Real Reef Rock - Per Pound

Real Reef Rock is aquacultured reef rock, grown in greenhouses rather than taken off a reef. It is lightweight, extremely porous all the way through, and coloured in natural purples, pinks and reds. Because it was never in the ocean, nothing hitchhikes in on it: no aiptasia, no bristleworms, no nuisance algae and no die-off to cure. Sold by the pound, pick your own out of the bin. Browse our other hardscape and saltwater supplies.

Why Real Reef

• Nothing hitchhikes in. Cultivated, not harvested, so you are not importing pests or a curing cycle into a tank you have just set up.
• Porous right through, so it works as biological media as well as structure. That is surface area for bacteria, not just rock.
• Light for its size. A pound of Real Reef builds noticeably more scape than a pound of dense wild rock, which is worth remembering when you are working out how much you need.
• No reef was stripped to make it. That is the whole point of the line.
• Natural colour already there. Purples, pinks and reds out of the bin, rather than waiting a year for coralline to do it for you.

Buying by the Pound

1. Pick the pieces you want out of the bin. Shapes and sizes vary, which is what makes a scape look built rather than bought.
2. We weigh them at the counter and you pay by the pound.
3. As a rough guide, a nano takes 5 to 10 lb, a 40 gallon around 25 to 35 lb, and a 75 gallon 40 to 60 lb. Real Reef is open and light, so you need less of it than you would of wild rock.
4. Bring a photo of your tank and we will help you pick a scape that works rather than a pile that does not.

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, so you can see what you are building before anything is glued.
3. It is biologically sterile, so cycle the tank properly: add a bottled nitrifying bacteria and an ammonia source and let it run.
4. Coralline will spread over the following months and deepen the colour further.

Specifications

Every piece is different and the photographs show the range rather than any one piece. What you pick is what you get.

Pairs With

• Real Reef Midnight by the pound, the limited black run, if you want a darker scape or a contrast
• Real Reef by the sealed box: Original, Arches, Fancy Branch and Plates
• Corals and salt mixes

Frequently Asked Questions

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

How much do I need?
Less than you think. Real Reef is porous and light, so around half a pound to a pound per gallon gets most scapes there. Bring your tank dimensions in and we will work it out with you.

Why is it pickup only?
All our rock is. 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.

Can I buy a sealed box instead?
Yes, and it works out cheaper per pound. We can order any of the boxed grades in.

What is the difference from Midnight?
Same rock, different colour. Midnight is a limited black run and costs more; this is the standard purple and pink.