{"product_id":"life-rock-belize-branch-20lb-9kg","title":"Life Rock Belize Branch 20lb (9kg)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBranch rock builds an open scape instead of a rock wall.\u003c\/strong\u003e CaribSea Life Rock Belize Branch is a 20 lb (9 kg) box of branching-form dry aquascaping rock, built on an aragonitic base rock at 97% calcium carbonate with trace strontium, magnesium and barium. It carries roughly 50% void space, is infused with spored bacteria through CaribSea's AragAlive process, and is finished in engineered aragonite coatings in the muted colours of a living reef. No curing is required, and there are no hitchhikers, organics or algae to deal with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBranching form\u003c\/strong\u003e - open, finger-like pieces that build height and structure without the visual mass of boulder rock, so the tank keeps its swim space.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAround 50% void space\u003c\/strong\u003e - interconnected micro and macro pores through each branch, which is where nitrifying bacteria actually colonise.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpored bacteria infused\u003c\/strong\u003e - AragAlive treatment seeds the rock so a new system's biological filter starts from something rather than nothing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo curing and no die-off\u003c\/strong\u003e - this is dry rock of marine origin with nothing collected living on it, so there is no ammonia spike and no weeks of curing in a bin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo hitchhikers\u003c\/strong\u003e - no aiptasia, no bristleworms, no vermetid snails and no nuisance algae arriving with the rock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoralline-look coating\u003c\/strong\u003e - engineered aragonite coatings that maintain the porosity rather than sealing it, which is the usual failing of painted rock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMore usable surface per kilogram\u003c\/strong\u003e - branch shapes give you far more frag-mounting positions per kilo than solid rock, because almost all of the surface is reachable by light and flow.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's in the box\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApproximately 20 lb (9 kg) of branching Life Rock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot included:\u003c\/strong\u003e base rock to build from, aquarium sand, reef putty or cement, and any bacterial starter. CaribSea does not publish a piece count for the Belize Branch box, because pieces are individually shaped and the count varies with how the box packs out. Rock is sold by weight, not by piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat branch rock is actually for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBranch rock solves a specific problem: a scape built entirely from boulder rock ends up as a solid mass that blocks flow, traps detritus behind it and leaves nowhere for light to reach the lower third.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBranching pieces do the opposite. Water moves through the structure rather than around it, so dead spots are rare and detritus keeps moving until the skimmer or filter takes it out. The open form also means light reaches coral placed low on the structure, not just the top.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trade-off is stability. Branch rock is naturally top-heavy and does not stack by weight alone the way flat or boulder rock does. Anything built with it wants bonding rather than balancing - see the setup steps below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow much do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe widely used guideline, and the figure CaribSea's own Life Rock listings quote, is 1 lb of rock per US gallon of display volume - about 0.12 kg per litre. Most reefers use branch rock as part of a scape rather than all of it, so the table shows both cases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDisplay volume\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eTotal rock at 0.12 kg\/L\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBoxes if the scape is all branch\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBoxes if branch is a third of the scape\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e100 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1 box\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e150 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1 box\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e200 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1 box\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e300 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e36 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e450 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e54 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e600 L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e72 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3 boxes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoxes are rounded up to the next whole box. Many modern reef scapes deliberately run below these figures to keep open sand and cleaner flow, so treat the table as the traditional ceiling rather than a target. Because rock is sold per kilogram and every piece is individually shaped, weights are approximate and the pieces you receive will not match the photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhich Life Rock shape do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eShape\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBox\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eForm\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBest for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-belize-branch-20lb-9kg\"\u003eLife Rock Belize Branch\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBranching fingers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOpen scapes, coral frag positions, keeping flow moving through the structure\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-original-40lb-18kg\"\u003eLife Rock Original\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAssorted general rock\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe bulk of a scape - the rock everything else is built on\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-shapes-20lb-9kg\"\u003eLife Rock Shapes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMixed arches, caves and forms\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdding character to a scape already built from base rock\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-flatz-20lb-9kg\"\u003eLife Rock Flatz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFlat plates\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStacking stable ledges and building without putty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-shelf-rock-40lb-18kg\"\u003eLife Rock Shelf Rock\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLarge shelf plates\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWide coral shelves and overhangs in bigger tanks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-arch-12-4pk\"\u003eLife Rock Arch 12\" 4pk\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFour 30 cm arches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReady-made swim-throughs without building them yourself\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBox weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 lb (9 kg), approximate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eForm\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBranching\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePiece count\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVaries - not published; sold by weight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMaterial\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAragonitic base rock, 97% calcium carbonate with minor and trace strontium, magnesium and barium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePorosity\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproximately 50% void space\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBacteria\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSpored bacteria infused using AragAlive technology\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFinish\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMultiple engineered aragonite coatings that preserve macro and micro porosity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCuring\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot required\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRinsing\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eA rinse in saltwater or RO water to remove packing dust is worthwhile, but not required\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWater type\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMarine and reef; also suits hard alkaline freshwater such as Rift Lake tanks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSupplier code\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCS0384\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDry rock and your cycle\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife Rock is dry rock with bacteria added, not ocean-collected live rock. That distinction is why CaribSea can say no curing is required: there is no sponge, worm or algae life on it to die in transit and release ammonia into your display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spored bacteria give the biological filter a head start, but they do not replace the cycle. A new tank still has to build a bacterial population sized to its stocking, so dose ammonia or stock slowly and keep testing until ammonia and nitrite both read zero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat you also do not get is the biodiversity that comes with collected live rock - the copepods, sponges and microfauna. If that is what you are after, this is the wrong product.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSetting it up\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnpack over a towel. Branch rock is the most fragile form in the range and thin tips snap on a hard bench.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRinse in saltwater or RO water if there is packing dust on the pieces. It is not required, but it keeps the first day's water clearer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDry-fit the structure outside the tank. Branch rock rarely balances on its own, so work out the arrangement before anything is wet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBond the joins with reef-safe cyanoacrylate gel, backed with putty at the load-bearing points. Branching shapes are top-heavy and will not hold by weight alone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeat the finished structure on the base glass rather than the sand bed, then dress sand around it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSuitable for, and not suitable for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuitable for:\u003c\/strong\u003e marine and reef aquariums of any size; SPS and mixed reefs where you want many separate coral positions with light and flow reaching all of them; open, minimal aquascapes built on pillars rather than walls; and hard alkaline freshwater tanks such as Malawi and Tanganyika displays, where the aragonite holds pH and carbonate hardness up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot suitable for:\u003c\/strong\u003e planted aquariums, soft-water community tanks, blackwater and Amazonian biotopes, shrimp tanks and discus systems, because calcium carbonate raises pH and hardness. It is also a poor choice as the only rock in a scape that needs caves for fish to sleep in, and it is not a replacement for cycling a new tank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCare and maintenance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo maintenance schedule applies to the rock. In a marine tank the engineered coating is gradually overgrown by real coralline algae, usually within the first year, at which point the pieces stop reading as manufactured.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBranch rock is the easiest form to keep clean because flow reaches nearly all of it. A pass with a powerhead or baster at water changes is normally enough, and there is far less trapped detritus than a boulder scape produces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChips and snapped tips are cosmetic. A broken branch usually makes a perfectly good frag plug or a smaller feature piece, so keep the offcuts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-original-40lb-18kg\"\u003eCaribSea Life Rock Original 18kg\u003c\/a\u003e - the plain bulk rock to build the base of the scape before the branches go on top.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-flatz-20lb-9kg\"\u003eCaribSea Life Rock Flatz 9kg\u003c\/a\u003e - flat plates that stack into stable footings for top-heavy branch structures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/arag-alive-fiji-pink\"\u003eCaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink\u003c\/a\u003e - live aragonite sand from the same bacterial process, to dress the base.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/caribsea-purple-up\"\u003eCaribSea Purple-Up\u003c\/a\u003e - calcium and strontium supplement aimed at bringing coralline algae across the coating sooner.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/life-rock-arch-12-4pk\"\u003eLife Rock Arch 12\" 4pk\u003c\/a\u003e - ready-made swim-throughs, if you want caves and tunnels the branch form does not give you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarranty and delivery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaribSea does not publish a warranty term for Life Rock. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply regardless and are not limited by anything the manufacturer does or does not offer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Australian distributor notes that because of the fragile nature of this rock, pieces can break in transit, and branch shapes are the most breakage-prone form CaribSea ships. Broken branches remain entirely usable as rock and frag mounts, but if intact pieces matter to you, unpack and check the box on arrival. Weights are approximate because the product is sold per kilogram.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs CaribSea Life Rock Belize Branch live rock?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. It is dry aquascaping rock of marine origin, infused with spored bacteria. There is no living sponge, worm or algae on it, which is why no curing is needed and why no pests arrive with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow many pieces are in a box?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaribSea does not publish a piece count. The box is sold by weight at approximately 20 lb (9 kg), and because every branch is individually shaped, the number of pieces varies from box to box.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDoes it need curing or rinsing?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo curing is required - CaribSea states this explicitly. A quick rinse in saltwater or RO water to remove packing dust is worth doing for water clarity on the first day, but it is optional.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWill branch rock stack on its own?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRarely. Branching shapes are top-heavy and have small contact points, so a structure built from them needs reef-safe cyanoacrylate gel and putty at the joins. Flat or boulder rock will stack by weight; this will not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan I mount coral frags directly to it?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. The porous aragonite takes reef-safe cyanoacrylate well, and the open form means far more of the surface gets useful light and flow than on a solid rock of the same weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan I use it in a freshwater tank?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly in hard alkaline freshwater. At 97% calcium carbonate it raises pH and carbonate hardness, which helps in an African Rift Lake tank and works against you in a planted, blackwater or shrimp setup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"CaribSea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55293347234083,"sku":"CS0384","price":331.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/belize_branch_MG_8332_54b57c3e598c5.jpg?v=1783216122","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/life-rock-belize-branch-20lb-9kg","provider":"Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}