Here is Manager Robert Christensen of A World of Fish’s 135 gal. Red Sea S-series Reef display. Real Reef Dealer A World of Fish in Minneapolis Minnesota (worldoffish.com) is a full line Aquatics retailer who proudly sells the Real Reef line of Reef-Eco Friendly products. This is another example of how Real Reef Rock makes some of the most beutiful and dynamic reef displays in the Aquarium Hobby! Nice work Robert and thanks for all the support!

Sincerely, Team Real Reef

Team Real Reef had a great Reefapalooza this last weekend! When premier Reef Aquarium product manufacturers, Livestock Suppliers and other in the Aquarium industry want a awesome aquarium display at their booths, they choose only the best for their Aquariums! Real Reef rock! Real Reef rock was used in over 30 Display Aquariums in over 20 different vendors booths. Simply…. a great aquarium starts with Real Reef! Below are pictures of some of the awesome exhibits aquascaped with Real Reef from Aquarium companies Worldwide. Enjoy  and see you next year at REEFAPALOOZA 2013.

-Team Real Reef Mfg.

The wild Live Rock mining, harvest or collection is not a sustainable practice! Never has been and never will be, simply due to the fact that it is the very habitat that is taken and never replaced. There has never been a Fishery or Conservation program that has ever advocated the destruction and removing of habitat. The very habitat that feeds, grows and shelters the very fishery that is harvested and sold (Marine Fish, Inverts and Coral) What is the point of buying sustainable or aquacultured products, if we are placing them in or upon a reef made from destroyed coral reef habitat? This makes no sense and is not a productive practice for our hobby and industry. The idea is for native islanders to farm their coral reef resource, as they have done for thousands of years. Not to encourage them to remove and take pieces of the actual habitat that produces the very livelihood for them and future generations.

It is products like Real Reef that continue to set the tone and raise the bar for a sustainable aquarium trade. It proves that aquacultured eco friendly products can be profitable and viable, even for our overseas partners. Every sold piece of wild coral rock encourages and promotes our overseas suppliers to continually damage one of the few resources they have. A habitat resource that needs to be nurtured and farmed, not strip mined, crow barred, boxed and shipped.

What example are we leading the world by? America is only interested in exploiting your resource? Ship pieces of your Island habitat and we will give you money? Let’s lead by example and send a message that farming the reefs and protecting your resource is in your best interest and the Worlds! Without healthy reefs, how will our overseas suppliers ever be able to catch next year’s crop of baby coral, fish and inverts for future aquarists? I know of no sustainable Fishery practice or conservation method that advocates the taking and removing of the very habitat that grows the very resource which brings in revenue for the country of origin. Simply….. buy responsible and support aquaculture and sustainable collected marine life here and abroad when ever possible.  The future of the Marine Aquarium hobby starts with you!

Here at Real Reef Mfg. we are proud to announce our new distributors Nationwide.  If you are a qualified retailer, online-etailer or professional service company and need to buy Real Reef Rock, please contact a distributor near you. Click the Distributor logo for Company info and contact details.

-Team Real Reef

Pacific Aqua Farms, Los Angeles California

All Seas Marine Los Angeles California

All Seas Marine, Miami Florida

A&M Aquatics, Lansing Michigan

DFW Aquarium Supply, Dallas Texas

Carolina Aquatics, Kernersville North Carolina

Sun Pet LTD., Atlanta Georgia

Quality Goldfish Inc.

Quality Goldfish, Clearwater Florida

 Real Reef Mfg, San Diego California

• Reef destruction and sedimentation. Mining blasts and removal of the reef, destroying it and causing other indirect impacts, such as sand erosion, land retreat, and sedimentation. These can all greatly affect coastal towns, villages and the tourism industry because the coral protects coastlines and builds beaches.

• Slow recovery. The skeletal framework of reefs, which is removed through mining or removal of reef rock, is built up over hundreds to thousands of years and will take as long to grow back.

• Loss of fish habitat. Removal of coral rock ,“live rock” from reefs removes critical habitat for fish and other animals.

• Economic losses. Coral mining creates a significant long-term loss to society, including a loss in fisheries value, coastal protection, and tourism. When considering these factors, the cost of destroying or mismanaging one square kilometer (0.62 square miles) of reef results in losses between US $137,000 and US $1.2 million over a 25 year period (Richmond, 1994).

I caught Frank a few days after returning from the Dallas MACNA 2012 show. With all the MACNA eye candy, and inside scoop fresh in his mind, I wanted to sit down with Frank for a one on one Q&A interview to get his perspective as a hobbyist and industry insider. Lets see what Frankie had to say about MACNA 2012 and Real Reef Rock.

Q: So…. how was Dallas Macna 2012 and what made it better or worse than last year?

A: Seemed to be more vendors and hobbyist than last year in Iowa. Hotel accommodations were really nice and it was well organized. Overall I had a good experience and it was one of the better MACNAs. It was good to see alot of familiar faces!

Q: Which products and companies do you feel are upcoming and should keep an eye on?

A: Well of course Real Reef Rock and the release of Real Reef Branch in 2013. I also liked Aqua Genesis’s Robotic Magnetic Cleaner. It’s pretty crazy to see that bad boy in action! I had to laugh….. are we all getting that lazy to have a Robot keep our glass algae free ! LOL !! I also really liked the fact this year’s Vendors had a big emphasis on sustainability and aquaculture. Really good to see the industry growing up.

Q: You manned the Real Reef booth with co-owner Gareth Scott this year. How was the overall response from the public and dealers regarding this eco-reef friendly product?

A: People who have used the product love it, ones that haven’t yet, really showed alot of interest. Overwhelmingly everyone really liked the idea that the product didn’t harm the coral reef habitat.

Q: Of all the hobbyist and industry people you spoke with, how many do you feel are really aware of the environmental impact wild Live Rock causes on the World’s coral reefs? What percent do you think know the truth on how wild rock is collected, handeled through the chain of custody from countries like Fiji? Please elaborate.

A: Seriousley very few… maybe 10%! I actually had hobbyist tearing up while explaining the reality of how wild Live Rock is collected. It’s shocking how many hobbyist, retailers and industry people have no idea how it’s collected and shipped.

Q: Where do you think the disconnect is?

A: They just don’t think about wanting to know the truth. Most hobbyist are just to busy with thier daily lives. Even the retailers don’t know the truth, and as a result don’t have the information to educate their customers. Hopefully with more emphasis on sustainability like in MACNA this year, we can help educate and change the future of the hobby.

Q: Do you think MACNA as a venue has done a good job educating the hobbyist on this front?

A: I think the Speakers emphasise sustainability, but the MACNA venue could do a better job shedding more light on these issues. It is getting better every year, but hope MACNA makes it more of a priority.

Q: Overall was MACNA 2012 a winner?

A: Yes, every year keeps getting better! Had a blast, good times!  Looking forward to Miami next year. The whole Real Reef Team will be representing next year. Can’t wait !!!

Thanks Frank, appreciate your insight and time with this Q&A about MACNA 2012.

Hello Real Reef Supporters,

Here are a few MACNA 2012 Aquarium display images. Over 20 Exhibitors and 40 plus display aquariums used REAL REEF as thier preferred Live Rock of choice! Enjoy the gallery below and please note the Exhibitor’s name on each photo.

Sincerely- Team Real Reef

Crates of dead coral shipped via boat as dry rock.

Hi Real Reef Supporters,

Here is a prime example of large volume coral and coral live rock mining. This is a shipment that arrived Mainland U.S. by boat earlier in the month. The shipment originated in the Fiji Islands and shipped via boat to the U.S., then trucked to the customer. Most likely this was live coral and coral skeleton rock collected then bleached in preparation for the export. Please note the large Table Top coral heads in the far right bin and the large Staghorn Acropora base in the far left bin. The large Staghorn’s broken branches are in the bin below.

 This is not a import of dry scleractinia rock, but actual reef building coral colonies shipped under the “Live Rock” pretense.  The foreground bins have actual dried and sun bleached pieces of Live Rock, but overall this large shipment is a combination of both coral rock and coral skeletons. This practice is not sound conservation, nor sustainable. It is bad enough the curio trade still harvests large reef building corals, but now reef hobbyist unwillingly are supporting the same practice.  Buyer beware; if it’s cheap live rock, it’s probably boat rock! 90% of all Live Rock in the aquarium trade is shipped by boat and ultimately dead!

As more Aquarists become educated on how and where their Live Rock is collected, the thought and practice of wild Live Rock mining will be frowned upon and a thing of the past.  Lets not chop down the tree, but pick the fruit for a lifetime!

-Team Real Reef