Customer Comments

Here are some unsolicited e-mails received from
customers about their experience.
Thanks to all of you who have sent in your comments!




... I found another polyp type coral ... waiting for it to open fully ... I am so excited I keep on finding critters!!!!

Paul H. - July '10



The rock is GREAT!   It smells like the ocean and has beautiful colors still on it.   It even came with oysters on the half-shell.   : )   I lightly cleaned it and got it into my 40.   There are 2 very large pieces and a few small pieces.   I will probably have to order more rock   : )   My brother saw it and he now has to have more rock too. I'll take pics. There is some great stuff on these rocks.  :)   Thank you so much!

Nancy I. - June '10


This rock is so fresh, I am having a hard time getting the ammonia to peak.   The protein skimmer is working but not cranking out much.   I even washed the bag it came in out in the tank I put it in. I've fished out 2 dead crabs and one worm/snake (black with yellow stripes going sideways), but that's it.   I even held each piece in front of a powerhead and blasted them with water.   The water got dirty but not smelly.
Love the rock,
P.S. I told you Terry would want more rock once he saw mine. He is trying to buy mine off me. (I have one that weighs about 18 lbs.) He wants it for his new 125.

Nancy I. - June '10



The rock is beautiful and more than I expected.   It exceeded my expectations.   Cleaned installed and curing. Thanks.

John S. - June '10



I got so excited this morning.   There is something bright pink sticking out from one of the rocks.   Spongy looking??   Not sure what it is called but it is going to be so pretty.   And that's just the first day.   I know you warned me, but I can't keep myself from looking everytime I walk by.   I even thought about taking a vacation day today just to stare.   Guess I will have to wait for the weekend.   The Fiji wasn't as exciting.   There was some type of plant life growing on it.   Some, but not a lot of color yet.   Just thought I would let you know.   Exactly 1 week from the time I put my rock in water to cure the ammonia measured zero, nitrite is zero and nitrate is very low.   I am getting anxious to add some more life.   Going to aquarium store tomorrow to make sure they get the same readings.   Will probably wait at least another week before any fish and critter purchases.   I believe I owe it all to the great live rock??   Thank you!!!!!!

Rhonda W. - May '10




Ok the morning after the shipment.   Just wanted to let you know how great this order was.   My last order from Timor had to be a fluke.   I think this is my 5th box order from you and this is why i will continue to buy my acros from you.   ALL 15 pieces were healthy on arrival.   Only 1 bag had smelly water. There were 3 pieces extending polyps in the bag.   The colors were much better than the Timor order also.   So I would like to thank you again for standing behind your product and refunding part my last order.   I am moving locations in about 2 months and hope expand my small time coral farm.   You have another happy and loyal customer here.
Till next time,

Matt B. - March '10




I am enjoying my aquarium. I am looking at your rocks and corals and they are beautiful.   They are really nice, if I had bigger tank I would order some more.   Maybe few Acroporas at some time in the future.
Thanks again to all of you,

Gerard C. - March '10




Received the order, flight was late they close at 10:30 came in around 11:10 I was back home before 12:00.   They are cleaned scrubbed and in their first bath as you read this email.  The Vanuatua definitely matches your website pictures.   Me being a Tonga rock guy, I can only say I have been spoiled by you with the Tonga.   Am I happy overall.   Yes.

Cedric W. - March '10




I split this shipment with a friend, and he got a live mantis shrimp, although it is tiny!   Don’t worry – he’s not complaining, and he wants to try to keep it.   But a little aiptasia and a mantis shrimp is well worth all the other great living stuff we got.   My friend has two small zooanthid colonies that survived, and I got a small feather duster worm. Plus lots of crabs and clams and a few snails. Thanks again!

Thomas D. Culp, Ph.D. - Feb. '10




I love all of the live rock I ordered from you.   They are by far the largest and best pieces I have seen anywhere.   I have attached some pictures of the tank (300 gallon) with the rock.   I did receive a 4" mantis shrimp with the rock.   He was neat looking but starting eating my snails and crabs.   Finally got him out of the tank.

Thanks

Vern D. - Dec. '09




Regarding Vanuatu Live Rock ...

Hi ... the Vanuatu was awesome ... the pieces were large with some smaller ones it made a beautiful reef.

Rae C. - Dec. '09




"WOW!!!   The most beautiful live rock I’ve seen.
I’ve never seen rock with so many holes,
nooks and crannies. I was impressed with
how fresh the rock smelled when I got it,
I grew up on a beach and this is exactly
what I expected.   Thanks a bunch."

Steve - North Las Vegas, NV




Phil's Vanuatu

"How dare you send me such GREAT ROCK!
You made it soooo hard to aquascape my tank,
I couldn’t decide on which piece to put on
top or upfront. I don’t think I have
seen rock that looked this well in
over 10 years. The rock has amazing colors
and shapes. I was concerned about getting
too many small pieces after ordering it
and then reading more about the rock.

Well you guys once again removed that
worry as I had at least 3 show size pieces
and it filled the tank nicely.

After doing this transaction I have to
wonder how you stay in business selling
great rock at such a amazing price.
The time spent on the phone with you
the day before I even ordered anything was
really appreciated and you had such great
patience with all of my phone calls and
your communication was perfect.   Your advice
on which airport to send to saved me a huge
amount of money and the rock was
packed extremely well. "
Phil S. - Wheaton, IL - Mar. '07

Phil's Vanuatu Live Rock

Many thanks Phil ... great-looking reef!!

Comments Archive

Although Tonga has been closed for collection of live rock, here are some letters from customers regarding the live rock they received from Tonga ...

Regarding Tonga Vava'u (Deepwater) Live Rock ...

"This live rock is the real deal, I couldn't
have picked it out better myself. Three large
show pieces and several medium to small pieces
with very little breakage on any of it.
It's got lots of coral heads, caves, tunnels
and more shape than you could hope for.
The largest piece is about 15 inches
by 16 or 17 inches with large coral heads,
one cave about 2 and a half inches
deep and one tunnel about 4 inches long.
This rock is awsome!!!!"
Glen - Tulsa, OK


"Picked up the rock today and it looks great!
Very impressed - perfect mixture of shapes and sizes,
including a couple of larger (as good or better than
some show pieces I've bought). Sea urchin and a large sea
cucumber who came along for the ride didn't make it,
but a smaller cucumber was showing some signs of life.
Great biodiversity on the rocks (variety of coralline,
variety of green vegetation, a branchy gregorian/coral
or something such, etc.), even a small crab that made it
surprisingly unscathed."
Erick - Highlands Park, CO


"I actually was really surprised. The rock is great.
This was the first time I have ordered online.
I received a nice mixture of sizes and the color is great.
And by the way, you guys made it very pleasant as well.
If I ever need rock again, you will be hearing from me.
Thanks again."
Eric C. - Seattle, WA


"I received the rock and it was fantastic and in great shape.
There was a show piece of Deepwater that
must have weighed 45 pounds.
The rock looked better than your website photos.
It's been great doing business with you.
Thanks for the great looking rock."
Dwain - Tulsa, OK


"It's the most amazing rock I've ever seen.
Local store rock looks terrible compared to this.
My buddy Brian in Kansas (who has bought a lot
of rock from you) told me about your site.
I sent him pictures of my rock and he was
a little jealous. Lucky batch I guess.
Thanks again."
Richard - South Lyon, MI - Apr. '07

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Regarding Tonga Eva Live Rock ...

"The rock is awsome!!!
One massive show piece and one medium
one, 4-5 smaller pieces that work well.
I am curing in tank, and while there is
lots of coralline algae, there wasn't much
in the way of sponges to remove, ended up
not rinsing at all, just took of the obvious
(I think dead macroalgae mostly) and put it in.
I'll try to let you know how long it takes to cure."

"By the way your website is really great,
and the main reason I bought with confidence
on something that is in effect a bit of a mystery
grab bag in terms of what you might get.
Thanks for the great service."
Ken H. - Vancouver, WA


"We received our order of live rock today. Wow, what a deal.
Not only was customer service class A, but so was the
Tonga Eva rock. There is alot of coralline algae, and a
good assortment of very nice size rock, including some
very large show pieces. We are very pleased and couldn't
be happier if we were at the holding tank,
picking them out ourselves."
Rod and Denise - Decatur, TN


"I just want to express my appreciation for my
Eva live rock order. When I opened the two boxes,
it looked like I received rock that had been
dipped in a rainbow and there were many
nice, large pieces - two just barely fit through
the openings of my 100 gallon acrylic tank.

My ammonia level is unmeasurable now and my
nitrites should cycle any day. I feel like a kid who
can't wait to see what prize is in the box
of Cracker Jacks. I wish you continued success."
Joe R. - Fortson, GA


"I want to say thank you so much for the
outstanding service you and your company
has provided me! It has been an absolute
pleasure doing business with you and I will
recommend your company to anyone needing rock.
Thank you very much for a wonderful product.
The Tonga Eva rock is absolutely gorgeous
and I could not be happier.
Thanks again for all of your fine work."
Sam N. - Bozeman, MT


"I was afraid of a lot of die-off from the long trip,
but found the rock to be in excellent condition.
It smelled like seaweed. The Tonga Eva (75 lb)
is four large show pieces loaded with fissures and
caves and the color is unbelievable (orange, yellow,
pale green, bright red, lavender). There was
less than a handful of rubble in the box.
The Fiji branch is also beautiful with wonderful
color and shapes. I was hesitant to do business
on-line but have not seen the kind of quality
I received in local fish stores and am thankful
for the great customer service."
Robin M. - Lehighton, PA


"Thanks for the compliments on the aquascaping.
I could not have done it without your great live rock!"
Alan - Golden, CO

Vavau, Uaniva, Large Fiji
Vava'u, Uaniva, Ultra-premium Fiji Large

Thanks for the photo Alan!




________________________


Regarding Tonga Eva XXL Pieces ...

"Received and very impressed!
The XXL Tonga Eva rock was awesome.
After staring at what looks like construction
rubble in the local shops at $5 to $10 per pound,
this rock took me back in time about 12 years
when this is what live rock looked like.
The largest piece is huge and complex ...
a couple of pieces broke off during shipping,
thank goodness, or I wouldn't have been able
to get it into my 210! Add to this Kathleen's
customer service which made me feel like I was
your only customer and you could definitely say
I'm destined to spend alot more time on your website."
Darren G. - Miami, FL - May '07


Live rock is in my Rubbermaid sump.
It is a lot bigger than I thought.
It looks like a piece of coral reef in tropical ocean.
I feel like l bought a piece of Kingdom of Tonga to my house.
Live rock is awesome.
I saved one large sea cucumber and a crab.
They are doing good.
The rock retains colorful coralline algaes (orange & purple).
Thank you for refunding the difference.
I appreciate your honesty on your business
and quality rock you offered.   Thank you again.
Kun Soo - Boston, MA - August '07

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Regarding Tonga Eva and Vava'u Live Rock ...

"Wow, is it great stuff! Huge, beautiful pieces, just
covered in tons of life. Very impressed and pleased.
Many thanks, and can't wait to get second batch!"

With a follow-up letter ...
"My tank is doing nicely and the rock that I got from
you is still fabulous. The coloration is still vibrant
and it has a lot of growth on it. It hasn’t diminished
with time at all. If anything, it has gotten more beautiful.
Thanks again."
Tony G. - Boise, ID



"LOVE THE ROCK !!!
I picked the shipment up this afternoon, it is really gorgeous.
I appreciate all the help and advice. I will certainly
recommend you guys to anyone who asks me about my rock.
Thanks for everything ... I think you run a "Class A" organization."
Michael - Cleveland, OH



"Wow, wow, wow...the live rock is so
beautiful and surprisingly fresh.
I can’t thank you enough for the great
service and wonderful live rock.
No doubt a few of my friends that are
also redoing their tanks will place orders with you.
Thanks again for the wonderful service!!!!"

With a follow up note ...

"I love the rock, the shapes are amazing.
Thanks again. I am so pleased and really
appreciate the excellent customer service.
It's rare these days to find companies
that under promise and over deliver."
Greg V. - Mar. '07


"I got the rock and I’m amazed as to
how nice it is.   Thank you!  I can’t
believe how "live" the rock is!
There were live crabs, some sort of red worms,
and this slug like creature about 1-inch wide
and 4-inches long on the rock.
Once again, thank you!"
Brett D. - Marlette, MI - August '07

________________________


Regarding Tonga Uaniva Live Rock ...

"Things went very well, your communication and
customer skills are first-rate. The rock was in
much better condition than I expected; being a
life-long NW beach boy, you should let your nose
and eyes judge sealife. The smell was similar
to a bucket of freshly gathered oysters and the
attached seaweed wasn't even dried-out.
It looked like it had been harvested, then
boxed without washing, which is exactly what
I was hoping for; as undisturbed as possible.
The pieces were much larger than I expected."
Eric L. - Seattle, WA


"The live rock is absolutely gorgeous and will
definitely be the focal point of my tank.
It’s been a pleasure working with you to get the
live rock, and if I ever need more in the future,
I would definitely order from you again!"
Eileen - Havertown, PA


"The pieces were very nice, with at least
two of them being what I would call show size ...
very large rock, a couple of large pieces
and 2 or 3 medium pieces.

Completely covered on life, some of which is
dying off, but it looks absoultely beautiful ...
I'd be happy to give you an enthusiastic
endorsement on your website or to anyone who
asks me. You guys were very friendly and
great customer service."
Howard D. - St. Louis, MO - Jan. '07


"The rock is great - really neat with lots of
holes and crevices - also lots of coraline - thanks.
Been in my tank now for about 5 days and the
skimmer is just idling along so it looks like
there is not a lot of dead-dying matter to deal
with (except for the algae-plants - most of which
I picked off before putting them in the tank).
Also - virtually no rubble in the box.
Only "surprise" I got is that I was expecting a
bunch of medium sized rocks and what I got
included one about 30+lbs.
No big deal - actually looks good. "
Rodger E. - Tucson, AZ - Feb. '07


"Just got the last piece in my tank.
I must say, you did not let me down.
This is by far the greatest rock I have ever seen.
Absolutely amazing. I'll talk with you soon.
Thanks again!"
Brian - Emporia, KS


"The Live rock is wonderful.
I cannot find words to describe how pleased I am.
There was one extremely beautiful piece
of Uaniva that made the over weight worthwhile.
The amount of rock I received fit perfectly
in my 140-gallon tank.   It has been
great doing business with you."

Rick H. - July '07
Received Tonga Uaniva, Eva, Vava'u


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Regarding Tonga Branch Live Rock ...


"I just have to say that I'm all around impressed.
Excellent communication, excellent rock."
Keith - Dacula, GA
Tonga Red Branch
Tonga Branch Live Rock

Thanks for the photo Keith!




"Just wanted to thank you again for all of your help
during this transaction.  The rock looks INCREDIBLE !!!!!!
I expected a few colors but this stuff looked like Fruity Pebbles
when I opened the box.  Smelling that signature smell of
the ocean while standing in my garage was fun also.
I would endorse you guys in a heartbeat!!!"
Demetrius - Basking Ridge, NJ - May '07

Demetrius' Tonga Branch      Demetrius' Tonga Branch

Thanks for the nice photos Demetrius!




"You would not believe how fast my tank
cycled. I was surprised. I was also amazed
at how much other live stuff was still on
the rock. I also have some new corals starting
to grow. I think anyway. There is also some
plant growth I'm not sure of yet, but I do believe
it will turn out to be to my benefit. I do want
to thank you for the speedy delivery of this rock.
You are fantastic, keep up the good work."

David P. - Surprise, AZ - Apr. '07
Received Tonga Branch, Shelf, Eva, and Fiji



"Hi Guys,  The rock was great.
It stacked so easily making caves, arches, and ledges.
I saw some "premium" live rock at my LFS
and they wanted a fortune for it ... it was not
even close to the quality you sent me.

The Tonga especially had great shapes.
I was definitely pleased and will pass your
name on to everyone I meet in the saltwater hobby.
Thanks again."

Kerri D. - Waxhaw, NC - May '07
Received Tonga Eva, Vava'u, Uaniva and Fiji



"The rock was nothing short of spectacular.
The rock had orange, green, red and purple
coralline algae, lots of small critters and worms
and had a very fresh smell. There were 3 large show
pieces with several smaller "shelf" type pieces
that made aquascaping a breeze.

I took my girlfriend along to pick up the extra
25 lbs. of rock I needed from a local fish store
and she couldn't get over how much more expensive
and how much the local stuff looked like lifeless
limestone compared to what we got from you folks. "
Greg M. - Martinsburg, WV - August '07



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Regarding Fiji Ultra-premium Live Rock ...


"Thank you very much for everything!
I must say, you weren't kidding about the
quality of your Ultra Prem Fiji.
There are so many colors, and so much life,
with so many interesting shapes and sizes
of live rock. You simply don't see this
quality in the local stores around here.
You lived up to your promise, and you were fast.
I very much appreciated the updates and
correspondence, all the way up until the
time of my pickup. It is obvious that customer
service is a priority of yours. Thank you!!!"
Ryan P. - Denver, CO


"Everything’s going great.
The live rock pickup took all of 5 minutes.
The rock is gorgeous and covered with
coralline algae and various other macro-algae,
possibly some sponges, and some mollusks,
which I have yet to identify.
The rock is, of course, curing at the moment.
I will send you an update in a couple
weeks once the rock is cured and in my
display tanks."
Charles P. - Providence, RI


"The live rock looks great and was way
beyond my expections for the price!
There is a great variety of shapes and
colors, this rock is astronomically
better than Drs. Foster and Smith.
Everything is fantastic."
Zach - Manheim, PA



"I picked up my rock today ... it's in my tank
where I plan to cure it. I don't know much about live rock
(this is my 1st tank), but the shape and size of the pieces
look pretty awesome to me."

With a follow-up note ...
"I have lots of coralline algae, feather dusters,
some spongy looking things, some halimeda
algae, no unwanted critters that I could see.
I just added my reef critters on Saturday,
and they are doing well eating the lush
algae bloom that has grown. I have lots
of pods now as well. I have submitted your
site on several reef forums
on which I am a member. Good stuff!"
Lynn V. - McAllen, TX - June '07


Regarding Fiji Ultra-premium 3-Box Combination ...

"Just wanted to let you know that the three boxes
were received and are happily "cooking" in my tank.
Very nice pieces!  The Fiji large was really
three extra large pieces that, combined with the
awesome Branch (one piece being 20" long!) ended up
being very easy to piece together into a very nice looking
reef tank. Thanks to your customer service and
your company's quality product.
Darren G. - Miami, FL - May '07

Darren's Combo

Awesome aquascape ... thanks Darren!



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Regarding Marshall Islands Live Rock ...


"I just want to say thank you for the GREAT live rock,
it was full of color and life and the shapes were awesome.
It took me about one and a half weeks to cure it
and it was ready to put in the tank."
Josh R. - Erie, PA


"Hey Guys,    Love the rock. The 70 lbs of Marshall came in first
and was some of the prettiest rock I have ever seen.
The next day the 80 lbs of Tonga arrived and it was like
5 pieces and maybe 1/2 a lb of rubble in the whole box.
Great rock, it's in the tank and cycling now and is
going to make quite a display once it's cured.
Thanks for all your help and I'm sure I'll be in
touch with you on any further orders of livestock.
It was great doing business with you.   Happy Customer"
Billy - Birmingham, AL



Eric's Marshall Islands Live Rock

Thanks to Eric for his Marshall Islands live rock photo



"The box arrived without a hitch. How could anyone
be disappointed with a box containing this much life?!
There is sooo much coralline on this stuff and in so
many different colors!! I found almost nothing that
needed to come off and, I can tell that there is a
lot more stuff that is gonna be growing on them soon.
Problem free experience from beginning to end -
I'm a happy reefer!"

Follow up Letter:

"The Marshall Island Live Rock cured very fast and, has
done nothing but wonderous things for my tank. I am
finding new daily growth of coralline, feather, fan &
hair worms, several different kinds of desirable macro algaes
(kinds my LFS charges over $40 for a small sprig of),
encrusting montipora, Pocillopora, live mussels, and
more new stuff keeps poping up weekly!
Thank YOU VERY much!"

Eric R. - New York, NY

Thanks for this wonderful photo Eric! ....


Eric's Marshall Islands Live Rock


"Just wanted to let you know that the rock is curing wonderfully.
I picked up the box last Wednesday night ... it had some cool stuff
on it. Did daily partials for the first few days as the skimmer went
into overdrive. So just wanted to say that this is really good rock ...
surprisingly quick to cure ... this rock clearly was
superior to others I’ve owned."
Joon-Ho - New York, NY


"The Marshall rock looks great, in fact it's better
than any I have seen at any of the shops around here.
It has tons of life on it!
Everyday I'm able to see something new ...
yesterday something was swimming in the water,
I have no idea what it was but it was exciting to see,
and also not to forget the featherdusters
I've begun to see only after a week.
Thanks for the great service and great rock."
Jeremy - Minneapolis, MN


"Wow!!! You sell great stuff! I don't think my
feedback has anything to do with that. I think everyone
has a hard time gaining trust on the internet and
you have mine. Thank you for the great rock!!!
It has been so much fun watching to see what comes out
next. I have little feather dusters, two kinds of plant
life, loads of different colored algae, and I saw some
copepods. I've seen lots of beautiful tanks but none
with such impressive rock. I count my blessings
that I bought from you. Thank you for such
an awesome start on my reef."
Troy - Haltom City, TX

Troy's Marshall Islands Live Rock
Marshall Islands Live Rock

Thanks for the photo Troy!





"Mark was wetting his pants last night!!
He is so happy with the rock. He even found a
nice sized crab ... still alive as of last night.
He said the rock was beautiful and he has
never seen stuff so nice. Anyway, he said all is
well and he is happy. So if he is happy I am happy.
He even thanked ME last night for letting him get it.
He comes home everyday from work ... what?,
to say hi to his wife and kids???
NO!! to see his beautiful rock! LOL!!!
Oh and by the way, I just looked at the rock ...
there are some green plants starting to emerge ...
looks like itty bitty ferns.

P.S. I do want to say you are a wonderful company
to deal with. I am very untrusting as I have been
ripped off before, but your emails and calling
was top rank! You made me feel very comfortable
and knowing that the darn rock would get here!!

We will certainly use your company (web site) in the future.
It has been a bumpy pleasure ... not your fault,
I know ... it was the airline's ... you smoothed it
the best you could!! You guys are a great company
and your emails even after the sale are really cool ...
service after the sale ... that's what I like!
All our best to your company!!"

Mark and Stacie - Enola, PA

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A special thanks to all of our customers
who have shared their experience here with others ...
thanks for taking the time to write!