Collection: Rock, Stone & Driftwood

Buying Hardscape by Weight

Stone sold in 1lb units lets you order to a plan rather than to a box size. Work out your main feature stone first, then buy supporting pieces at roughly a third and a fifth of its size — odd numbers and clear size differences are what make a scape look like a place rather than a pile.

Stone and Wood in This Range

• Dragon stone — pitted, hollowed texture that suits moss and epiphyte planting.
• Seiryu and dark seiryu — angular grey rock with sharp layered edges for iwagumi-style layouts.
• Pagoda stone — flat stacked plates, good for terraces and shelves.
• Elephant stone — rounded and weathered, softer looking than the angular stones.
• Black lava — light, porous and dark, easy to move and easy to attach plants to.
• Sinking mangrove driftwood — two length ranges, 5-12 inch and 12-20 inch.

Before It Goes In the Tank

Scrub every piece under running water to shift grit and dust before you place it, and keep the layout off the bare glass by bedding stone into the substrate so burrowing fish cannot undermine it. Some stone types can raise hardness and pH, and fresh wood commonly releases tannins that tint the water for the first few weeks, so test after adding a large amount if your livestock is sensitive to either.