniff at rotten macroalgae to know what is bad smell.
Or I could send you a sample of my mother-in-laws deodorant, that would give you a close idea.
I think she got it at a garage sale in Chernobyl...

Originally Posted by Ninong

The other advantage in my particular circumstances is that it eliminates the hassle of dealing with rock that is not fully cured in my room.

Better think about it twice...oe thing is having to listen to noisy pumps...a different thing is curing STINKY live rock in your bedroom.

Combine both (noise and smell)...and if you want to be able to sleep well, get ready to move to an hotel for a month

Joaco

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Joaco,

Check out my thread in the Admin/Mod forum about my experience yesterday with live rock at one of the local sources (not Baton Rouge).

Gotcha

[Ninong]

OK, other people are asking me what I'm talking about so...

Check out this ad and tell me what it means to you. What kind of live rock are they selling and what is the price? http://www.coralconnection.com/LiveRock.html

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Speaking of buying the judge: http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf...73970.xml?nola

You know you have problems when the judge and your own lawyer have already pleaded guilty and you are the only one still insisting that you did not bribe the judge in your child custody case. And it doesn't help your rep (if any) when you refuse to answer 102 of 105 questions in a deposition.

But money helps and he still has a lot of that left to throw around.

For those who don't want to bother with the whole story, here is the punch line:

Bodenheimer (the judge in the case) and Phil Demma, a mutual friend of Copeland and Bodenheimer, have pleaded guilty to federal charges that they conspired to rig the case in Copeland's favor in 2001 and 2002. At the time, Bodenheimer was seeking a contract to supply shrimp to Copeland's restaurants.

Copeland's corporate attorney, Bryan White, pleaded guilty to knowing of the conspiracy but failing to report it. He began serving a year-and-a-day sentence at a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Fla., on June 30.
Bodenheimer and Demma have not been sentenced.

Yep.
" Bodenheimer and Demma have not been sentenced."
Problem it is. Now, if you have judge confessing to the charge, why can't he be sentenced? The lawyer took the easy way out I think and took the year for failing to report

Reads like a soap opera

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Yep.
" Bodenheimer and Demma have not been sentenced."
Problem it is. Now, if you have judge confessing to the charge, why can't he be sentenced? The lawyer took the easy way out I think and took the year for failing to report

Reads like a soap opera

He will be sentenced. He just hasn't been sentenced yet. They have a lot of other charges that the judge has pleaded guilty to besides this little child custody thing. In fact, the child custody thing was a by-product of the fact that the feds had wiretaps on the judge's phones. Reminds me of how poor little Eddie DeBartolo got stuck with bribery charges because the feds were tapping ex-Governor Edwin Edwards' phones.

The governor is in federal prison in Texas, Eddie had to pay a million dollar fine and give up control of the SF 49ers to his sister, Denise, who has turned the team over to her cheapskate husband, Dr. John York, a pathologist with no particular football skills and even less people skills.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

OK, other people are asking me what I'm talking about so...

Check out this ad and tell me what it means to you. What kind of live rock are they selling and what is the price? http://www.coralconnection.com/LiveRock.html

Well, from what I could decifer in that ad they sell it for $3.00 per lb. How it looks is everyones guess I suppose they want you to call them and then they'll "tell you" how it looks

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

He will be sentenced. He just hasn't been sentenced yet. They have a lot of other charges that the judge has pleaded guilty to besides this little child custody thing. In fact, the child custody thing was a by-product of the fact that the feds had wiretaps on the judge's phones. Reminds me of how poor little Eddie DeBartolo got stuck with bribery charges because the feds were tapping ex-Governor Edwin Edwards' phones.

The governor is in federal prison in Texas, Eddie had to pay a million dollar fine and give up control of the SF 49ers to his sister, Denise, who has turned the team over to her cheapskate husband, Dr. John York, a pathologist with no particular football skills and even less people skills.

I remember this case,Ninong, sad turn of events to say the least. Who was the biggest looser you think? I vote for the 49ers team and the fans, Eddy DeBartollo-

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Well, from what I could decifer in that ad they sell it for $3.00 per lb. How it looks is everyones guess I suppose they want you to call them and then they'll "tell you" how it looks

Or you could go there in person and find out for yourself that their fully cured Fiji Premium live rock comes in three flavors: $4.99/lb for the smallest, ugliest pieces, $5.99/lb for the medium size nicer pieces and $6.99/lb for the better pieces.

Oh, the $3.00/lb stuff? Well, they didn't say anything about selling fully cured live rock for $3.00/lb. They just said that they have fully cured Fiji Premium live rock. They also said that they sell "our Fiji Premium live rock" for $3.00/lb. That second statement should not be confused with any of the other words in their ad, none of which applies to the $3.00/lb stuff. If you want some of "our Fiji Premium live rock" for $3.00/lb (50-lb minimum), you have to pay $150/box plus shipping charges and pick it up yourself at the airport when it arrives because "our Fiji Premium live rock" refers to transshipped rock.

About a year ago their in-store prices were $3.99, $4.99 & $5.99/lb for fully cured Fiji so I figured that maybe they had lowered their prices and the smallest sizes were now going for $3.00/lb. But I was wrong! How stupid of me to misread their ad. They didn't say anything of the kind. In fact, they can't understand how I could think something like that. The cheapest in-store Fiji is now only $4.99/lb but it's fully cured and you don't have to pay freight charges. But if you want some nicer Fiji, it's gonna cost ya: $5.99 and $6.99/lb to be exact. They can't understand how people misread their ad like that. "Must be something about the internet" -- (exact words).

[Joaco]

Originally Posted by Ninong

OK, other people are asking me what I'm talking about so...

Ahh, there you go, now I found it.
I got stuck at the one where you post the pics of yourself entering the LFS with a ski mask on...never mind

Joaco

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

About a year ago their in-store prices were $3.99, $4.99 & $5.99/lb for fully cured Fiji so I figured that maybe they had lowered their prices and the smallest sizes were now going for $3.00/lb. But I was wrong! How stupid of me to misread their ad. They didn't say anything of the kind. In fact, they can't understand how I could think something like that. The cheapest in-store Fiji is now only $4.99/lb but it's fully cured and you don't have to pay freight charges. But if you want some nicer Fiji, it's gonna cost ya: $5.99 and $6.99/lb to be exact. They can't understand how people misread their ad like that. "Must be something about the internet" -- (exact words).

Well, I feel stupid as well becouse I read it exactly like you did.

I can see why you'd be upset and,

Ahh, there you go, now I found it.
I got stuck at the one where you post the pics of yourself entering the LFS with a ski mask on...never mind

I'd be wearing ski mask and carrying something large behind my back as well

[Ninong]

Here is what the tank looks like right now with just the PC actinics turned on. There is no apparent change in water clarity over the past 24 hours. However, my previous pics were taken with actinics and metal halides on, so maybe that makes a difference. I didn't turn on the metal halides today. At night I leave the little 25w blue moonlight on so that I can glance over at the tank and see that the water is where it's supposed to be and not some place else where it's not supposed to be.

[Ninong]

Here is what my cabinet looks like:

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

At night I leave the little 25w blue moonlight on so that I can glance over at the tank and see that the water is where it's supposed to be and not some place else where it's not supposed to be.

You're a worryer,Ninong It's not going anywhere but your sump and back up again Have you tried putting some floss fabric around the drain pipe?Might help some in clearing your water faster.

PS. Man, that cabinet is beautiful,Ninong. I love the style of woodwork

[Ninong]

If you promise not to laugh at the electrical cords all over the place, I'll post a picture of the inside of the cabinet. I have one of those under-the-cabinet lights that I picked at Lowes yesterday, but it's not installed yet. I also have a Neptune Systems Aquacontroller II but I'm waiting to install it when I shut the tank down to reattach the black acrylic shield inside the corner overflow compartment and to hook up the Tunze Stream 6060 that is supposed to get here late tomorrow afternoon.

So right now the electrical cords are just plugged into one of the power strips that has not yet been mounted inside the stand because I'm waiting to do that after I decide where everything will go.

You will notice that the floor inside the cabinet looks like, well, er..., it looks like... it looks sorta "yellow." That's because I used the wrong kind of polyurethane to paint it with after I painted the inside of the cabinet with flat white enamel. I decided I had enough of that polyurethane stuff, so the rest of the inside of the cabinet is still white. The fumes were making me dizzy, too. !!!!!!!




Full view. Yes, the room has a hardwood floor but it's very light so you won't notice a little saltwater now and then.


Left side of cabinet. In this shot you can see two of the six 1x3 oak uprights that I used to reinforce the inside of the cabinet. I built a raised platform for the Lifereef sump as recommended by Jeff at Lifereef. That makes the sump's outlets line up level with the pumps' intakes. There is exactly 8" of space between the front of the sump and the cabinet doors. I might try to squeeze a calcium reactor in that spot but it will mess up access to the left side of the sump???


Right side of cabinet. All those tees and ells are not my fault. The return pump came with a ready-made Christmas-tree-looking manifold as part of the Lifereef sump package and I figured I might as well use it. Notice the extremely high-tech, sound-absorbing dish towel under the LG skimmer pump?

P.S. -- Yes, I realize the sump has mechanical filter pads in it. Thanks for pointing that out. But for the time being they happen to be quite useful, provided you rinse them out every morning.