ReefRock is a new handcrafted aquarium aquascaping material from ReefProject2.0, a new effort from Walt Smith Incorporated. ReefProject aims to establish a more direct approach to sustainability and opportunity for coastal island communities by not only focusing on making the finest man-made rock possible, but also employing the very people who live near, and are stewards of the living reef.
The ReefRock range is populated by precisely the types of live rock shapes that Fiji and Tonga popularized more than 20 years ago. We can still remember all the advertisements for the various types of live rocks including standard, decorated, branch, shelf and cave rocks.
ReefRock is available in classic shelf, cave and branch shapes, but the “flagships” of the ReefRock line are the honeycomb-rock and the LaceRock. The HoneycombRock aims to recreate the best of natural live rock shapes while the LaceRock is a spidery network of limestone with tons of holes for coral to be placed, and fish to swim through.
ReefRock is made of strong limestone and cement with a purple-colored coating that makes it look just like the real thing right out of the box, but the most important ingredient of ReefRock is the locally-sourced labor. Not only is ReefRock made by employing local coastal and island villagers, but a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this sustainably made rock goes directly into ReefProject2.0 to help build and restore reefs in those very communities.
ReefRock is a celebration of the glory days of when you could get a dizzying array of wild-harvested live rocks but this time around, ReefProject2.0 is supplying those same classic rock types in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way. In addition to all of the more valuable features of ReefRock and the varying shapes, the real home run here is the involvement of the coastal island populations who see their work as adding value to their reefs, instilling them with pride, and a stake in protecting this valuable resource.
The ReefProject2.0 and all the ReefRock shapes it offers is a very promising undertaking which underscores sustainability and stewardship as a core mission statement. We look forward to seeing ReefRocks in person because if this kind of rock really lives up to the expectations of wild harvested live rock, it could become an invaluable tool for building marine aquarium reefs as well as natural wild reefs. [ReefProject2.0]
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