IceCap Black Axe Stone, 44 lbs
SKU: IC-RBAS
MSRP: $ 99.32
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Available Through Authorized Retailer
- All-Natural Dark Geological Aesthetic: Boasts deep gray to rich midnight-black coloration accented by natural structural clefts that add dramatic contrast against green plants.
- Bulk 44lb Hardscape Assortment: Packaged in a heavy-duty 44-pound multi-pack containing a random array of distinct shapes, sizes, and weights to build complex rockscapes.
- Fish and Invertebrate Safe: Features a clean, durable surface texture that will not scratch bottom-dwelling livestock or leach aggressive heavy-metal pollutants into the column.
- Dynamic Chiseled Face Angles: Sharp, blade-like crystalline fractures yield excellent vertical holding edges for anchoring live mosses, ferns, and epiphytic flora.
- Versatile Environment Application: Complements a wide range of presentation layouts, from minimal Japanese Iwagumi styles to rugged, multi-tiered cichlid rock barriers.
- Low-Maintenance Surface Upkeep: Dense, smooth-grained mineral composition prevents stubborn organic stains from embedding deeply, making it exceptionally easy to brush clean.
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IceCap Black Axe Aquascaping Stone 44lb Case
The IceCap Black Axe Stone 44lb Case (SKU: IC-RBAS) is an authentic, all-natural hardscaping material distributed by CoralVue to provide a stunning, dark geological foundation for custom aquarium displays. Crafting an impactful underwater landscape requires hardscape materials that display rich textural character and distinct directional lines. Standard plastic ornaments or chemically dyed resin rocks look noticeably artificial and fade under intense aquarium LED lighting arrays. The IC-RBAS steps in as a pure, premium alternative, bringing raw riverbed and mountain cliffside aesthetics directly into your glass display. With its characteristic charcoal tones and blade-like fractures, Black Axe Stone provides an immediate sense of scale and maturity to any empty tank layout.
Because this material is packed as a raw bulk 44-pound case, every box contains a unique, curated variety of stone sizes, typically ranging from 4 to 8 inches in length. This size distribution allows aquascaping hobbyists to execute classic design principles seamlessly: large focal stones establish a primary structure, medium stones create supportive transition zones, and smaller rubble fragments accent the foreground substrate. The stone's angular face profiles are ideal for locking pieces together safely without relying on massive amounts of underwater glue or epoxy. Whether you are constructing a high-energy, CO2-injected planted layout or a hard-water rift lake habitat for colorful cichlids, IceCap Black Axe Stone delivers a rugged, timeless, and professional-tier aesthetic.
Key Features:
Accentuates Freshwater Colors: The deep, matte-black background creates a striking contrast that makes the bright greens of aquarium plants and the vibrant scales of nano fish pop.
Excellent Flora Anchor Points: Natural micro-grooves and chiseled crevices provide immediate grip spaces for the roots of Java Ferns, Anubias, and various aquatic moss strains to bind securely.
High Structural Density: Heavy mineral core keeps large vertical structures firmly anchored to the tank floor, preventing accidental toppling caused by digging fish or powerful wavemakers.
Note: This catalog item covers a 44-pound box of unwashed, raw natural stones. Because these are real geological formations, natural variations in shape, texture, weight, and slight white mineral veining are expected.
What’s Included:
(1) 44lb Bulk Box of Mixed Size IceCap Black Axe Hardscape Stones
Technical Specs:
Official Manufacturing Title: IceCap Black Axe Stone, 44lbs
SKU / Factory Part Identifier: IC-RBAS
Total Packaging Weight: 44 lbs (20 kg) bulk shipping case
Average Piece Size Metric: Assorted mixture spanning roughly 4" to 8" per stone
Average Piece Count Per Box: Varies by natural weight distribution (typically 14 to 18 pieces)
Primary Material Composition: 100% All-Natural Metamorphic Black Rock Formation
Aquarium Layout Suitability: Optimized for Planted Tanks, Community, Shrimp, and Cichlid Setups
- Open your IC-RBAS shipping box outside or in a garage area, as natural stone collection generates minor rock dust and small transit chips during cross-country freight.
- Transfer the stones into a large utility bucket and rinse each piece thoroughly with a high-pressure garden hose or tap faucet to remove loose clay and soil sediment. Do not use any soaps, bleaches, or chemical cleaners.
- Arrange your dry stones on a soft towel or cardboard template outside the tank to map out your hardscape layout before moving the pieces into the fragile glass aquarium.
- Set your bottom-most foundation stones carefully onto the glass floor inside the tank. Pro Tip: Lay down a plastic light-diffuser grid (egg crate) beneath heavy rocks to distribute weight and protect the bottom glass pane.
- Stack your secondary stones into position, making sure each piece feels fully stable and lock them together with aquarium-safe gel or epoxy putty at key contact joints if building steep cliffs.
- Slowly add your aquarium substrate around the rock bases, place a plastic bag over the stones to break the incoming water stream, and fill the tank gently to prevent washing out your hardscape structure.
Pro Tips:
- Utilize an Egg Crate Grid Underneath Heavy Stone Footprints. Before building massive, multi-tiered rock formations with a 44lb box of Black Axe Stone, head to your local hardware store and pick up a plastic fluorescent light diffuser grid (often called egg crate). Cut a piece to match the footprint of your rock structures and lay it directly on the bare bottom glass before adding your sand or gravel. This grid acts as a structural shock absorber, distributing the heavy pinpoint weight of the rocks evenly across the glass and preventing sharp points from causing stress cracks if a stone slips during installation.
- Perform a Simple Vinegar Fizz Test to Predict pH Impacts. Like many beautiful dark natural stones (such as Seiryu), Black Axe Stone can contain minor tracking veins of calcium carbonate. While completely safe for fish and shrimp, these veins can slowly raise your total hardness (GH), carbonate hardness (KH), and pH over time. If you are keeping sensitive soft-water shrimp or demanding high-tech plants, pour a few drops of household vinegar or API Nitrate Test Bottle #1 onto a dry stone. If it fizzes slightly, it will slowly buffer your water basic—which is fantastic for cichlids, but means you'll want to stay on top of regular weekly water changes to keep your parameters stable in a soft-water planted tank.
- Pre-Glue Moss to Stones Outside the Tank Using Superglue Gel. Trying to tie aquatic moss to slippery stones with fishing line inside a wet aquarium is an exercise in frustration. Instead, take your washed, completely dry Black Axe Stones and apply a few small dots of a cyanoacrylate-based superglue gel (like Gorilla Super Glue Gel) directly onto the rock faces. Press small, damp tufts of Christmas or Java Moss directly onto the glue dots for 10 seconds. The glue cures instantly upon contact with moisture, letting you place perfectly decorated, living stones right into your aquascape layout.