ADA KUMU ST-02 - Ohko Stone
The ADA KUMU ST-02 – Ohko Stone is a decorative aquascaping rock set from Aqua Design Amano (ADA), part of the KUMU Layout Materials series, designed to help aquascapers create natural and detailed aquarium layouts. This kit contains carefully selected pieces of Ohko Stone, one of the most iconic and widely used hardscape materials in planted aquariums.
Ohko Stone is also commonly known as Dragon Stone, famous for its highly textured surface, natural holes, and layered formations that resemble weathered cliffs and mountain landscapes. These unique features make it an ideal material for building natural aquascapes that mimic real-world geological formations.
The KUMU ST-02 set includes approximately 300g of small Ohko Stone pieces, which are perfect for nano aquariums or for adding detail and refinement to larger aquascapes. These smaller stones are often used to complement main hardscape structures, helping to create smoother transitions between large rocks, substrate, and planted areas.
In professional aquascaping, small accent stones play a critical role in creating a sense of scale and perspective. By using progressively smaller stones toward the back or around larger rocks, aquascapers can simulate distance and depth, making the aquarium appear more expansive and natural.
The detailed texture of Ohko Stone also provides excellent surfaces for attaching aquatic mosses and epiphytic plants, such as Taxiphyllum, Riccardia, Bucephalandra, or Anubias. Over time, these plants grow around the rock’s natural cavities, enhancing the realism of the aquascape and creating the appearance of aged, nature-shaped landscapes.
Another advantage of Ohko Stone is that it is generally safe for planted aquariums, as it typically has minimal impact on water chemistry when properly rinsed before use. This makes it suitable for a wide variety of freshwater aquariums and planted tank environments.
The ADA KUMU Layout Materials series was designed to give aquascapers access to curated natural materials that make aquascape composition easier and more flexible. By combining different sizes and types of stones, aquascapers can experiment with structure, layering, and perspective to achieve visually balanced layouts.
The stones included in the ST-02 kit feature natural earthy tones ranging from brown to gray, which blend beautifully with aquatic plants, driftwood, and planted substrates. Their rugged texture adds visual depth and complexity to both minimalist and dense aquascaping styles.
These small rocks are especially useful for:
• Creating natural transitions between substrate and rock structures
• Supporting and stabilizing larger hardscape elements
• Enhancing perspective in aquascaping layouts
• Adding fine details around main stones
• Building realistic rocky landscapes in nano aquariums
Whether used in a nature aquarium, Iwagumi layout, or detailed planted tank, the ADA KUMU ST-02 – Ohko Stone kit provides aquascapers with authentic natural stones that enhance realism and improve overall aquascape composition.