# ADA Seiryu Stone vs Mini Landscape Rock



## ghostsword

I visited TGM this weekend and bought ADA Seiryu Stone, close to 6kg of it, just placed it on my tank and it looks amazing against the green and red plants, with the dark substrate. Just amazing.

Now looking on the net I found Mini Landscape Rock from AE, quoted "Grey stone also known by ADA as Seiryu Stone". 

Now, the stone I bought at TGM was Â£6.75 per kg, and AE is selling their "equivalent" at Â£2.99. 

Has anyone tried both? Are they the same?


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## JamesM

100% the same.


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## ghostsword

ouch.. I was stung.. 

I now know where to buy my next stones...

Thanks for the quick reply.


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## Garuf

Yup, afraid so, you'd be hard pushed to ever tell them apart. You paid for picking the nicest ones I imagine.


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## Steve Smith

Only issue with buying online is that you aren't able to pic out individual pieces, and match them up.  You don't get to fondle it first!   Of course, if you're good at describing what you want it's less of an issue


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## Nelson

plantedbox have it too.Â£3 a kg or Â£50 for 15kg including p&p.


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## ghostsword

SteveUK said:
			
		

> Only issue with buying online is that you aren't able to pic out individual pieces, and match them up.  You don't get to fondle it first!   Of course, if you're good at describing what you want it's less of an issue



I know exactly what I want, with regards to the stones, as I use measurements on the tank.  

The stones I got are really pretty, and they complement each other greatly, however I am sure that I can close to the same design from the online shops such as plantedbox and AE.

Twice the price is a hard one to swallow..  will just put it to my experience. 

The good thing is that now my tank is free from fake rocks, and looks just amazing.


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## LondonDragon

ghostsword said:
			
		

> The good thing is that now my tank is free from fake rocks, and looks just amazing.


Guess you finally agree then that fake rocks are not good in the tank  Not what you told me a few weeks back when I pointed that out to you haha


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## ghostsword

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> ghostsword said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The good thing is that now my tank is free from fake rocks, and looks just amazing.
> 
> 
> 
> Guess you finally agree then that fake rocks are not good in the tank  Not what you told me a few weeks back when I pointed that out to you haha
Click to expand...


No comment.  :arrow:


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## viktorlantos

just my 2 cent on this. the 2 stones looks identical, but they coming from different sources. i found that ADA deliver some larger nicer stones too meanwhile minis are mainly minis really where useually weights are 1-3kg. more on the lowest part.

there are other stones where the difference are more significant. the dragon stone. the one which comes from Japan are huge with amazing texture and color on it. the other from europe has different kind of colors those textures are not that fine. they could not match up really.

but with minis and seiryu i do not find the same differences. only the size i've seen. probably that's true they handpick the nicest.


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## zig

Its definitely worth a premium to be able to pick your own stones, not saying what that premium is worth but it is worth something!


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## Lisa_Perry75

I agree, it may be more money but I'd pay it to be able to choose my own rocks...


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## Garuf

I don't mind paying to pick the rocks, but if you're paying to pick them and get good ones then why is the price the same on the internet? Over double the price is certainly not worth it to have a few extra good rocks.


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## ghostsword

Thanks for all the posts.. I now know the difference, and frankly rather buy at half the price, especially as most online shops allow you to request what you want. 

Also MA at Morden is also selling it at Â£3, and that shop I can visit.  At least LondonDragon said that he bought his rocks from there. Pitty that he helped me choose mine and didn't tell me that they were half price at MA... 

Now I am informed and are able to make a choice.. Need to buy another 5 to 10 kg and for sure will want to buy it cheaper.


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## Dave Spencer

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Now looking on the net I found Mini Landscape Rock from AE, quoted "Grey stone also known by ADA as Seiryu Stone".
> Has anyone tried both? Are they the same?



Didn`t we have this conversation at TGM. I`m sure I told someone mini landscape rocks and Seiryu were the same.

Dave.


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## LondonDragon

Dave Spencer said:
			
		

> Didn`t we have this conversation at TGM. I`m sure I told someone mini landscape rocks and Seiryu were the same.


Yeah more than once, people were just too excited to listen lol


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## ghostsword

Dave Spencer said:
			
		

> ghostsword said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now looking on the net I found Mini Landscape Rock from AE, quoted "Grey stone also known by ADA as Seiryu Stone".
> Has anyone tried both? Are they the same?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Didn`t we have this conversation at TGM. I`m sure I told someone mini landscape rocks and Seiryu were the same.
> 
> Dave.
Click to expand...


No Dave, sorry, it wasn't with me...
I wish it was me you had told that to...


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## ghostsword

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Yeah more than once, people were just too excited to listen lol



Paulo, please don't say that because it isn't true, and it hurts my feelings when you make a comment like that.. Had you told me that the rocks were under half price than what was on show believe me I would have taken note on it.

I saw the rocks, liked them and bought it, and on my ignorance thought that it was a fair price to pay. 

Obviously one pays for the privilege to choose their own rocks, TGM prices their kit as they want and whoever buys it at that price is free to do so. 

The thread question was that if Mini Landscape Rock was the same as ADA Seiryu Stone, and that has been confirmed as being the same.

Would I pay again the same for the ADA Stones? No way I will, rather contact one of the online shops with my requirements or go to MA @ Morden and check it out. I will even go to B&Q to check stones out now, one never knows that is there. 

Should Paulo have told me that he had bought his rocks and under the price I was paying for them? For sure he should have said something, he even helped me choose the stones ...   

Great shop, great staff, great tanks and definitely worth the visit again, but in future before I buy something at TGM I will check online for prices, surprises like these are hard to swallow..


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## LondonDragon

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Paulo, please don't say that because it isn't true, and it hurts my feelings when you make a comment like that.. Had you told me that the rocks were under half price than what was on show believe me I would have taken note on it.


Luis we were talking there about the rocks being the same as mini landscape rock, I did say I purchased mine at MA, not sure if you were there or not but I think you were, Neil was there with us also. I just never said how much I paid for it cause no one asked


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## Nelson

sorry Luis.didn't even cross my mind.but in my defence i am braindead   .

i think we should just leave it at that now   .


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## ghostsword

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> ghostsword said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Paulo, please don't say that because it isn't true, and it hurts my feelings when you make a comment like that.. Had you told me that the rocks were under half price than what was on show believe me I would have taken note on it.
> 
> 
> 
> Luis we were talking there about the rocks being the same as mini landscape rock, I did say I purchased mine at MA, not sure if you were there or not but I think you were, Neil was there with us also. I just never said how much I paid for it cause no one asked
Click to expand...


You cheeky git   .. LOL.. You left the most important bit out..   

Well, my tank looks good with the rocks.. But the next 10kg of rock I know where to get them..


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## ghostsword

nelson said:
			
		

> sorry Luis.didn't even cross my mind.but in my defence i am braindead   .
> 
> i think we should just leave it at that now   .



Yep, I got the anwer to the question..


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## LondonDragon

ghostsword said:
			
		

> You cheeky git   .. LOL.. You left the most important bit out..
> Well, my tank looks good with the rocks.. But the next 10kg of rock I know where to get them..


Off course they look good I picked them  mind you saying they were expensive, but sometimes its hard to find what you want, and at least you got the ones you wanted, I brought some and in the end they are in the balcony on shelve lol you can have a look at those next time you round my area, I will give you a discount lol


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## ghostsword

That is true.. I got exactly what I wanted, no more and no less.. They look they were made for my tank..  

Might look at the ones you got on the balcony ..


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## LondonDragon

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Might look at the ones you got on the balcony ..


One is too small for you tank, the other is too round, but there is a nice large one which is slim in a triangular shape that would be nice for your "rock wall"


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## NA-Fan

This is an interesting topic for me and I'm still to buy my hardscape.    

The question of what people are willing to pay I think is down to the individual and their goals.

I would personally prefer to spend twice as much on something, and guarantee that it will be exactly what I am after.    

Of course, you could buy twice as much from a cheaper source, and hope for the best that there will be enough suitable pieces.  If an online retailer can give you photos etc. then great but I don't think you can beat holding the pieces and seeing them in 3 dimensions.    

I also think some people don't really know exactly what they want, as they have no definitive hardscape plan.  An aquascape that uses alot of wood with some stone around it would be a good example.  As opposed to a pure iwagumi were the size and shape of the rocks are much more important.

It is interesting to read that ADA have the largest pieces.  I am considering an iwagumi in my 60cm optiwhite and feel that I need at least one very large stone to be the main stone.  It sounds like I may have to get it from ADA - which I'd be happy to do.  ADA are relatively expensive, but if it helps to achieve my goals then I am more than happy to pay a premium.    

I also think that it's worth paying a premium for products that are sold in such a great-looking shop like TGM where you are given cups of tea, comfortable seats to read Aqua Journals, as well as see brilliant display tanks and given great advice from the likes of Graeme Edwards.  That experience for me is worth a few extra quid for their products and I'm really looking forward to making a visit sometime.


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## ghostsword

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> ghostsword said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Might look at the ones you got on the balcony ..
> 
> 
> 
> One is too small for you tank, the other is too round, but there is a nice large one which is slim in a triangular shape that would be nice for your "rock wall"
Click to expand...


prices, send me prices..


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## ghostsword

@ Laura,

You are right on the fact that the shop is a experience that one should do. It is very welcoming, lots of magazines to read, lovely tanks to look at and very friendly people. Had the shop be in London it would be full day in day out, they could even serve coffee and charge for it.

Regarding the rocks, there are items on stock for all tastes, and some rocks are indeed large, and must weight more than 100kg for sure. If TGM just sold tank decorations they would still be an amazing shop. Pitty that it is an 8 hour round trip from London...

If for you it is ok to pay more than twice as much for the perfect piece of rock, then you will be in your perfect environment, as there is no way you cannot find what you want at TGM, it is just impossible. You will even find what you didn't think you want or needed..  

With hindsight would I have paid the Â£6.75 per KG for the rocks I got? My head says no, but my heart says yes. 

The 6kg of rocks I got are more beautiful that anything else I got on my tank, and being rocks they will last forever, I am not even looking at the plants, just to see the shrimp walking along the rock wall is mesmerizing.

In 20 or 30 years time I will look at them and think about the fantastic trip I had with some plant nutters to the end of the earth to look at acrylic tanks, a shoal of Altum Angel's and have coffee served within ten minutes of walking into a shop.


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## NA-Fan

Hi Luis

Thanks for your reply to my post.

I am pleased to see that you don't seem to feel so bad about spending a bit more cash than 'absolutely necessary'.

I buy a lot of beauty products from Chanel.  Kind of like the ADA equivalent for my line of work.  I have been over to Paris to see their flagship store and paid way over the odds for some products that I could have got much much cheaper from the Internet.  However, it did not feel so bad, as the whole experience was worth the extra expense.  I think the same principle could be applied to your trip to TGM?


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## LondonDragon

Luis just takes a little bit of persuasion then he sees the light and all is well haha


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## ghostsword

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Luis just takes a little bit of persuasion then he sees the light and all is well haha



I am not gutted at spending the money, I am gutted of now knowing that there were cheaper options..  

Money comes and goes, experience is a different matter.

I need to buy close to another 10kg of rock (less than that), but I am able to explain to online shops what I want, so I will not be buying it from TGM.   

But I do not entirely regret buying the previous rocks on the shop, I was treated really good while there, and ended up spending close to Â£130 on just rocks and magazines. 

I now wonder if I can get that sort of rock cheaper, need to go to Portugal and check the hills..


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## Garuf

You can get very similar stuff from Dove Dale in Derbyshire, you just need to do some walking.


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## ghostsword

Garuf said:
			
		

> You can get very similar stuff from Dove Dale in Derbyshire, you just need to do some walking.




Good man.. I will check it out..  it will be even better, walking, exercising and picking up rocks..  Good excuse for me to leave London, been too much of a city boy..


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## Garuf

It's very close to where I live, if it's in the summer when you visit I'll take you to where I got them.


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## ghostsword

Thanks for the offer.. I will for sure take you on it..  Maybe I can get the LFKC gang to organise a rock picking day out..


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## Nelson

is it outside the M25   .


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## Garuf

Yeah and part of the Midlands, which wasn't the north last time I checked.


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## Nelson

hope i've not hit a soft spot garuf   .
are you sure its not limestone.


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## Garuf

You haven't, it used to really annoy me with most of the people on my course always calling me a northerner as though it was a bad thing to not be from London. 

Sirayu stone is a limestone, I took some to a lecturer for geology and was certain is was a type of limestone, I wrote the name down but can't find it in my bag.


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## Nelson

good job i'm from essex then   .
was it igneous rock.


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## Garuf

Nope, it was it's proper type, like it's science name. I'll strip my bad when I'm home and see if I can find it, if not it's back to uni haha.


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## Spanerman

Got any pics? I studied geology for 3 years


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## ghostsword

Hi, it looks like this:


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## Piece-of-fish

For a future notice Luis. As you are a londoner and after some seiryu. I've been to aquarium design centre in central london couple weeks ago. They have some petrified wood and seiryu at 2.10Â£ per kilo    Was quite surprised to find them there at this price. They didnt have lots to choose from but said they stock it quite regularly. nor they new the names of the stones, at least not the guy i spoke to. Anyway worth checking. This way you will pay 3,5 times less and would be able to choose  
Hope this helps.


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## ghostsword

Piece-of-fish said:
			
		

> For a future notice Luis. As you are a londoner and after some seiryu. I've been to aquarium design centre in central london couple weeks ago. They have some petrified wood and seiryu at 2.10Â£ per kilo    Was quite surprised to find them there at this price. They didnt have lots to choose from but said they stock it quite regularly. nor they new the names of the stones, at least not the guy i spoke to. Anyway worth checking. This way you will pay 3,5 times less and would be able to choose
> Hope this helps.




Good one.. I will go there tomorrow for sure, have a 20cm cube to play with and need small pieces..  

Fantastic..


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## Piece-of-fish

Have you been there? Interested what they got atm.


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## ghostsword

Didn't managed to go there today, worked from home.. Will go tomorrow. What are you looking for? I can check for you..


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## Piece-of-fish

Hi, just basically the stones and wood. If they have fresh orders and what type. The time i was there they just had a few leftovers of wood and seiryu was going to an end as well. Its always interesting to know if something good arrives.


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## ghostsword

Will let you know later tonight, as I am going there at 1730 today.


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## ghostsword

Hi, I went there today, at 1300. 

Bought 15kg of seiryu stone and petrified wood @ Â£2.10 per kg. 

There are still lots available..  

Choose what I wanted, paid little for it, and the shop is 20 minutes from my work. 

I asked the guy if he knew what sort of stone it was, the seiryu, he told me that some guys made a name for them, but they get them cheap from somewhere in europe, so they always have it in stock.

A true find..! many thanks for the tip, Piece of Fish..


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## LondonDragon

Nice one Luis  When I need some more I know where to go hehe


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## ghostsword

I was amazed and the quantity of stone they had on stock and their had two types of prettified wood, one is brown and the other grey.

I bought three large pieces of brown fossilised wood, will look great with some staurogyne growing on it.. 

Man, I need more tanks..  at least two more.. 

Been looking at Aquarium ltd, but there seems to been issues regarding the delivery of tanks... May have to contact David again for a 50cm acrylic cube...


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## Piece-of-fish

Always welcome   
Have to give them a visit again myself.
Oh, ant btw. It will be interesting to see how you fit 15kg into 20cm cube you planned


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## Garuf

Totally forgot to post!




Starting far left, self collected, self collected, Landscape rock, Landscape rock, self collected.


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## alzak

Hi All

There is any chance to found some big rocks for 4ft tank  in this shop in London

Thanks


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## Piece-of-fish

They had 2 or 3  10inch pieces of petrified wood, that was a week ago though. I'd call them and ask when is their next order if you want more and bigger rocks.


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## mr. luke

My local garden centre sells 'Derbyshire stone' which resembles ada mini's, but big 
If its not the same, it looks farily similar, Â£3 each for some 15kg rocks aint bad going?


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## ghostsword

it sounds a great deal.. 

do you have the address of the shop?


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## mr. luke

It is different, but similar in colour and some bits can be quite textured.
Let me get some photo's before i get your hopes up


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