# Hardscape (rock) options, availability, opinions.



## Curvball (10 Sep 2013)

Hi all,

Been doing a fair bit of looking around and have seen a few types of stones that are commonly found in iwagumi style layouts.

What stone/rock would you recommend and why? What are good buying sources of rock?

I'm looking for rock that contrasts nicely against the green of plants - so that rules out the browns (maple leaf rock etc).


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## Tim Harrison (10 Sep 2013)

Any stones can be used really, so long as they are the same type or similar in colour and texture. However, the obvious choice is seiryu or ryuoh...these are often favoured because of their innate aesthetic appeal. From my own observations, as an amateur geologist, they are both very similar metamorphosed limestone type rocks but ryuoh often seems to be a little further along the metamorphic curve, and so tends to be harder and a shade or two darker, and therefore a little less likely to impact on water chemistry. IMO they lend themselves quite well to creating naturalistic scapes as the stones are often intricately multi-faceted giving you more scaping options...Anyway, they also contrast very well against the green of plants. My local Dobbies often stock it as grey pillar rock (well at least I think it's the same thing). They will usually order it in if they don't have any in stock.


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## Tim Harrison (10 Sep 2013)

Troi said:


> Seiryu...is often intricately multi-faceted giving you more scaping options....


 
The art of Suiseki and why seiryu is my preferred choice for aquascapes at the moment...the same rock placed in 10 different ways.






A spiritual process of discovery through contemplation and evaluation...


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## zanguli-ya-zamba (10 Sep 2013)

Hi troy do you have a link where you have taken this ? 
I am in the process of scaping my new tank and since two days I am fighting with rock placement, and I am looking for advices on rock placement.
Could you give me advices or link where I can find something ?

thanks mate.

cheers


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## Tim Harrison (10 Sep 2013)

Here it is Evaluating Suiseki | The Art of Stone Appreciation - Stones Shaped by Nature, Suiseki.comhttp://www.suiseki.com/index.html


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## Tim Harrison (10 Sep 2013)

And this is one of many basic guides to get you started...AQUA JOURNAL- A Study of Iwagumi


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## Curvball (11 Sep 2013)

Thanks Troi, some good reading there. I've been reading a lot on Traditional Japanese stone gardens and all it's associated theory and practises.

The seriyu stone appears to be extremely versatile (as you've shown) but I'm also drawn to the Baltic rock for its texture.




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## Tim Harrison (11 Sep 2013)

Another very nice choice, Dragon stone is yet another...in theory all rocks can be placed in 10 different ways it's just that some like Baltic rock etc perhaps do it a little more strikingly IMO.


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## Curvball (11 Sep 2013)

Troi said:


> Another very nice choice, Dragon stone is yet another...in theory all rocks can be placed in 10 different ways it's just that some like Baltic rock etc perhaps do it a little more strikingly IMO.



From what I've heard the Baltic rock is the same as the much revered Manten but at a fraction of the cost.

Dragon rock is nice but is too brown for what I'm wanting to achieve. I would rather make use of wood instead of using a brown stone.


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## Tim Harrison (11 Sep 2013)

Like a lot of commercially available stuff it's all about branding and marketing. ADA are supremo extraordinaire at both which allows them to charge vastly inflated prices for common garden products like rocks. Somewhere in the internet lurks a geology forum that will bust the myth and give you the proper name for these types of rock that probably wholesale for 50p per kg or less...that's one hell of a mark up. need true ID of Aquarium Stones | GeologyRocks
Baltic - shmaltic, manten - shmanten; probably, in all likelihood, one and the same. Mini landscape rock - grey pillar rock, ryuoh, seiryu, geologically speaking, for all intents and purposes...the same. The real winners are the retailers, and the suckers are people like us...
Perhaps someone should investigate further...it'd make a good article...


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## Curvball (11 Sep 2013)

I here you on the marketing hype. Knowing and understanding the actual type of rock is always a plus.


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## Curvball (13 Sep 2013)

Anybody have any other types of stone/rock that they love in terms of aquascaping?


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