{"product_id":"real-reef-midnight-fancy-branch-rock-boxed-rock","title":"Real Reef Midnight Fancy Branch Rock - Boxed Rock","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"background:#f5f5f5;border-left:4px solid #666;padding:10px 14px;margin:0 0 14px;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup only.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif;color:#1a1a1a;max-width:860px;line-height:1.7;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBranching pieces are what give a reef scape its open, grown-in look instead of a pile of boulders. \u003cstrong\u003eMidnight\u003c\/strong\u003e is Real Reef's black version of the same aquacultured rock: greenhouse-grown rather than taken off a reef, lightweight, extremely porous, and finished in deep charcoal black instead of the usual purples and pinks. Against black rock, coral colour reads far harder than it does on pale rock, which is the whole reason to scape with it. Browse the rest of our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/aquarium-decor-hardscape\"\u003ehardscape\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/salt-water\"\u003esaltwater supplies\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #666;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eWhy Real Reef Midnight\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlack, not dyed-looking.\u003c\/strong\u003e The colour runs through the rock, so a chip or a saw cut does not expose a pale core.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNothing hitchhikes in.\u003c\/strong\u003e Cultivated rather than harvested, so no aiptasia, no bristleworms, no nuisance algae and no wild-rock die-off to manage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePorous all the way through\u003c\/strong\u003e, so it works as biological media as well as structure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo reef was stripped to make it.\u003c\/strong\u003e Real Reef grow it in greenhouses, which is the point of the whole line.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight for its size\u003c\/strong\u003e, so you get more aquascape per pound than wild rock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #666;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eChoose Your Box\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:640px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.92em;\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;\"\u003eBox\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;\"\u003eContents\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;background:#f5f5f5;text-align:left;\"\u003eItem\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMixed Size 35 Pounder\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003e12 to 15 pieces\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003eB-20-M\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #666;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eGetting It Into the Tank\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRinse in RO or RO\/DI water. It arrives clean, so there is no curing period and no smell.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDry-scape it out of the water first. Black rock shows a line of superglue more than pale rock does, so take your time on the joins.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt arrives biologically sterile, so cycle the tank properly: add a bottled nitrifying bacteria and an ammonia source and let it run.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExpect coralline to take hold over the following months. On black rock the purple spread is particularly striking.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #666;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:560px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.93em;\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eType\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003eAquacultured reef rock, Midnight black\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003eSaltwater and reef\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSold as\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003eOne 35 lb box, 12 to 15 pieces\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #ddd;padding:6px 9px;\"\u003eIn-store pickup only\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.82em;color:#777;font-style:italic;\"\u003eRock is a natural-looking product and every box is different. Piece counts are approximate and shapes vary, which is the point. Come and look at what is on the shelf before you commit to a scape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #666;padding-left:8px;\"\u003ePairs With\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe rest of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/real-reef-arches-boxed-rock\"\u003eReal Reef\u003c\/a\u003e range in the original colour, if you want to mix light and dark\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/corals\"\u003eCorals\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/salt-mixes\"\u003esalt mixes\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/aquarium-decor-hardscape\"\u003eMore aquascaping hardscape\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:18px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #666;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is it pickup only?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll rock is. A box of rock is heavy and awkward, and freight on it costs more than the rock is worth. Collect it in store and we will help you load it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo I need to cure it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. There is nothing dying on it. Rinse it, scape it, and cycle the tank as normal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it stay black?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe rock does. Coralline algae will spread over it in time, as it does on any rock, and purple on black looks excellent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I mix it with my existing rock?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. A mostly-black scape with a few lighter pieces, or the reverse, reads well. Bring a photo of your tank in and we will help you pick.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow much tank will a 35 lb box scape?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComfortably a 50 to 90 gallon, and more than that if you are scaping open and airy, which is what branch rock is for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Real Reef","offers":[{"title":"Mixed Size \"35 Pounder\"","offer_id":50665750200539,"sku":"B-20-M","price":382.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0767\/5209\/3403\/files\/black-branch3__46636__29879.1788458944.webp?v=1792000431","url":"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/real-reef-midnight-fancy-branch-rock-boxed-rock","provider":"Squeaky's Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}