Real Reef Midnight Mini's - Boxed Rock

Small pieces for nano scapes, frag racks, detail work and filling the gaps a big scape leaves behind. Midnight 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 hardscape and saltwater supplies.

Why Real Reef Midnight

• Black, not dyed-looking. The colour runs through the rock, so a chip or a saw cut does not expose a pale core.
• Nothing hitchhikes in. Cultivated rather than harvested, so no aiptasia, no bristleworms, no nuisance algae and no wild-rock die-off to manage.
• Porous all the way through, so it works as biological media as well as structure.
• No reef was stripped to make it. Real Reef grow it in greenhouses, which is the point of the whole line.
• Light for its size, so you get more aquascape per pound than wild rock.

Choose Your Box

Getting It Into the Tank

1. Rinse in RO or RO/DI water. It arrives clean, so there is no curing period and no smell.
2. Dry-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.
3. It arrives biologically sterile, so cycle the tank properly: add a bottled nitrifying bacteria and an ammonia source and let it run.
4. Expect coralline to take hold over the following months. On black rock the purple spread is particularly striking.

Specifications

Rock 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.

Pairs With

• The rest of the Real Reef range in the original colour, if you want to mix light and dark
• Corals and salt mixes
• More aquascaping hardscape

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it pickup only?
All 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.

Do I need to cure it?
No. There is nothing dying on it. Rinse it, scape it, and cycle the tank as normal.

Will it stay black?
The rock does. Coralline algae will spread over it in time, as it does on any rock, and purple on black looks excellent.

Can I mix it with my existing rock?
Yes. 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.

Which mini box do I want?
Branch for open structure and frag mounting, shelf for small terraces, plate for turbinaria-style cups that sit as features in their own right.