Dragon Stone Freshwater Rock 25lb (11kg)

• Does not affect pH - CaribSea states Dragon Stone will not alter aquarium pH, which makes it usable in soft-water planted and shrimp tanks where a buffering rock would not be.
• Deeply pitted surface - the natural pockets and crevices hold moss and epiphyte plants without glue or thread, and give small fish and shrimp cover.
• All natural, pre-cleaned - no paints, dyes or plastic coatings, and cleaned before packing.
• Assorted shapes and sizes in the box - a mix you can build a full layout from rather than a single grade.
• Dry rock, not live rock - there is nothing on it to die off, so there is no curing cycle and no ammonia spike to wait out.
• Every piece different - Ohko is quarried stone, so shape, size and colour vary from box to box and the photo is representative rather than exact.

Dragon Stone is sold by the box, not by the piece, and it is bought by eye rather than by formula. One 11.34 kg box is a sensible starting point for a 60 cm tank; larger layouts are usually built from two or more boxes so there is enough variety to choose from.

Two things worth knowing before you order. CaribSea does not publish a piece count or a piece size range for the box, so the exact mix will vary. And buying slightly more than you think you need is normal practice in aquascaping - a layout is built by rejecting pieces as much as by placing them.

1. Rinse the pieces under running water to clear quarry dust. Ohko is a clay stone and the pockets hold fine material.
2. Soak the rock before placing it. CaribSea specifically instructs soaking Dragon Stone prior to placement, which lets it take up water and stops it shifting position later.
3. Dry-build the layout outside the tank first, then transfer it. Ohko chips at the edges if you keep reworking it in place.
4. Set the largest pieces on the bare glass where you can, then bring the substrate up around them so nothing subsides.

Suitable for: nature-style and iwagumi-influenced planted layouts; shrimp tanks, where the pitted surface grows biofilm; soft-water community and blackwater tanks that a buffering rock would ruin; and paludariums and terrestrial vivarium backdrops.

Not suitable for: tanks that need a rock to raise hardness - a Rift Lake cichlid setup wants a buffering substrate such as Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand rather than an inert stone. Ohko is also relatively soft, so it is a poor choice for large cichlids that rearrange their decor, and it is not a marine live rock substitute.

Nothing routine. Algae on the surface can be brushed off with a soft toothbrush during a water change. The pockets trap detritus in a low-flow tank, so a turkey baster over the rockwork at water changes keeps it looking sharp.

• CaribSea Mountain Stone Freshwater Rock - the angular alternative in the same Exotica range, if you want harder lines than Ohko gives.
• CaribSea Eco-Complete Planted Black - dark planted substrate that sets off the pale grey-brown of the stone.
• CaribSea Life Rock Dreamscapes Aquascaping Kit - a pre-shaped alternative if you would rather not build a scape from loose rock.

CaribSea does not publish a warranty term for hardscape rock. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply regardless and are not limited by that.

The box is 11.34 kg, so it carries real freight weight. Because rock is sold by weight and every piece is different, we cannot select for a particular shape or size on request.

Does CaribSea Dragon Stone change pH or hardness?

No. CaribSea states Dragon Stone will not affect aquarium pH. That is what separates it from seiryu and other limestone-based aquascaping rock, which do raise pH and carbonate hardness.

Do I need to cure Dragon Stone before using it?

No. This is dry inert rock with nothing living on it, so there is no die-off and no curing cycle. It does need rinsing and soaking before placement, which is a different thing.

How many pieces are in a box?

CaribSea does not publish a piece count or size range for the 25 lb box - it is packed as an assortment of natural shapes and sizes, so the mix varies from box to box.

Is Dragon Stone safe for shrimp?

Yes. It is inert, pre-cleaned and free of paints, dyes and coatings, and the pitted surface grows the biofilm shrimp graze on.

Can I use Dragon Stone in a marine tank?

CaribSea sells it as freshwater rock and that is how we recommend using it. For a reef scape, CaribSea South Seas Base Rock is the aragonite-based product designed for the job.