# Anyone ever drive to Texas for Holey Rock? Yeah I'm serious!



## CutieSusieQ

Soooo, I've been searching my butt off for this *Texas Holey Rock *that parts of Texas is apparently blessed with!!

aka - Honeycomb Limestone, Honeycomb Rock, Holey Limestone, Holey Rock

I'm from North Carolina and I've called every landscape supply place in this state just about..but nobody has it and most of them have never heard of it! ... Sure, some of the local fish stores sell it but it's not what I want and besides, I'd rather drive to Texas before I pay the fish store owners $100 for one single rock!!

I hear that the landscape places in Texas sells this rock for just cents a pound. Is this true?? And is the "Texas Holey Rock" they sell for so cheap the quality of rock someone would want to put in their cichlid tank?? I'm sure it would have to be cleaned first, but I'm curious if anyone knows if big awesome pieces with lots of holes can actually be bought at these landscape places in Texas?? Anyone know how cheap it really is in Texas? .. I've been searching websites for hours looking for places that would ship me some in bulk, but even those prices (after freight) are high.

Soooo, would it be worth it for me to drive to Texas my darn self with a pick up truck (or U-haul  ) and stock up on this hard to find rock? I have 4 tanks and all 4 tanks could use this rock for the PH buffering. Plus, I love the way it looks in an aquarium (the photos I've seen anyway).. and I could sell the extra rock I don't want to try to make back some of the money I spent on gas getting there!! Hmmmmm.

Yes, I'm crazy enough to drive to Texas to buy this rock!!! But I need to know if it's worth it. I need some advice. Anyone ever done this? I need to know who to buy it from if I go to Texas too :wink:


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## ashilli48

there veins of limestone that run through north Florida as well. Doesn't come out as pur looking due to other material involved but it is holey and does look amazing in the tank. I will try and get a few pics of some I bought just yesterday for less than 35 cents a pound! Around here Texas holey rock costs 7 bucks a ound! The only place cheaper is a chain pet store that has it for 2 bucks a pound but the selection is poor, it looked like holey rock, just no holes, peices were too small.


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## CichMomma

Your story is exactly why I decided to use lace rock instead of holey rock. Need the buffering but could not find nice pieces anywhere locally.


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## CutieSusieQ

ashilli48 said:


> there veins of limestone that run through north Florida as well. Doesn't come out as pur looking due to other material involved but it is holey and does look amazing in the tank. I will try and get a few pics of some I bought just yesterday for less than 35 cents a pound! Around here Texas holey rock costs 7 bucks a ound! The only place cheaper is a chain pet store that has it for 2 bucks a pound but the selection is poor, it looked like holey rock, just no holes, peices were too small.


During my research today I read that this limestone holey rock is also found in Tennessee, but I couldn't find much info about it.


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## ashilli48

never heard that. But I've got people up there crazy enough to help me find it. And lucky me, I have just inherited that area as part of my regional territory.

I'm trying to find the card for the landscaper that I bought from yesterday. He had a piece in the pond that was gorgeous, must have weighed several hundred pounds. Said he paid $250 for it. Some guy that picks it up in Brookesville Fl, about 50 miles north of Tampa.


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## ashilli48

http://holeyrockoftexas.com/
http://holeyrockfromtexas.com/
http://www.texasholeyrocks.com/GradeA.htm


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## ashilli48

by the way that third link has free shipping for orders over $50 but weighing less than 80lbs.


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## CutieSusieQ

CichMomma said:


> Your story is exactly why I decided to use lace rock instead of holey rock. Need the buffering but could not find nice pieces anywhere locally.


I can't find lace rock either! Where did you find it? What city?


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## CutieSusieQ

ashilli48 said:


> http://holeyrockoftexas.com/
> http://holeyrockfromtexas.com/
> http://www.texasholeyrocks.com/GradeA.htm


Thank you so much for taking the time to find these links. I've already been all over these links several times this week, lol... Pretty much I've been all over every holey rock website within the first 10 pages of Google hits. I've been all over eBay and Craig's List too.. That is what lead me to leaving this post on this forum. I'm tried of searching and I'm getting frustrated.

I want someone from Texas or someone who has drove to Texas for this rock to tell me some solid information. Or if anyone who has ever bought this rock in bulk for a decent price and had it delivered to their house, I'd like to know where they bought it. The perk about actually going to a landscape yard that sells this (even if it's in Texas) is that I will get to pick out my own pieces myself. I'm a little wary about buying in bulk without seeing the rock first. Driving to Texas is sounding more and more enticing the more I talk, lol.


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## cjacob316

i live 3 hours from houston, and i would not drive to texas for any kind of rocks lol


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## CutieSusieQ

cjacob316 said:


> i live 3 hours from houston, and i would not drive to texas for any kind of rocks lol


I would if I knew for sure I could find what I'm looking for!! .. I like road trips anyway.


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## CichMomma

CutieSusieQ said:


> CichMomma said:
> 
> 
> 
> Your story is exactly why I decided to use lace rock instead of holey rock. Need the buffering but could not find nice pieces anywhere locally.
> 
> 
> 
> I can't find lace rock either! Where did you find it? What city?
Click to expand...

There are 2 decent local fish stores about 20 miles from me. One is in Columbia (Fishy Business), the other is in Irmo (Animal Supply House) just on the other side of Lake Murray Dam. They sell it for 2.99/lb but I didn't care because I needed to have it.


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## CutieSusieQ

Ok, check this out... I'm sooooooooooo excited!!  but I still don't own any Texas Holey Rock!

I just sold one of my male Cobalts to a guy that contacted me from Craig's List. When he contacted me yesterday he was telling me about his tank setup and he mentioned Texas Holey Rock!!! Soooo, I asked him if he had any left over that he wasn't gonna use....of course he didn't  ... but when he came to get the fish today he brought a piece of the Texas Holey Rock with him so I could see it!!! It was so awesome! I actually got to touch a piece finally; it was such a tease, lol ... and guess what else? He told me he found it himself in Texas. He's FROM Texas!! He said he's from the Waco area and the rock can be found pretty easy at some place he goes to. He said because he was flying back home he was only able to bring back a few pieces. But he said he's planning another trip to Texas this summer and that this time he is driving, so he's planning to bring back a bunch more next time! He said he'd call me when he gets it, but can I really trust that a man I met for the 1st time today will actually keep his word and call me months from now??? Hmmm..I dunno..but I REALLY hope so  ... I think it's really cool I met someone who could possibly hook me up! ... However, I kinda want it NOW, lol, soooo if anyone has some concrete info for me about this Texas Holey Rock (refer to my initial posting in this thread) that would be great :thumb:


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## newforestrob

http://img511.imageshack.us/img5


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## newforestrob

sorry havent figured out how to post pictures yet just wanted to show you what I picked up from a local from a classified like craigs list for $100 filled my 90


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## newforestrob

http://yfrog.com/e7img0063cj


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## newforestrob

its a bunch of lace and texas holey rock got this with a bit of luck and patience hope you find what your looking for :thumb:


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## PfunMo

I would guess you have checked E-bay? I'm in Texas holey rock country so my perception of what rocks are worth may be a bit skewed. Not to pin you all down but what do you consider a grin and bear it price for holey rock? This is not an offer to sell, etc. as it is really not much fun to go picking it. Just want to point out how dificult treking throught the brush and dragging lots of rocks back to the car can be. Then it has to be washed and soaked and bleached so it turns "purty" white. And that's the easy part, you still got to ship it. When I think it over the stuff in my tank might be worth selling. It's sure not worth going to the woods to get more..


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## alexlee04

There is North Carolina lime stone except its very rough. Maybe a tumbler and a drill and you got NC Holy Rock!! Good luck on the search. Let us know how it turns out.


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## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> I would guess you have checked E-bay? I'm in Texas holey rock country so my perception of what rocks are worth may be a bit skewed. Not to pin you all down but what do you consider a grin and bear it price for holey rock? This is not an offer to sell, etc. as it is really not much fun to go picking it. Just want to point out how dificult treking throught the brush and dragging lots of rocks back to the car can be. Then it has to be washed and soaked and bleached so it turns "purty" white. And that's the easy part, you still got to ship it. When I think it over the stuff in my tank might be worth selling. It's sure not worth going to the woods to get more..


Yeah I have checked eBay. I think some of the sellers on eBay are on crack for what they start some of the auctions at for ONE rock!! And then on top of that they want another $50 for shipping. I sell on eBay too sometimes and I know that I can ship up to 70 lbs for $13 using a Priority Mail flat rate shipping box. I admit that I do not know how big the biggest flat rate box is that they offer, but I know that the boxes are free at the post office so it would be easy to find out.... If I wanted to spend $100+ on one rock I can do that here in NC at the local fish stores, so eBay isn't the cheapest place to buy it.

I don't know what I'd call a "grin and bear it price", but through all my searchig this week I have come across several old Craig's List ads and old postings on other fish forum sites, and people were selling the rock for 25 cents a pound. Heck, I'd gladly pay them 50 cents a pound. I have heard that construction sites dig it up in Texas when building and they give it away for free just to get rid of it! Oooh, how I'd love to run across something like that!.. I know that one small descent rock can weigh 7lbs. And the larger rocks (about the biggest I'd want) probably weigh between 20-40 lbs each. I don't care if it's dirty when I buy it!!! I can clean it myself.

Yeah, I've done the rock search thing myself here in NC. I collected a bunch of river rock in the mountains last summer and it wasn't easy to get it all back to my car, but I managed. I had to try to avoid such things as snakes, lizards, bees, mosquitoes, spiders, tall itchy grass, and briars. And then I had to clean it and sanitize it before putting it into my tank...but what sucks the most is that I am not happy with it. So I did all that work for nothing!! I KNOW I'd be happy with Texas Holey Rock... I don't really want to go out and hunt it down myself in Texas considering the spiders, snakes, and scorpions that live there! But I would buy it from a landscape yard or a construction site in a heartbeat! .. It would be totally awesome if I had family or friends in Texas that could get me some and ship it to me.. I'd glady pay postage and extra for their time and effort; it would still be a much better deal than buying from the local fish store owners here in NC. .... Soooo, my quest continues.


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## cjacob316

actually scorpions are more common in the east in my experience, but texas does have some nice cacti that can tear you up pretty good. and you have pretty much the same snakes in the east that you do in texas.

i think the idea is not only the difficulty of acquiring the rocks, but the rocks are far more rare than the granite river rocks, texas holy rock from what i gather is mostly in texas. and well granite can be found anywhere but south louisiana and florida


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## PfunMo

Heads up Suzie--- I'm working on putting you together with a guy moving to NC. Don't know him so I don't pass his e-mail without checking but he says heck yes. He says he will haul rock. He was selling fish so he is serious about moving! I'm checking how he wants to get together. Hang tight and we might get the dream to work. The price even here is quite high, I should warn you. I never buy it because I'm from Missouri and my friends would choke if I actually PAID for a rock.  Missouri has great slab limestone rock that stacks well to make caves, etc. I'm just not that into show tanks. Seems I spend more time tearing tanks down to catch holding females than anything. I got a couple rocks that are not truly top quality holey that I'll get a pic and see if they are of interest. Stay tuned.. :wink:


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## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> Heads up Suzie--- I'm working on putting you together with a guy moving to NC. Don't know him so I don't pass his e-mail without checking but he says heck yes. He says he will haul rock. He was selling fish so he is serious about moving! I'm checking how he wants to get together. Hang tight and we might get the dream to work. The price even here is quite high, I should warn you. I never buy it because I'm from Missouri and my friends would choke if I actually PAID for a rock.  Missouri has great slab limestone rock that stacks well to make caves, etc. I'm just not that into show tanks. Seems I spend more time tearing tanks down to catch holding females than anything. I got a couple rocks that are not truly top quality holey that I'll get a pic and see if they are of interest. Stay tuned.. :wink:


You are completely making me get hopeful and excited!!! :dancing:

Through all my research (which you probably know this already) but I have read that the best place to find this rock on your own in Texas is to go kicking around in Gruene. There is a river by the downtown area and apparently you can hike around and find these rocks. Also, they are common to the hills around San Marcos, Austin, Waco, Comal, Burnet...Edwards plateau...also read it can be found near the waters of Corpus Christi ..... now I don't know my way around Texas so some of the places I just named could very well be the same, but all I know is the "hill country" is the place to find it if you want to find it on your own.


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## ashilli48

Here is one of the pieces from north Florida. I cleaned it but did not bleach it. If bleached it will be as white as Texas Holey rock. However, due to the other "indgredients" it will not be as smooth.


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## ashilli48




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## PfunMo

The places you've named are mostly correct except I'm not sure about Corpus being one. The others are pretty close together. The problem is that several of those are tourist areas, especially Gruene. The river there is a major tourist draw and as such finding good holey rock just lying around is like finding a silver dollar on the ground at Disneyland. Might happen but not likely. There are just more people looking than there are good rocks. I use the not so good as I don't want to do the sweat for the good stuff. Nor will I pay for it.  

















Fish I circled and the yellow lab under the rock are what keep me from getting too excited about a great looking tank. Both are holding and I will tear down to catch them in a bit.


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## PfunMo

I might note that the pretty white holey rock does not stay white long in my world. It gets algea on it and then I used some malachite green that gave it a mossy green color. I will soak these before I put them back in a tank but they will color up pretty quick anyway.


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## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> The places you've named are mostly correct except I'm not sure about Corpus being one. The others are pretty close together. The problem is that several of those are tourist areas, especially Gruene. The river there is a major tourist draw and as such finding good holey rock just lying around is like finding a silver dollar on the ground at Disneyland. Might happen but not likely. There are just more people looking than there are good rocks. I use the not so good as I don't want to do the sweat for the good stuff. Nor will I pay for it.
> 
> Fish I circled and the yellow lab under the rock are what keep me from getting too excited about a great looking tank. Both are holding and I will tear down to catch them in a bit.


Yup! That's the rock I want, lol... (the top picture)... Check out this link. It shows a pic of a 30 lb rock I'd LOVE to have in my tank!!! http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/tx_holey_rock.php

I have some white coral pieces I bought at the fish store. It's real coral skeleton/bone (whatever you call it). They are pretty cool pieces, but they are super duper white. So after a few months they start to turn yellow. I have to soak them in bleach to keep them white and pretty...


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## fox

Everytime we go to the LFS's we head right to the rock bins. Been doin it for many years and have aquired some nice pieces that way and in the last places you would expect to find any. They get up to $4 a lb here for some fine specimens ... makes you thankful for all them holes.

Today we bought a centerpiece for a 6' tank, 18" x 24" x 24" with more open space than rock. The guy told us he just sold its sister piece to a designer who is putting it in her studio in the Hamptons :? I could just barely lift it so goin back with the boy and haul it home, pretty sure it'll fit 'tween the tank braces :roll: .

Good luck with your search. There is a piece out there with your name onnit and when you find it it will make finding that next one all the more fun.


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## PfunMo

At this point, I've not got a reply from my asking if he wanted to contact you or if I should give you his e-mail addy. He may be busy checked for rock to haul or he may be loosing interest. The ball is kind of in his court as I can't force anything. I will let you know just as soon as I can if/when I hear from him. Sorry. I know you would like to get something tied down. That is a super quality rock the author has. I'm afraid I rarely see those even in the shops here.


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## cjacob316

lfs sell it for like a $1 a pound, but i can't even bring myself to spend that much


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## TwoJays

Susan, I have two pieces of holey rock I will gladly give you if you like. They are both about 3lbs each and look really nice. I've had them in my tank for about 3 years now and frankly I'm tired of looking at them. I'm gathering up some nice driftwood and was going to re-landscape my tank. These rocks will end up in the garbage if you dont want them.


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## CutieSusieQ

TwoJays said:


> Susan, I have two pieces of holey rock I will gladly give you if you like. They are both about 3lbs each and look really nice. I've had them in my tank for about 3 years now and frankly I'm tired of looking at them. I'm gathering up some nice driftwood and was going to re-landscape my tank. These rocks will end up in the garbage if you dont want them.


I'm in NC. I would need them shipped to me right now. 

I will PM you.


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## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> At this point, I've not got a reply from my asking if he wanted to contact you or if I should give you his e-mail addy. He may be busy checked for rock to haul or he may be loosing interest. The ball is kind of in his court as I can't force anything. I will let you know just as soon as I can if/when I hear from him. Sorry. I know you would like to get something tied down. That is a super quality rock the author has. I'm afraid I rarely see those even in the shops here.


Ok, just let me know when you know :thumb:


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## CutieSusieQ

fox said:


> Everytime we go to the LFS's we head right to the rock bins. Been doin it for many years and have aquired some nice pieces that way and in the last places you would expect to find any. They get up to $4 a lb here for some fine specimens ... makes you thankful for all them holes.
> 
> Today we bought a centerpiece for a 6' tank, 18" x 24" x 24" with more open space than rock. The guy told us he just sold its sister piece to a designer who is putting it in her studio in the Hamptons :? I could just barely lift it so goin back with the boy and haul it home, pretty sure it'll fit 'tween the tank braces :roll: .
> 
> Good luck with your search. There is a piece out there with your name onnit and when you find it it will make finding that next one all the more fun.


Awesome find! But that sounds really expensive, lol.  Post some pics of it so I can drool over it when you get it set up in your tank


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## CutieSusieQ

cjacob316 said:


> lfs sell it for like a $1 a pound, but i can't even bring myself to spend that much


$1 a pound isn't that bad of a price to be in a LFS. LFS around here are just insane; asking $5 a lb. Heard it was $7 a lb in Florida!! NO WAY! The LFS around here that even sell it are few and far between, and what they sell isn't that great looking.


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## PfunMo

Sorry. I guess we can't depend on people doing what they say. I have no word back for transport. If I should hear from him, I will look you up but for now, I'm out of it.


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## CutieSusieQ

I was talking to a guy today at a fish store here in NC about holey rock and he said he could get me some, but of course it was gonna be expensive. He then started trying to push the lace rock on me. He acted like he preferred lace rock over the holey rock. The small lace rocks were $3 a lb and the larger pieces were $2 a lb. I didn't really like it though.


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## cjacob316

thats why i love my granite, cents on the pound and many shapes and sizes


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## PfunMo

You mentioned shipping things for E-bay so you may know more about shipping things like rocks. Anybody got a guessimate of what shipping would be for thirty pounds from Austin, Tx to North Carolina? How about six pounds?


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## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> You mentioned shipping things for E-bay so you may know more about shipping things like rocks. Anybody got a guessimate of what shipping would be for thirty pounds from Austin, Tx to North Carolina? How about six pounds?


Depends on how it is shipped and what size box is needed. Below is a list of cost.

$4.95 Priority Mail - Small Flat Rate (box size 8 x 5 x 1")

$10.70 - Priority Mail -Medium Flat Rate Box (box size 13 x 11 x 3 or box size 11 x 8 x 5")

$14.50 - Priority Mail - Large Flat Rate Box (box size 12" x 12" x 6")

In order to ship something as _"flat rate Priority Mail"_ you have to use a flat rate Priority Mail box. They are free at the post office. All you have to do is ask them for the boxes. You can ship anything that will fit in the box up to 70 lbs for the same rate no matter where it is going in the USA. So the prices would be the same for 30 lbs or 6 lbs. It's best to get the boxes a day before and take them home instead of trying to pack the box right there in the post office.

But if the large flat rate Priority Mail box is too short for the 30 lbs of rocks, it can be shipped using Parcel Post (but you have to supply the box). A good place to get cardboard boxes for free are from places like Walmart or other stores when they are stocking shelves... The price will depend on the size of box, but as long as the box isn't over 12 x 12 x 12 it can be shipped to NC for $26.76... For 6 lbs it would cost $12.36 as long as the box is under 12 x 12 x 12. If the box is bigger than 12 x 12 x 12 it will cost more depending on it's size...

Below is a link for the postage calculater through USPS.... UPS will be different because it's a different carrier. I rarely use UPS but sometimes it is cheaper. It all just depends. I will post the link to UPS as well.

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepost ... atepostage

https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request

If the rocks are loose and falling around inside the box when the box gets turned on it's side, the rocks would need to be wrapped in bubblewrap or newspaper or something like that to secure them.

:thumb:


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## eagl97

Here's some pics of the Texas Holey Rock in my tank


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## CutieSusieQ

eagl97 said:


> Here's some pics of the Texas Holey Rock in my tank


Why are they brownish? Is that algae build up or did you paint them or were they never bleached white or what? Just curious. I like the shapes of them.

I've been trying to think of way to make something that looks like Texas Holey Rock, but isn't. I'm brain dead. It would be really cool to make something that would be really light weight and easy to take in and out of my tank...like fake holey rock. I'm not creative enough to think of a way to make anything like that though.


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## PfunMo

I was wondering about the colors also. I will let the poster answer for sure but I have a theory that it is color picked up after being in the tank. Notice the third picture with the close up? It has white ares at the tips of the rock. I have had that happen when the rock is moved and brushed heavy on things. In my case it was my shirt! The algea get rubbed off leaving the white. Just guessing though. I like the holes but hate the weight of rocks. I've done some work with hypertufa making manmade rocks which look pretty close to the tufa rock used for pots and trays in Roman times, maybe. It makes some pretty neat flower pots and is somewhat lighter than real rock. I've played with the idea of using it to make stone for the tank. Really hard to beat nature.


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## eagl97

They use to be white but after being in the tank for a while algae grew on them. They turned brown because my lights burnt out and I ordered the wrong lights. They were more of an algae color. Now I have aquarium lights and I'm waiting to see if they go back to algae color now. Also I don't have an algae eater in my tank a friend told me you can have algae or you can have poop.


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## robg33

> Anyone ever drive to Texas for Holey Rock? Yeah I'm serious!


Several tmes! Oh wait I live in Texas. 

Actually it is still a pretty long drive to Holy Rock country for me. I have picked up a few peices while deer hunting. Still amazes me what some fish stores charge for this stuff. Most that I have seen at landscaping places is not really what I would want for my tank. I have never really went anywhere to just get holy rock. It has always been while doing some other activity such as the above mentioned. Most anywhere West of San Antonio along I-10 has ample amounts.


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## Velvet7

I just picked up a lot of this rock this past weekend, you most certainly can find this without buying it from a landscape or fish store,I did, and just like you I hunted all over the net for it, I found it, but I cannot pay that much for it, so living here in Texas I drove down south and picked it up off the ground, some I had to dig up because it was a large piece and most of it was in the ground. But I got some pretty good chunks, I have a 75G and 125G I am putting these in..... so yes it does exist. :fish: :fish:


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## CutieSusieQ

You Texans are making me want to come to Texas really really bad, lol. 

*Robg33* and *Velvet7* and *PfunMo* ... you're so lucky to be able to drive a little ways and then just find this rock laying in it's natural environment.

*Velvet7* .. if you wouldn't mind, post some photos of the pieces you found. I'd love to see. :drooling:


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## ASTYLIN




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## CutieSusieQ

*ASTYLIN*... WOW!! That is 100% beautiful!!!! Where did you find that rock at?? I'm so jealous! What size tank is that and how many lbs of holey rock is in it?.. TN isn't that far away from NC, so if you found a good place in TN to buy awesome holey rock like that, I might just drive to TN instead of TX, lol.


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## tmds3

ASTYLIN said:


>


Thats the type of rock you pay premium for even in Texas at the LFS


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## CutieSusieQ

tmds3 said:


> Thats the type of rock you pay premium for even in Texas at the LFS


But how much is Texas "premium" price? 

There is rock just like that for sell on eBay, but dang-- the shipping they charge is crazy.


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## tmds3

CutieSusieQ said:


> tmds3 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thats the type of rock you pay premium for even in Texas at the LFS
> 
> 
> 
> But how much is Texas "premium" price?
> 
> There is rock just like that for sell on eBay, but dang-- the shipping they charge is crazy.
Click to expand...

Last time I saw a piece like that left in the LFS it was $4 a pound and weighed 40lbs, I know there is a guy that sells some pretty good pieces but like you said the shipping is whats gets you. Even though I live in Texas I haven't made a trip down to Austin area yet to look for some on my own but may do so before it get to hot this summer.


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## Velvet7

my camera is broken, but the rocks I have look like the ones in the pictures of *ASTYLIN *pictures,
I will try to get a camera that works today and take pictures for you, I will gladly send some to you, but you would need to pay for the shipping, some of the rocks I have weigh from maybe 8-20 lbs....I seen you said the post office has boxes at a flat rate, just let me know what ya want me to do, coz I most certainly know how you feel, I HAD to go find some on my own too! :thumb:


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## CutieSusieQ

Velvet7 said:


> my camera is broken, but the rocks I have look like the ones in the pictures of *ASTYLIN *pictures,
> I will try to get a camera that works today and take pictures for you, I will gladly send some to you, but you would need to pay for the shipping, some of the rocks I have weigh from maybe 8-20 lbs....I seen you said the post office has boxes at a flat rate, just let me know what ya want me to do, coz I most certainly know how you feel, I HAD to go find some on my own too! :thumb:


 of course I'd pay for shipping... i just sent u a PM


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## maxim240sx

My girlfriend at the time thought I was crazy when I told her I wanted to drive to texas for rocks. I'm in oklahoma, so it was only about a 5 hr trip. I just googled for limestone in texas. Then when we got to one of the towns we just started driving in the rural areas. Its everywhere just sticking out of the dirt. We loaded up the hatchback of her car with 600#'s of all shapes and sizes. I was grinning the whole way home lol. Got it back home and acid washed it all. Had enough to fill a 125 plus a 55, all for FREE


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## nick a

I always think it's amazing that everyone wants what they don't have :lol: We drove back from Colorado with half a ton of really cool sandstone & river rocks. The limestone is so common here.


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## CutieSusieQ

nick a said:


> I always think it's amazing that everyone wants what they don't have :lol: We drove back from Colorado with half a ton of really cool sandstone & river rocks. The limestone is so common here.


Ok.... if I don't have any holey rock by the summer, I'm soooo driving to your house and I'm going to steal every piece of that precious rock that you don't want, lol!!!


----------



## CichMomma

CutieSusieQ said:


> nick a said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I always think it's amazing that everyone wants what they don't have :lol: We drove back from Colorado with half a ton of really cool sandstone & river rocks. The limestone is so common here.
> 
> 
> 
> Ok.... if I don't have any holey rock by the summer, I'm soooo driving to your house and I'm going to steal every piece of that precious rock that you don't want, lol!!!
Click to expand...

I'll go with you!! I love road trips and you can pick me up on the way!


----------



## CutieSusieQ

maxim240sx said:


> My girlfriend at the time thought I was crazy when I told her I wanted to drive to texas for rocks. I'm in oklahoma, so it was only about a 5 hr trip. I just googled for limestone in texas. Then when we got to one of the towns we just started driving in the rural areas. Its everywhere just sticking out of the dirt. We loaded up the hatchback of her car with 600#'s of all shapes and sizes. I was grinning the whole way home lol. Got it back home and acid washed it all. Had enough to fill a 125 plus a 55, all for FREE


So you really had no plan? You just went without knowing really where you were going to find it or if you really would find it?? That sounds totally cool to me. That's like an adventure; a scavenger hunt if you will. I've googled the heck out of "limestone in Texas" and I've come up with all sorts of town names but I'm just a little afraid to make the drive b/c I'm in NC. It would SUCK major if I made the drive and then couldn't find any b/c someone else has it all already :? Plus, I don't want to end up in jail for diggin up rock or in the hospital for being bitten by some kind of crazy Texan poisonous creature, lol... PM me where you went if you don't mind. I'd love to know just in case that's what I decide to do..I've been kicking the idea around for awhile and that's the whole reason I ever started this tread. :thumb:


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## PfunMo

Maybe time for a reality check? While there are piles of rock in yards and on the back side of private property, it is still hard to believe it can be a matter of driving down the road and picking it up for free. We've all read and know about the sad state of Texas schools and they teach religion (football) rather than math and science but let's just stop for a minute. They do still know the value of a dollar. There is a vast amount of immigrant labor available. If they could hire someone for ten dollars to go out and pick up a truck load of super holey rocks on the road, why would it be selling for $2-4 a pound in the shops???? I believe there is a certain amount of Texas logic being passed here. 

Kind of like the great sea shells on the beach. Maybe someone finds them but do most of us?


----------



## fox

PfunMo said:


> Kind of like the great sea shells on the beach. Maybe someone finds them but do most of us?


We gets the best shells around and they are just lyin there free for the pickin, check for crabs before puttin yer ears to one.

Blue and green sea glass also by the pound at low tides, red is gettin a bit hard to find ... thanx to plastic bottles.

I guess livin on an Island has its perks. :wink:


----------



## CutieSusieQ

fox said:


> PfunMo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Kind of like the great sea shells on the beach. Maybe someone finds them but do most of us?
> 
> 
> 
> We gets the best shells around and they are just lyin there free for the pickin, check for crabs before puttin yer ears to one.
> 
> Blue and green sea glass also by the pound at low tides, red is gettin a bit hard to find ... thanx to plastic bottles.
> 
> I guess livin on an Island has its perks. :wink:
Click to expand...

Outer Banks of NC is one of the most awesome places I've ever been shell hunting. I found the biggest conch shells there. And they were whole too!!! I have two of them inside my 55 gallon right now. The other large ones are sitting on top of the canopy as decoration. I go to Hatteras Island at least once a year.

Here's a few pics of the shells I found in ONE day last year on Hatteras Island. Shells are good for cichlid tanks too. My catfish has made one of them a home for him, lol.


----------



## CichMomma

CutieSusieQ said:


> fox said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> PfunMo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Kind of like the great sea shells on the beach. Maybe someone finds them but do most of us?
> 
> 
> 
> We gets the best shells around and they are just lyin there free for the pickin, check for crabs before puttin yer ears to one.
> 
> Blue and green sea glass also by the pound at low tides, red is gettin a bit hard to find ... thanx to plastic bottles.
> 
> I guess livin on an Island has its perks. :wink:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Outer Banks of NC is one of the most awesome places I've ever been shell hunting. I found the biggest conch shells there. And they were whole too!!! I have two of them inside my 55 gallon right now. The other large ones are sitting on top of the canopy as decoration. I go to Hatteras Island at least once a year.
> 
> Here's a few pics of the shells I found in ONE day last year on Hatteras Island. Shells are good for cichlid tanks too. My catfish has made one of them a home for him, lol.
Click to expand...

We pic up quite a few of those every summer when we go to our beach house on Hilton Head Island


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## PfunMo

That would seem to back up my point. You have found an interesting collection of shells. Better than most who go to the coast. Millions of people visit the coast every year and hardly anyone finds shells that nice. Most of the shells people find are kept for a while as tokens of a vacation but when they move the shells get chucked in the trash. Not something that will sell for dollars on the pound. Seashells are available in a very specific location-- the coast. If most of us can't drive to the coast and come home with worthwhile seashells, how can one expect to drive to Texas and come home with worthwhile holey rock? There's a whole lot of Texas and most of it is out of reach if you don't own the land. Sorry to throw water on any plans but is it really worth the gas? I get the feeling the locals will have beat you to the good stuff.


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## maxim240sx

PfunMo said:


> Maybe time for a reality check? While there are piles of rock in yards and on the back side of private property, it is still hard to believe it can be a matter of driving down the road and picking it up for free. There is a vast amount of immigrant labor available. If they could hire someone for ten dollars to go out and pick up a truck load of super holey rocks on the road, why would it be selling for $2-4 a pound in the shops???? I believe there is a certain amount of Texas logic being passed here.


It sells for so much in the LFS because a guy has to go out and dig the stuff up. Load it all in a big ole diesel 4x4 which gets bad MPG lol. Then has to take it home, unload them all. Rinse all the dirt off. Then give all the rocks an acid bath to whiten them. Then reload them in the gas hog, take them to the LFS and unload them AGAIN. So if I had to do all that, I'd sell for wayyyyy more then a qtr per #. My LFS buys the stuff for $1 per #, but has to buy a minimum of a ton


----------



## maxim240sx

PfunMo said:


> Maybe time for a reality check? While there are piles of rock in yards and on the back side of private property, it is still hard to believe it can be a matter of driving down the road and picking it up for free. There is a vast amount of immigrant labor available. If they could hire someone for ten dollars to go out and pick up a truck load of super holey rocks on the road, why would it be selling for $2-4 a pound in the shops???? I believe there is a certain amount of Texas logic being passed here.


It sells for so much in the LFS because a guy has to go out and dig the stuff up. Load it all in a big ole diesel 4x4 which gets bad MPG lol. Then has to take it home, unload them all. Rinse all the dirt off. Then give all the rocks an acid bath to whiten them. Then reload them in the gas hog, take them to the LFS and unload them AGAIN. So if I had to do all that, I'd sell for wayyyyy more then a qtr per #. My LFS buys the stuff for $1 per #, but has to buy a minimum of a ton


----------



## CutieSusieQ

maxim240sx said:


> It sells for so much in the LFS because a guy has to go out and dig the stuff up. Load it all in a big ole diesel 4x4 which gets bad MPG lol. Then has to take it home, unload them all. Rinse all the dirt off. Then give all the rocks an acid bath to whiten them. Then reload them in the gas hog, take them to the LFS and unload them AGAIN. So if I had to do all that, I'd sell for wayyyyy more then a qtr per #. My LFS buys the stuff for $1 per #, but has to buy a minimum of a ton


I'd glady pay more than .25 cents a lb for cleaned rock!! I'd pay twice that for dirty rock! But, I'm not paying $5 a lb for crappy pieces that the LFS sells around this state.


----------



## DJRansome

I always thought the shipping was the expense and why it is available locally and not globally. Also regional taste (I don't even like it, LOL).


----------



## Benaiah

I'm not sure why, but reading this thread has me thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer drives cross country to recycle cans at 10 cents rather than 5 cents. Perhaps if you could knew a postman that had to make a TX delivery on Mother's day...


----------



## cjacob316

Benaiah said:


> I'm not sure why, but reading this thread has me thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer drives cross country to recycle cans at 10 cents rather than 5 cents. Perhaps if you could knew a postman that had to make a TX delivery on Mother's day...


 :lol:


----------



## PfunMo

As a person who grew up poor and in rock country, I can vouch for there being lots better ways to make money than pick up rocks.  I thought we had a winner to get some rocks hauled East but that fell through. I do have a Christmas-present type weekend scheduled for the end of April and will be spending a couple days at a bed-breakfast place in Wimberly where they get the rock off the back side to sell. One thing I noticed in their ad is that they wash their rocks in soap and water! Maybe not fish people? I will be looking around to see what it takes to get some of the "better" stuff. Maybe they have a reject pile? No use of me stuffing my poor quality stuff in a box and shipping it if there really is good stuff to be had for the same deal. It's just that I have to see it to believe it is there. :lol:


----------



## CutieSusieQ

Benaiah said:


> I'm not sure why, but reading this thread has me thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer drives cross country to recycle cans at 10 cents rather than 5 cents. Perhaps if you could knew a postman that had to make a TX delivery on Mother's day...


hahahaha... that's like my mom who drives across town to get gas b/c it's 2 cents cheaper instead of going to the gas station right up the road, lol.

Gas can be found in ANY town. But I can't find this holey rock anywhere and I really want some. The reason I won't buy from the only fish store in the state that I know that sells it is b/c they only keep like one or 2 pieces stocked and it's stupid over priced. I need more than that b/c I'm putting it in my 55 gallon... Right now I have mainly feather rocks b/c I took the flat stone and river rock out that I mentioned earlier on here. I like it better with all the feather rock, but it's still not my ideal tank... I will get me some holey rock!! I will get it for what I think is a cool price. It will take some time but it will happen. When I get on a mission, I don't stop, lol.


----------



## PfunMo

Can you hang on for a month or so? I will commit to sending you some rocks for shipping. If nothing else , I can box these I have but they are not the truly nice stuff. If I can pick some up, I will send you some pics and let you decide on what and how much shipping you want to pay. Sound like it's worth waiting? The larger rock in my picture way back will fit a large Priority box with a small trim but it has a large crack which might split off before it got there. Don't want you to open the box and find a bunch of junk......


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> Can you hang on for a month or so? I will commit to sending you some rocks for shipping. If nothing else , I can box these I have but they are not the truly nice stuff. If I can pick some up, I will send you some pics and let you decide on what and how much shipping you want to pay. Sound like it's worth waiting? The larger rock in my picture way back will fit a large Priority box with a small trim but it has a large crack which might split off before it got there. Don't want you to open the box and find a bunch of junk......


I am going to wait as long as I have to, lol. There is another person on here too that might be working on getting me some rocks. Plus, way back on the 1st page of this thread I mentioned something about a guy I met who bought a fish from me that is driving to Texas this summer. So that might be another lead I have to get me some rocks too. I also put an ad on Craig's List stating that I was looking for this rock in case anyone gets on there locally and wants to sell some. Soooo, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and waiting however long it takes, lol. :thumb:

I want to thank you and everyone that has offered me so much help on my mission. I really didn't expect this many responses on this topic.


----------



## PfunMo

Oh, now. You cuties always get the best response..... :lol: I've got a box of rocks that I will run by the post office and see what they think about price. I will keep you posted. I will state that I have about all the cutie associates I need!


----------



## nick a

PfunMo,

I've sent quite a few boxes of rock thru UPS to mi amigos in NY. It generally works out real close to $1 per pound. A little less for mini-rock in small boxes/ little more for 40+ pounders in larger boxes.

SusieQ,

Very few people who've stopped by have left empty handed! Even folks from as seemingly nearby as Houston are happy to snag what they can out of the rock pile. I haven't been in 'collector' mode for a while so the pile is smaller now. While I was gathering & preparing to add more tanks, I always had good luck snagging stuff from new road construction zones.

BTW: here's a sample of what some the deals you can get around here even if you don't want to rustle 'em yourself.
This was at a LFS (Amazonia). 60 pounds WITH a sawcut flat base!!!!!!


----------



## PfunMo

That would be a very nice rock find you have. First question would be if you found it recently or if you got "special" pricing of any sort. The second thought is that it would maybe be a bargain at $36 dollars but if I were on the East coast, it might be a $96 dollar rock by the time I got hands-on with it. I think that is part of the problem for Suzie. Somewhere between 36 and 96 a lot of the fun goes out of the rock. :lol:

Meanwhile I've got the big tub out and I'm soaking three that fit a $14.50 flat rate box. If they come out nice, I will see how they look from the East coast. 8)

I think we've been teasing her with rocks long enough. She may just show up in Texas with the big hatchet and she won't be looking for rocks to split!


----------



## CutieSusieQ

nick a said:


> PfunMo,
> 
> I've sent quite a few boxes of rock thru UPS to mi amigos in NY. It generally works out real close to $1 per pound. A little less for mini-rock in small boxes/ little more for 40+ pounders in larger boxes.
> 
> SusieQ,
> 
> Very few people who've stopped by have left empty handed! Even folks from as seemingly nearby as Houston are happy to snag what they can out of the rock pile. I haven't been in 'collector' mode for a while so the pile is smaller now. While I was gathering & preparing to add more tanks, I always had good luck snagging stuff from new road construction zones.
> 
> BTW: here's a sample of what some the deals you can get around here even if you don't want to rustle 'em yourself.
> This was at a LFS (Amazonia). 60 pounds WITH a sawcut flat base!!!!!!


Love that rock!! Ok, I'm driving to Texas TONIGHT, hahahaha.. .. Man!! I am soooo JEALOUS.
That comes out to 60 cent a lb for that rock!!!


----------



## ashilli48

Ok so the guy at the landscape place here in Hudson wasn't kidding. I drove up to Brookesville today and the stuff is lying all over the place on the side of the road. I even saw a few pieces every bit as nice as Texas holey rock. Down here the locals call it honeycomb limestone. Wife was sick (took her to the doctor) when we drove by so chose not to bail out and grab some today. 8)

Will be driving by tomorrow or the next day. Will have camera in hand too.


----------



## Bweb

CutieSuzieQ Strikes Again I love how your posts generate massive responses to funny.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

Bweb said:


> CutieSuzieQ Strikes Again I love how your posts generate massive responses to funny.


That's b/c all these cool people in holey rock land are helping me keep the conversation going by tempting me (and a couple of other east coasters) to come to Texas, lol. I don't usually ask simple yes or no questions on this site, and such topics usually get several different opinions which makes the conversation that much more interesting for anyone. That is what makes this website so dang addicting for me! We all share a common hobby, yet we're all so different.

I'm on a mission for holey rock... I can almost reach out and touch the rock, but this dang computer monitor is in my way!


----------



## CutieSusieQ

ashilli48 said:


> Ok so the guy at the landscape place here in Hudson wasn't kidding. I drove up to Brookesville today and the stuff is lying all over the place on the side of the road. I even saw a few pieces every bit as nice as Texas holey rock. Down here the locals call it honeycomb limestone. Wife was sick (took her to the doctor) when we drove by so chose not to bail out and grab some today. 8)
> 
> Will be driving by tomorrow or the next day. Will have camera in hand too.


That's really cool ... I'd be getting all my car could carry without busting the tires, lol


----------



## PfunMo

Now the plan gets interesting. She started by talking about driving to Texas to get rocks. Now I can see the plan changing just a bit. She drives to Florida and gets all the rocks she wants and runs by Texas on the way home to see which is better! I once did that on the way home from Florida but it was for a new granddaughter, not for rocks! :roll:


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> Now the plan gets interesting. She started by talking about driving to Texas to get rocks. Now I can see the plan changing just a bit. She drives to Florida and gets all the rocks she wants and runs by Texas on the way home to see which is better! I once did that on the way home from Florida but it was for a new granddaughter, not for rocks! :roll:


Haha, that would be an awesome road trip. I've never been to Florida or Texas.  
I think the limestone in Florida is different than that in Texas, but I'm not 100% sure. However ashilli48 did mention the limestone in Florida earlier in this conversation (on page 1 or 2) and I think it was mentioned how it's not as pure. Yeah, if I'm gonna drive out of NC for holey rock, I'd just head toward Texas b/c that's the direction my research keeps telling me to go. But right now I'm just having fun watching everyone else except me find this holey limestone stuff that I'm looking for, lol!! :lol:


----------



## nick a

I _*may*_, on ocassion, get some deals 8) but that one was "priced as marked". The only time I'll really buy any rock is if it's got special features like the sawcut bottoms. I don't use the ubiquitous eggcrate in any of my tanks and really like the way the flat bottoms work. You can generate a LOT of elevation without the delicate balancing act! These are 12-15" tall and (pardon the pitiful pun) rock solid sitting on the bottom glass.



These are what one 'species' of wildcaught rocks, undergrounders, look like when collected

Pressure washing works ok on the large tunnels, but plan to spend some serious time trying to get the dirt & roots out of the smaller caves & tunnels--oh, and plan on getting wet too! :lol: Nothing like getting a facefull of backsplash when the tunnel you think you're blasting thru turns out to be a cave :lol:


----------



## CutieSusieQ

nick a said:


> I _*may*_, on ocassion, get some deals 8) but that one was "priced as marked". The only time I'll really buy any rock is if it's got special features like the sawcut bottoms. I don't use the ubiquitous eggcrate in any of my tanks and really like the way the flat bottoms work. You can generate a LOT of elevation without the delicate balancing act! These are 12-15" tall and (pardon the pitiful pun) rock solid sitting on the bottom glass.
> 
> Pressure washing works ok on the large tunnels, but plan to spend some serious time trying to get the dirt & roots out of the smaller caves & tunnels--oh, and plan on getting wet too! :lol: Nothing like getting a facefull of backsplash when the tunnel you think you're blasting thru turns out to be a cave :lol:


Yeah.. this may sound funny to some of you (I'll get to my point in a minute), but we have wild Black Walnut trees all around here. If anyone knows anything about Black Walnuts then they know that they are really different than English Walnuts. You seriously have to have something as stout as a sledgehammer (I use a hammer and screwdriver) to break them open. But before they are ready to be broken open the outer husks must be taken off, which leaves the inner shell exposed. Well, the inner shells are covered in gunk and brown/black liquid (that is used to make brown dye) that will stain ANYTHING it touches. Sooooo, the best way I have found to clean this dye and gunk off the walnut shells is by using a pressure washer. I put all the husked walnuts into a large bucket and I blast the heck out of them... And yeah, a thick mist of water is spraying up into my face like C R A Z Y the whole time!!! This is something you only want to do on a warm day, btw  The good news is that b/c the dye has been diluted with water it doesn't stain my face...just my clothes, hahaha! Soooo, my point was I'm very familiar with using a pressure washer for things other than the manufacturer's recommendations, lol.... oh and just so you know...after the Black Walnuts shells have been husked and cleaned they are then laid out to dry for several days in the sun....and THEN they are ready to be broken open with a sledgehammer, car, shotgun, or whatever you think will work to break those bad boys open!!!! :thumb: Just google harvesting Black Walnuts and you'll see how stout these walnuts are. Here in NC we are lucky to have the trees grow wild. Black walnuts are an acquired taste and they taste NOTHING like an English Walnut... but anyway, that completes my Black Walnut tutorial...

now back to the main topic ...

Sooooo... Those two pieces of rock you just teased me with again -- did you say you put those into your tank? If not, I'd glady buy them from you and pay for shipping if you want to hook a girl up (if you still have them available)!!  ... You said you had people come by and pick from your pile of rocks. Do you advertise that you sell holey rock or something? If I was closer, I'd already be there stocking up, lol. But planning a trip to Texas is going to take some time (gotta get babysitter and take off from work, etc) and I still haven't decided if it's a smart idea or a dumb idea :-? ... but the longer I wait the more I feel like I'm missing out on all the good pieces. If I knew I could go to that LFS and buy up hundreds of lbs of cleaned rock for .60 cents a pound I'd be there for sure! B/c at a price like that I can turn around and sell some here in NC to gain some of my money back!


----------



## PfunMo

Tip of the day. Try putting those things like rocks and especially the walnuts in a tub of water with the pressure washer hose. The water covering the rocks will keep some of the splash from shooting out on you. I've not tried it for the walnuts but I would think it might work better for them as they would move around and sort themselves. The rocks you have to stop and rearrange to get different angles to clean. It also helps if you put a large trash bag over the top ot the tub. Think of it as your personal trashwasher. 

My wife said I COULD NOT use the dishwashwasher.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> Tip of the day. Try putting those things like rocks and especially the walnuts in a tub of water with the pressure washer hose. The water covering the rocks will keep some of the splash from shooting out on you. I've not tried it for the walnuts but I would think it might work better for them as they would move around and sort themselves. The rocks you have to stop and rearrange to get different angles to clean. It also helps if you put a large trash bag over the top ot the tub. Think of it as your personal trashwasher.
> 
> My wife said I COULD NOT use the dishwashwasher.


hahaha! Wow, very cool advice about the trashbag! I always thought I was a smart girl until now


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## PfunMo

If you are washing parts of a sewer sludge station, you think more carefully! You do not want that landing on you --if you can avoid it. :x


----------



## ashilli48

CutieSusieQ said:


> ashilli48 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Ok so the guy at the landscape place here in Hudson wasn't kidding. I drove up to Brookesville today and the stuff is lying all over the place on the side of the road. I even saw a few pieces every bit as nice as Texas holey rock. Down here the locals call it honeycomb limestone. Wife was sick (took her to the doctor) when we drove by so chose not to bail out and grab some today. 8)
> 
> Will be driving by tomorrow or the next day. Will have camera in hand too.
> 
> 
> 
> That's really cool ... I'd be getting all my car could carry without busting the tires, lol
Click to expand...

we shall see what I come up with. Very busy weekend putting together a music festival and outreach but I know where I saw that rock and I will be back! Possibly Monday if I don't sneak over there today.....


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## PfunMo

CutieSusieQ 
Sending you a Pm. Got some better pictures of the rocks I have. Not the best quality rock but they are cheap.


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## Scorpio

CutieSusieQ said:


> Soooo, I've been searching my butt off for this *Texas Holey Rock *that parts of Texas is apparently blessed with!!
> 
> aka - Honeycomb Limestone, Honeycomb Rock, Holey Limestone, Holey Rock
> 
> I'm from North Carolina and I've called every landscape supply place in this state just about..but nobody has it and most of them have never heard of it! ... Sure, some of the local fish stores sell it but it's not what I want and besides, I'd rather drive to Texas before I pay the fish store owners $100 for one single rock!!
> 
> I hear that the landscape places in Texas sells this rock for just cents a pound. Is this true?? And is the "Texas Holey Rock" they sell for so cheap the quality of rock someone would want to put in their cichlid tank?? I'm sure it would have to be cleaned first, but I'm curious if anyone knows if big awesome pieces with lots of holes can actually be bought at these landscape places in Texas?? Anyone know how cheap it really is in Texas? .. I've been searching websites for hours looking for places that would ship me some in bulk, but even those prices (after freight) are high.
> 
> Soooo, would it be worth it for me to drive to Texas my darn self with a pick up truck (or U-haul  ) and stock up on this hard to find rock? I have 4 tanks and all 4 tanks could use this rock for the PH buffering. Plus, I love the way it looks in an aquarium (the photos I've seen anyway).. and I could sell the extra rock I don't want to try to make back some of the money I spent on gas getting there!! Hmmmmm.
> 
> Yes, I'm crazy enough to drive to Texas to buy this rock!!! But I need to know if it's worth it. I need some advice. Anyone ever done this? I need to know who to buy it from if I go to Texas too :wink:


Where in Texas can this rock be found?????

I will be in the San Antonio are this summer. Would love to take some back to Georgia with me.... Let me know please?


----------



## pongo

have you thought of making your own?

this site has several plans

http://www.garf.org/_2008/Show2/index.htm


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## Scorpio

No. I will be in Texas for almost 3 months. I want to maximize my trip


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## CutieSusieQ

Scorpio said:


> Where in Texas can this rock be found?????
> 
> I will be in the San Antonio are this summer. Would love to take some back to Georgia with me.... Let me know please?


I will have to charge you if I tell you, lol. The cost for info will be 100 lbs of holey rock that you bring back to me after I tell you the location  j/k

"Texas Hill Country" is all I know. That is why I am here. I am trying to find out myself! In an earlier posting in this thread I listed several towns in Texas that I have heard it can be found in. San Marcos, New Braunfels, Gruene, west Austin, west of Mopac. I've never been to Texas, but these are the towns my research has discovered so far.


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## Scorpio

Susie!!!!!!!!!!!!

All those towns you mentioned are very close to where I will be at! I will try to load as much as I can and bring back to Georgia.


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## PfunMo

Ready for a bit of history? This may not be totally correct but true as I know it?? Pre-history there was a huge lake covering most of the central US. As this sea rose and fell it laid down layers which became limestone. From there different areas took different paths. Southern Missouri, Arkansas and SE Oklahoma were lifted and became small mountains. There was a split formed in Texas (forget the name) West of the split lifted and became known locally as "the hill country". East of the split remained flat and was settled first. Later history finds IH-35 running along this faultline. East of I-35 you find the limestone from 6" to a few feet down. West of I35 is where you find the limestone exposed. The area from San Antonio northward to somewhere slightly north of Austin is reputed to be holey rock country. Now all you've got to do is find the seam in that 100-150 miles and start picking-- or so I'm told. :roll: And Heavens , don't forget Wimberly!

http://www.holeyrockfromtexas.com/


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> Ready for a bit of history? This may not be totally correct but true as I know it?? Pre-history there was a huge lake covering most of the central US. As this sea rose and fell it laid down layers which became limestone. From there different areas took different paths. Southern Missouri, Arkansas and SE Oklahoma were lifted and became small mountains. There was a split formed in Texas (forget the name) West of the split lifted and became known locally as "the hill country". East of the split remained flat and was settled first. Later history finds IH-35 running along this faultline. East of I-35 you find the limestone from 6" to a few feet down. West of I35 is where you find the limestone exposed. The area from San Antonio northward to somewhere slightly north of Austin is reputed to be holey rock country. Now all you've got to do is find the seam in that 100-150 miles and start picking-- or so I'm told. :roll: And Heavens , don't forget Wimberly!
> 
> http://www.holeyrockfromtexas.com/


Sounds like a field trip to me! I'm in! Come on everyone! Lets put on our hiking boots and go!


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> CutieSusieQ
> Sending you a Pm. Got some better pictures of the rocks I have. Not the best quality rock but they are cheap.


Thanks...I just got it and sent you a reply


----------



## CutieSusieQ

CichMomma said:


> CutieSusieQ said:
> 
> 
> 
> Ok.... if I don't have any holey rock by the summer, I'm soooo driving to your house and I'm going to steal every piece of that precious rock that you don't want, lol!!!
> 
> 
> 
> I'll go with you!! I love road trips and you can pick me up on the way!
Click to expand...

Let's go CichMomma...I'm getting impatient, lol


----------



## kevivoe

It is readily available online for around $2 per pound shipped for grade I and about $4 per pound for grade III. Grade IV is even nicer but a bit more. Shipping via USPS is reasonable, about $0.50 per pound if you get the seller to use USPS (they are desperate for business anyway).

You can also find "Honeycomb Limestone" which is the same thing from Texas to North Dakota as the entire central US was covered in a shallow sea at one point. Bleach it white to suit your taste. Some fellows in TX are drilling holes using diamond bits to make grade I or II into III or IV. Look closely at some of the lower grade rocks. You of course can do this to any limestone also as it is a softer rock. Use different bit sizes and chip edges with a small hammer to make it look more natural.

You can also search for Rock Shops that exist in almost every city over 50,000 in the USA as there are geology clubs that collect, sell and trade all sorts of rocks. Try Dolomite, really nice looking.

These options seem much easier than driving to TX ... unless you need 8-10 hours in a hot car with impatient children.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

kevivoe said:


> It is readily available online for around $2 per pound shipped for grade I and about $4 per pound for grade III. Grade IV is even nicer but a bit more. Shipping via USPS is reasonable, about $0.50 per pound if you get the seller to use USPS (they are desperate for business anyway).
> 
> You can also find "Honeycomb Limestone" which is the same thing from Texas to North Dakota as the entire central US was covered in a shallow sea at one point. Bleach it white to suit your taste. Some fellows in TX are drilling holes using diamond bits to make grade I or II into III or IV. Look closely at some of the lower grade rocks. You of course can do this to any limestone also as it is a softer rock. Use different bit sizes and chip edges with a small hammer to make it look more natural.
> 
> You can also search for Rock Shops that exist in almost every city over 50,000 in the USA as there are geology clubs that collect, sell and trade all sorts of rocks. Try Dolomite, really nice looking.
> 
> These options seem much easier than driving to TX ... unless you need 8-10 hours in a hot car with impatient children.


If I go to Texas for a weekend, my kids would stay with the in-laws!! :thumb:


----------



## jrtlover073

CutieSusieQ said:


> ashilli48 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to find these links. I've already been all over these links several times this week, lol... Pretty much I've been all over every holey rock website within the first 10 pages of Google hits. I've been all over eBay and Craig's List too.. That is what lead me to leaving this post on this forum. I'm tried of searching and I'm getting frustrated.
> 
> I want someone from Texas or someone who has drove to Texas for this rock to tell me some solid information. Or if anyone who has ever bought this rock in bulk for a decent price and had it delivered to their house, I'd like to know where they bought it. The perk about actually going to a landscape yard that sells this (even if it's in Texas) is that I will get to pick out my own pieces myself. I'm a little wary about buying in bulk without seeing the rock first. Driving to Texas is sounding more and more enticing the more I talk, lol.
Click to expand...

I live in Tyler, TX which is about 80 miles east of Dallas and I just bought several pieces of Holey Rock yesterday from a local landscaping place for $0.10 a lb. I just wanted to answer your question and others with the same questions that yes it is available and cheap.
I actually didn't think I would find any around here because I am not in Austin or Dallas where it's locally found, but an all natural pond and landscaping place actually had some and when I heard the price... I had to ask the guy to repeat himself to make sure I heard correctly! 
The pieces that I got will look really nice in my 55 gallon that I am upgrading to, but they aren't as holey as the ones on ebay and other sites for sale on the web. Lots of smaller holes for bio circulation but only a few that go all of the way through for my cichlids.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

jrtlover073 said:


> I live in Tyler, TX which is about 80 miles east of Dallas and I just bought several pieces of Holey Rock yesterday from a local landscaping place for $0.10 a lb. I just wanted to answer your question and others with the same questions that yes it is available and cheap.
> I actually didn't think I would find any around here because I am not in Austin or Dallas where it's locally found, but an all natural pond and landscaping place actually had some and when I heard the price... I had to ask the guy to repeat himself to make sure I heard correctly!
> The pieces that I got will look really nice in my 55 gallon that I am upgrading to, but they aren't as holey as the ones on ebay and other sites for sale on the web. Lots of smaller holes for bio circulation but only a few that go all of the way through for my cichlids.


Hey... can u post some pics of your rocks?? And I've been hearing how you can drill holes into the rock if you want bigger (or more) holes.... 10 cent a pound is INSANE! Very cool!! I'd love to see photos of the rock. And if you will, send me a PM with the name of the place you bought it at too.


----------



## PfunMo

The small flatter rock in the pics I sent has been drilled to expand the number of holes and enlarge some others. The rock is fairly soft even for limestone and not terribly hard to drill or cut with any type masonry tools. Carbide tipped drill bits cut well especially where there is an existing small hole as that is where the softer material was which caused the small hole to form. Abrasive discs in a skilsaw cut it as well as diamond tipped tile saws. The problem to me is that they always look cut or drilled! Nature does things in such a random way that it is really hard to replicate. If I can find a large hole and a way to expand it on the back side out of sight, I do that. The fish don't mind swimming through drilled holes but it conflicts with my thinking. :wink:


----------



## jrtlover073

I PM the pics and name of the landscaping place.
My new tank is still cycling, so they aren't in yet. I saw the post about drilling holes to make more and I thought about doing that to these because a few more large holes would make them perfect!  I have just scrubbed and boiled them. I like the natural color better.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

jrtlover073 said:


> I PM the pics and name of the landscaping place.
> My new tank is still cycling, so they aren't in yet. I saw the post about drilling holes to make more and I thought about doing that to these because a few more large holes would make them perfect!  I have just scrubbed and boiled them. I like the natural color better.


I'm so happy for everyone and their holey rock (I'm being sarcastic) :wink: hahaha!
If you got a few days before you're going to add them to your tank, sit them outside in the sunlight. I heard it would help bleach them a whiter color too. Of course, I don't know how many days it would take. But seriously, very cool deal finding you some for that cheap!
Thanks for sending me the pics. I checked out the website too. I love kio ponds too!! My mom has one in her backyard, but she used regular ol goldfish. This weekend I gave her all my river rock and flat stone that I had collected last year in the NC mountains. I told her she could have it b/c I'm on a new mission for a different kind of rock now.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> The small flatter rock in the pics I sent has been drilled to expand the number of holes and enlarge some others. The rock is fairly soft even for limestone and not terribly hard to drill or cut with any type masonry tools. Carbide tipped drill bits cut well especially where there is an existing small hole as that is where the softer material was which caused the small hole to form. Abrasive discs in a skilsaw cut it as well as diamond tipped tile saws. The problem to me is that they always look cut or drilled! Nature does things in such a random way that it is really hard to replicate. If I can find a large hole and a way to expand it on the back side out of sight, I do that. The fish don't mind swimming through drilled holes but it conflicts with my thinking. :wink:


I've drilled rock before too, but I drilled Feather Rock. That's what is in my tank now. After I drilled the holes into the rock, I wasn't really happy with the way it looked b/c it was so un-natural looking. I used the drilled pieces for awhile though and all my fish seemed to love the caves and tunnels. Two weeks ago though, I ended up gathering all the feather rock I had and I cut it all into smaller chunks. I wanted it to look more natural in my tank. I stacked two piles of feather rocks on each side of my tank. The awesome thing about feather rock is that you can stack it as high as the water level goes b/c it's so light weight and easy to stack... well...it's easy to stack once you can actually get it to sink, lol. (I had to boil the pieces first to get them to sink). Sooo anyway, feather rock is a great rock to use, but it's not my ideal look... I won't be happy until I get some holey rock..... I know I seem picky, lol... but there's nothing wrong with knowing what you want and going after it!! Unless it's a married man or something, hahahaha  I settled for the feather rock, but the more I get into this hobby, the more I'm wanting some holey rock....but not just any holey rock. I want like awesome holey rock, lol


----------



## Big Texx

Look familiar?....


----------



## CutieSusieQ

Big Texx said:


> Look familiar?....


HAHAHAHA!!!! .... Hey you!!!... That's MY Cobalt!!  I miss him! I sold the other one the day after you bought him to another guy from Charlotte.
I'm glad to see he's doing well and I bet he's loving that Holey Rock too!!  
I'm glad to see that you decided to join the forum as well!! It's awesome that you found me on here. Man, I still don't have any Holey Rock yet, but a lot of people on here are being really helpful in helping me with my search by sharing links, info, photos, etc.

-Susan


----------



## Big Texx

Here's a pic of both pieces I brought back from San Antonio a few months ago. 









I walked right out of the back of my hotel, JW Marriott Hill Country, and into the surrounding brush and found many, many pieces. But seeing since I was flying I had to settle on the two pieces I have now. Yes this stuff is literally lying around in Texas. You will have to travel some side roads but it is there. From Waco, where my grandmother lived and I played with this stuff as a kid, down through San Antonio. I have my sister and nephew on the lookout for me. Maybe they will have a stock pile of the stuff for me when I get there this summer. The best time to hunt this stuff is the fall and winter when the snakes are not active. Dont get me wrong I dont mind looking for it in the summer but you just have to be a little more careful.

As I said I will bring you some back when I go. But if you can get your hands on some prior to that then by all means jump on it.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

Big Texx said:


> I walked right out of the back of my hotel, JW Marriott Hill Country, and into the surrounding brush and found many, many pieces. But seeing since I was flying I had to settle on the two pieces I have now. Yes this stuff is literally lying around in Texas. You will have to travel some side roads but it is there. From Waco, where my grandmother lived and I played with this stuff as a kid, down through San Antonio. I have my sister and nephew on the lookout for me. Maybe they will have a stock pile of the stuff for me when I get there this summer. The best time to hunt this stuff is the fall and winter when the snakes are not active. Dont get me wrong I dont mind looking for it in the summer but you just have to be a little more careful.
> 
> As I said I will bring you some back when I go. But if you can get your hands on some prior to that then by all means jump on it.


I love those huge holes in that rock you found! Sooo cool!!
Yeah, it would suck to get snake bit, lol. I don't know if I'll have some by the time you go back to TX or not, but just keep me in mind!! You can reach me on here or if you want you can add me as a friend on Facebook (if you have a FB account). I'm on FB a lot, lol.
Also, if you want any yellow labs, my babies will be ready to be re-homed in a few more weeks... all 22 of them, lol. You got room for 3 or 4, don't cha!


----------



## Velvet7

When I was out there getting the rocks I have, I seen a small snake , my daughter got bit by a scorpion on her finger, thought we were gona have to leave, but I had allergy meds that she took so she would not have a reaction, came across lots of ants, pulled one of my good rocks out of a big hill of them, and then there was the cows and one bull, but they just watched us, but the baby calf's came over and licked my hand, made sure mom cow was elsewhere first....anyway, you do need to watch out for the critters!


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## mekks

I have some of this rock in my tank, will post pics soon as I have 5 posts >.>


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## mekks

I bought a 45lb rock off ebay for 40$ + 10$ shipping. The auction was listed for 100$ but the lady took a 40$ best offer.

I love the rock! except it tends to turn black really fast from build up in the tank. Also my snow white digs the whole bottom out and it ends up looking really stupid.

atm its sitting in a bucket of cleaner trying to get it looking good again.

I was told these raise the PH also? looks like I might have to put it back in.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

mekks said:


> I bought a 45lb rock off ebay for 40$ + 10$ shipping. The auction was listed for 100$ but the lady took a 40$ best offer.
> 
> I love the rock! except it tends to turn black really fast from build up in the tank. Also my snow white digs the whole bottom out and it ends up looking really stupid.
> 
> atm its sitting in a bucket of cleaner trying to get it looking good again.
> 
> I was told these raise the PH also? looks like I might have to put it back in.


That's a very beautiful rock. Now you just need about 4 or 5 more in there


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## gimmethatfish

I feel your pain suzie. This stuff isn't even available at LFS here in Maine. My only option is shipping or driving to texas.


----------



## CutieSusieQ

gimmethatfish said:


> I feel your pain suzie. This stuff isn't even available at LFS here in Maine. My only option is shipping or driving to texas.


I finally found some!!!!!!!! Well, I finally bought some I should really say.... A lady from here shipped me some awesome pieces and then I bought a couple of more pieces from eBay. I'm happy now, lol.


----------



## Punch

The brownish-red algae builds up fast. When we do a partial water change in our 65-gal tank, we lift the rocks out of the tank and sit them in the sun. They bleach snow white in a few days. We're lucky to have extra rock to put in the tank while the others are bleaching out.

An alternative is to use a toothbrush and brush off the algae while you're doing the water change. It mucks up the water for a couple of hours, then clears out through the filtration system. We do partial water changes every week, and alternate using both methods to keep the rocks white. 



CutieSusieQ said:


> eagl97 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here's some pics of the Texas Holey Rock in my tank
> 
> 
> 
> Why are they brownish? Is that algae build up or did you paint them or were they never bleached white or what? Just curious. I like the shapes of them.
> 
> I've been trying to think of way to make something that looks like Texas Holey Rock, but isn't. I'm brain dead. It would be really cool to make something that would be really light weight and easy to take in and out of my tank...like fake holey rock. I'm not creative enough to think of a way to make anything like that though.
Click to expand...


----------



## CutieSusieQ

I have had my texas holey rocks for months now and they are still white as white can be in my tanks. I have no algae problems at all. I really think the Purigen I use in my filters helps with this. I also think my substrate helps too. It's crushed shells and crushed coral. I read that it helps create a natural biological balance and is great for discouraging nuisance algae. I have to say it's true!!


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## jhayes6405

So 9 pages of you looking for the stuff and you dont even post pics when you get it???????


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## CutieSusieQ

jhayes6405 said:


> So 9 pages of you looking for the stuff and you dont even post pics when you get it???????


hahahaha..... well, I also changed my background when I added the new rocks...and I sooooo know several people on here will totally criticize my choice, so that is why I didn't post pics.

I used to have a solid black background, but when I added the white texas holey rocks, I was very disappointed in the "black and white" appearance of my tank. There was too much open black space and I didn't like it at all. I wanted some jazz, so I bought a colorful background. I personally love the way my tank looks now, but my tank's theme isn't "African Cichlid" anymore. It's a saltwater theme but with African cichlid fish, lol... Everyone that comes to visit thinks I have a saltwater tank when they see my colorful background, colorful fish, and awesome rock, lol... I just didn't want to hear everyone's judgements and negative opinions about MY choice on MY tank!! :thumb:


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## cjacob316

so it's all about you huh? :wink:


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## jhayes6405

sooo.......... no pics?


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## John27

Pics, or it didn't happen.


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## CutieSusieQ

I'll post some pics... but probably gonna wait a few days. I got way too much going on right now with the 4th of July coming up. Craziness, I tell ya!! lol


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## CutieSusieQ

Ok..... pics will be posted soon.. I snapped a couple of quick shots this morning. Sorry it has taken me so long to get pics up, but if you knew how crazy my life was, you would understand, lol.


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## CutieSusieQ

Alrighty...

Here are my photos... Sorry that the quality isn't any better, but I'm kinda in a hurry here, lol.

Rememeber that I said I used to have a solid black background, but when I added the holey rocks, I was very disappointed in the "black and white" appearance of my tank. There was too much open black space and I didn't like it at all. I wanted some jazz, so I bought a colorful background. I personally love the way my tank looks now, but my tank's theme isn't "African Cichlid" anymore. It's more like a saltwater theme but with African cichlid fish, lol.. And I was hestitate to add photos of my rocks and background b/c I just didn't want to hear everyone's judgements and negative opinions about MY choice on MY tank!! I know most people will frown upon my choice of background b/c it isn't the "recommended" blue or black that everyone on here seems to adore  Btw, the color in my photos appears a bit dull and washed out to, but in person my tank is very vibrant and colorful. The lighting on my tank helps a lot with vibrance as well.

I added the rocks to my tank in APRIL and I have not removed the rocks to clean them one time. It is now September and they are only beginning to show signs of "use". If they get much darker, I will bleach them again, but so far I've been very happy with my rocks. And my fish are much happier too. The color of my yellow labs have brightened up a lot. I'm pretty sure the other rocks I used to have were causing too much stress and territorial behavior. All the blackish bearding on my yellow labs has vanished. Making the switch from Feather Rock to Texas Holey Rock was a success for me. :thumb:


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## CutieSusieQ

here are some closer pics of the 3 main bigger rocks in my tank .... after seeing the close ups, I may just go ahead and bleach my rocks this weekend, lol


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## PfunMo

Very nice rocks you found. I would not want to ever ask why you wanted to do anything in your tank. I might suggest what I would do but it is certain that you should do what suits you. I've got several tanks don't fit the "mold" that other people like to build. Along that line I would not do the bleaching for a while and maybe add another bristlenose. I see one but when the tank first gets cooking the brown will be more of a problem than it may later. A bit of the natural is fine with me. I'm sure both you and your fish feel it worth the time and trouble you went through to get to this point.


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## Sshhyguy

You could always cheat and use the perfect Holey Rock.


----------



## algae eater

I am in Houston. There is a landscaping place with piles and piles of rocks not too far from me. I have never been inside the gates, but will check it out and get back to you first chance I get. I will get the price on the Holey Rock.


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## CutieSusieQ

Nah, it's all good now.... I got plenty of Holey Rock finally thanks to the help of a friend on this forum AND from buying it from eBay as well. My Holey Rock searching mission is over for now 

Now I'm on a mission to sell about 55 multies (shell dwellers) b/c the dang things are breeding like insanely fast, lol


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## CutieSusieQ

Hey everyone... I just had to revive this thread... This conversation was a very fun one for me last year... But guess what everyone? lol. After all this worry and stress about Texas Holey Rock and after getting several nice pieces, I am now no longer using it  In fact, I just sold all my african cichlids and completely redesigned my 55 gallon tank into a planted angelfish tank. Can't use Texas Holey Rocks with angelfish. I really LOVED my authentic holey rock from Texas while I was using it though. It's now outside in my flowerbeds


----------



## JimA

Typical women for ya! :lol:


----------



## CutieSusieQ

JimA said:


> Typical women for ya! :lol:


hahaha... I change my mind a lot.. I'm totally loving my new fish much better than I ever enjoyed the Africans that I had. Angelfish are so much more "chilled" and easy going.


----------



## PfunMo

So now is it time to tell you what the next step will be??? We are all dying to make suggestions! Once you expereience the angels for a while, you may want to go for some really nice little laid back fish that raise a family without killing everybody in the neighborhood. Look into some rainbow cichlids and go for it. I like to keep moving and changing so had to get more tanks just so the dust can settle in one while I work on the others! Enjoy the game we play.


----------



## GTZ

CutieSusieQ said:


> JimA said:
> 
> 
> 
> Typical women for ya! :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> hahaha... I change my mind a lot.. I'm totally loving my new fish much better than I ever enjoyed the Africans that I had. Angelfish are so much more "chilled" and easy going.
Click to expand...

Traitor!


----------



## lucid_eye

wow, After reading all of that and she's not using it. I Just wanted to give everyone that reads this a heads up. First there is plenty of nice holey rock all over the hill country. The best thing to do is drive around and look for creek beds, the water washes away the soil and exposes it. Also try talking to a rancher they find it a nuisance so talk to them and quite often they have piles of it laying around. Then you have to make it look "purdy". Pressure washing will get the dirt and grime out but it will not be white. I have found the best way to bleach the rock is to soak it in a strong acid this will whiten it up and make the holes bigger at the same time. I have about half a ton of the stuff and didn't pay a penny for it.


----------



## Chunkanese

angelfish are still technically cichlids. So your still technically stuck with us!
I just read this thread from start to finish, it was rather interesting. Shame you only had it in your tank for a year after all that trouble. Maybe you will use it again sometime.


----------



## rnrsq

Where in Tx do I look for rocks when I visit family down there? We have family in San Angelo, Dallas, Killeen, and Victoria. I don't mind having a heavier car driving back. Makes me wonder why the heck we are still here in ME.


----------



## mccluggen

rnrsq said:


> Where in Tx do I look for rocks when I visit family down there? We have family in San Angelo, Dallas, Killeen, and Victoria. I don't mind having a heavier car driving back. Makes me wonder why the heck we are still here in ME.


It's common mostly in the hill country in central texas, but I think there are pockets in a couple of places. I'd start by talking to the family in Killeen or Dallas.


----------



## PfunMo

Before one gets too excited, you should reread this whole story. While it is easy for some who live here to find all they want, there is more to the story. If you live the correct place or if you know the right people, the stuff is all over. But that leaves many people out of the loop, especially if you are just in for a week or two. Sometimes it is well worth the price to pay a buck or two a pound in a LFS. It beats driving for four hours at $3.50 a gallon.


----------



## rnrsq

mccluggen said:


> rnrsq said:
> 
> 
> 
> Where in Tx do I look for rocks when I visit family down there? We have family in San Angelo, Dallas, Killeen, and Victoria. I don't mind having a heavier car driving back. Makes me wonder why the heck we are still here in ME.
> 
> 
> 
> It's common mostly in the hill country in central texas, but I think there are pockets in a couple of places. I'd start by talking to the family in Killeen or Dallas.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Both sons do like to go hiking and I have shipped them care packages for years, Payback


----------



## John_Auberry

Holden beach NC has a lot of it also


----------



## &lt;=U=L=T=R=A=&gt;

rnrsq said:


> Where in Tx do I look for rocks when I visit family down there? We have family in San Angelo, Dallas, Killeen, and Victoria. I don't mind having a heavier car driving back. Makes me wonder why the heck we are still here in ME.


BeeCaves,Wimberly,RoundMountain,Dripping springs,johnsoncity,blanco is where they at :wink: 
All those towns are my route area I have been doing for 7 years..  I know all the spots and where the Holey rock boulders are at 

Wimberly is the one that has the bage color type holy rock ..my favorite :fish:

The Holy rock boulders are opcorn:


----------



## CutieSusieQ

Hey now!!! I'm still using the holey rock!! It's outside in my flower beds looking all pretty, nice and white, lol. I wasn't happy with how much weight the rocks added to my tank. I could barely pick the dang things up, lol. I wasn't happy with how all my mbuna hid behind the rocks either. I did love the rock though. I did go through a lot to get it, didn't I, lol.. That's why I can't just get rid of it. I'm still using it, but for a different purpose now  
I am very happy I decided to re-do my 55 gallon to a planted angelfish tank. The tank is totally calm and chilled now. No more fish that swim at 100 mph anymore, lol. No more fish that CONSTANTLY dig!!! My angelfish never hide. They are always ready to greet me anytime I walk up to my tank (yes, I know it's b/c they just want some more food, lol. They want to eat all the time).
As for hunting for your own holey rock, you MUST be careful. You have to think about things such as ants, bees, snakes, spiders, and the occasional scorpion! I personally have learned it's much easier to buy it already cleaned for ya. But I know the thrill of the hunt is exciting though


----------



## CutieSusieQ

PfunMo said:


> So now is it time to tell you what the next step will be??? We are all dying to make suggestions! Once you expereience the angels for a while, you may want to go for some really nice little laid back fish that raise a family without killing everybody in the neighborhood. Look into some rainbow cichlids and go for it. I like to keep moving and changing so had to get more tanks just so the dust can settle in one while I work on the others! Enjoy the game we play.


As for the "little laid back fish that raise a family without killing everybody in the neighborhood", been there, done that already  I just rehomed my massive colony of Lake Tanganyika shell dwellers (multifasciatus). I started with about 3 of them and within 18 months I had about 103 of them!!! I got soooooo sick of them breeding, lol. I couldn't keep up with them! I decided to just rehome all of them to someone who wanted a species that multiplies like mad :thumb:


----------



## BelieveInBlue

Should not have read entire thread....

Now I'm tempted to rush to my cousin's house and take my rock back. Although he uses it in his marine tank and I have SA cichlids, so i don't think they'll do me much good =P. But I'm pretty sure it is not rare to find here, plus it's pretty cheap =D


----------



## RRasco

If looking for THR in Texas, find a landscaping place, much cheaper and easier (no backbreaking digging and carrying), to just buy them. You still have to clean them, unless they have a clean stack which some places do. If around San Antonio, check out Keller Material. I bought a backseat full of rocks, 230Lbs to be precise, for $34. Soaked them in bleach for a few days, rinsed them off and soaked in water dosed with prime for a few more. Couldn't be happier and I still have rocks that are unused b/c I have so many.


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## ollie78

I have a bud that just moved to Texas, may have to see if he can get the hook up!


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## PfunMo

I'm pretty sure I'm not that bud that you mean but I also just moved down from Ballwin, Mo. One problem with the hook up is the shipping. I got the rock and I got the friends in Mo that might like it, but it is the shipping that stops us. Arms and legs come cheaper than shipping rock! 
Another point that all should be aware of before buying is the definition of holey rock. Before you invest it is important to know what you are buying in the way of holes. There are rocks with holes that don't go through, rocks with little holes and rocks that are more hole than rock. They are all sold as holey rock by different people. The rocks with pockets that don't go through are pretty easy to find. The ones that are almost like coral and full of hole are much more scarce and apt to wind up selling for a few dollars a pound in LFS.


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## &lt;=U=L=T=R=A=&gt;

PfunMo said:


> I'm pretty sure I'm not that bud that you mean but I also just moved down from Ballwin, Mo. One problem with the hook up is the shipping. I got the rock and I got the friends in Mo that might like it, but it is the shipping that stops us. Arms and legs come cheaper than shipping rock!
> Another point that all should be aware of before buying is the definition of holey rock. Before you invest it is important to know what you are buying in the way of holes. There are rocks with holes that don't go through, rocks with little holes and rocks that are more hole than rock. They are all sold as holey rock by different people. The rocks with pockets that don't go through are pretty easy to find. The ones that are almost like coral and full of hole are much more scarce and apt to wind up selling for a few dollars a pound in LFS.


Ya, your talking about honeycomb rock those u find in lakeway,spicewood,dripping springs,cedarpark,llano,marble falls and so on. Those are boring :fish: can't swim through them or poke there heads out 

PfunMo ... I got the hook up (70% Discount) on shipping PM me if you wanna ship rocks out to friends


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## tenntexdems

Well, since no one else has said it...I will. Absolutely ridiculous.

I spent an hour of my life reading this cichlidophile fairytale. It's madness and I want my hour back.


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## PfunMo

And somebody held a gun to your head during that hour???? 

The purpose of most forums is to avoid doing something productive!


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## RRasco

From my experience, the pieces at the LFS are definitely more holey than what you will find at a landscaping place. There are some good usable pieces at the landscaping place, you just have to dig them out and figure out if they work for you or not. I know my closest LFS has some that is much more holey, but it's $3/lb. However, more holes = less weight.


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## PfunMo

That's what I find as well, here In the Austin area. Kind of put me off to think that I had to pay higher to get more hole. Growing up where rocks were considered a curse, I'm against buying rocks just on principal. What would my friends think if they found out I paid real money for rocks? :lol:


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## &lt;=U=L=T=R=A=&gt;

PfunMo said:


> That's what I find as well, here In the Austin area. Kind of put me off to think that I had to pay higher to get more hole. Growing up where rocks were considered a curse, I'm against buying rocks just on principal. What would my friends think if they found out I paid real money for rocks? :lol:


I hear ya :drooling: Have u been to amazonia fish store? Half the rocks there I sold to them  
And the price mark up is triple from what i sell it to them for :x 
But its all good since I always find rocks in the hill country, I use to just grab whatever i see.
Now I just get the nice holey ones :lol: and triple the price :lol:


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## CutieSusieQ

> ... I got the hook up (70% Discount) on shipping PM me if you wanna ship rocks out to friends


=U=L=T=R=A= Where were you when I needed you (when I first started this thread in March 2010). hahahahaa.


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## jerry11

LOL. Stuffed 50 lbs in my carry on 2 days ago. Business trip.


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## PfunMo

Now that is a bag you don't want falling out of the overhead! I was in a flight and had the bin fly open and dump my box of fish. They all survived as it didn't open but I nearly died of shock. Pre 9-11 flights were much easier.


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## dangerstangdave

just got a 40lb box from carib sea. 3.25 a lb delivered. came fast. good looking pieces and some smaller. amazon.com i have vids of it on youtube.


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## Dominateprimate

tenntexdems said:


> Well, since no one else has said it...I will. Absolutely ridiculous.
> 
> I spent an hour of my life reading this cichlidophile fairytale. It's madness and I want my hour back.


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Agreed but i do just want to say one thing i live in kentucky and they sell it in my local pet store. Only thing is that it is so exPensive(i believe $3.99 a pound) so just wanted to throw that in


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## jerry11

PfunMo said:


> Now that is a bag you don't want falling out of the overhead! I was in a flight and had the bin fly open and dump my box of fish. They all survived as it didn't open but I nearly died of shock. Pre 9-11 flights were much easier.


No doubt! Managing the bag was no fun. Atleast it was over MY head! LOL


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## Gillsby

hey i have a brother in Austin and i was wondering where i could send him to find a nice selection of rocks? i am going to have him bring me some when he come home at Xmas.

oh yeah. if i can get them would anyone be intrested in some if i have extras?


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## Anthraxx8500

if you guys are looking for lace rock i have a GREAT local source for the stuff. just PM me and id be happy to work out a shipping type deal for you guys. it is bar none the BEST *** ever seen. puts that holey rock to SHAME!!! as said before just send a PM if your interested.


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## Nodalizer

This whole buffering using limestone thing is a bit wrong.

Since limestone only reacts in acid based waters, it will attempt to bring the water to neutral.

Once in water above 7.0 PH the limestone is basically innert and will not give much at all.


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## Nineoneeighttony

http://www.kellermaterial.com/aquarium_supplies.html


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## DJRansome

Please use Reviews to recommend a product or the Trading Post to sell things. Thanks!


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