Most live rock readily available in the hobby comes from the Pacific Islands or Florida. All live rock is not the same, and it is important to know what you are getting and the pros and cons of each. Sample per pound prices and price ranges are provided as a guide. Prices may vary significantly based on availability, whether or not the rock is cured or uncured, and the quantity being purchased.
Florida Live Rock
Florida Live Rock – All Florida live rock is aquacultured. It is generally heavy and relatively expensive. It is also known for having a higher percentage of unwanted hitchhikers (e.g. mantis shrimp). The advantage to Florida live rock is that it may come with living coral (also aquacultured) on it because it is aquacultured. Other live rock will have had any living coral removed in order to conform to U.S. law.
Pacific Live Rock
Tonga Live Rock – Some of the most highly prized live rock comes from Tonga. In particular, Deepwater Tonga live rock (sometimes sold as Vava’u) is a very high quality rock, often heavily encrusted with brightly colored coralline. It is known for its attractive branching coral-like shapes. Eva Tonga live rock is also of very high quality and is generally heavily encrusted with colorful coralline. Unlike Deepwater Tonga live rock, Eva live rock is more rocky in appearance. Tonga Branch live rock is another high quality, colorful live rock that is prized for its branchlike appearance (usually a result of being composed of dead, encrusted branching coral such as Acropora and Porites). Tonga Branch live rock is what made Tonga famous in the marine hobby. Another form of Tonga branch live rock is Tonga fusion live rock. Tonga fusion is Tonga branch that has been re-encrusted and fused with other pieces of Tonga branch making for interesting shapes and great habitat for many marine organisms. Finally, Shelf live rock from Tonga is often available. Tonga Shelf live rock is generally of good quality. Made up of either eroded coralline rock or tabletop Acropora, Tonga Shelf, perhaps not surprisingly, makes for good shelving when aquascaping. Tonga Fusion Live Rock is generally the most expensive live rock from Tonga.
- Tonga Live Rock $3.75- $4.00 per pound
Fiji Live Rock – Some very high quality live rock comes from Fiji, as does some pretty poor quality live rock. Fiji rock is often sold by grade (e.g. premium, ultra-premium), and is generally encrusted, dead brush Acropora. Premium and ultra-premium Fiji live rock is generally quite good. Fiji Branch live rock resembles Tonga Branch live rock, and generally fetches the highest price of all Fiji live rock.
- Fiji Live Rock $3.00-$3.50 per pound
Vanuatu Live Rock – This is, in many aquarists’ opinions, some of the highest quality live rock regularly available. There was a time when Vanuatu live rock was highly inconsistent in quality, leading some people to steer clear. These issues have been largely resolved, and most available Vanuatu live rock is nicely shaped and colorfully encrusted rock.
- Vanuatu Live Rock $5.00 per pound
Marshall Islands Live Rock – Rock from the Marshall Islands is high quality, colorful, interestingly shaped porous rock known for its light weight. Because of its weight, Marshall Island live rock has a much better weight to surface area ratio than other live rock, making it the ideal rock for effective biological filtration. Marshall Island live rock is sometimes difficult or impossible to purchase legally in the United States.
- Marshall Islands Live Rock $5.25 - $5.50 per pound
There are certainly other kinds of live rock available, and the individual aquarist's preference for a particular type of rock may be highly subjective. The above is a sampling of some of the most commonly available and respected live rock in the hobby.
