Seiryu stone aquarium is something you would want to do if you want to add some beauty and character to your aquarium, especially if you’re new to aquascaping. Takashi Amano introduced this style to aquascaping hobbyists like himself.

Apart from beautifying your aquariums, seiryu stone offers more benefits to your aquarium fish and tank. And with the right seiryu stone and appropriate setup, you can create a haven for your fish to live in, appealing to your eyes.

Why should you use seiryu stone in your aquariums, and how? Get your answers in this article.

Let’s dive in!

Why Use Seiryu Stone

Using seiryu stone in your aquarium makes your tank look as natural as possible, like a fish’s habitat. Unfortunately, as beautiful as they look, you can only find them in Japan and not just anywhere.

Like dragon stone and other aquarium stones, they use aquascaping but are different from them all the same. More than being a stone that sits pretty in your aquarium, seiryu stone can:

• Reduce fish stress

Seiryu stone aquariums can help reduce your fish stress. The stone can act as a hiding place for your fish, where they can also rest and play. It makes the fish more relaxed.

• For aquarium aesthetics

Seiryu stone in your aquarium will add to the beauty of your tank. Its bluish-gray color is stunning and serves as a beautiful background that showcases your plant and fish.

• Increase water pH

If you have aquarium fish that need high water pH to survive, then seiryu stone will be quite useful in your aquarium. It will also help to keep the pH at the level you want and fit for your fish.

However, this depends on the size of the stone and tank. Therefore, you should test the pH level of the rock before placing it in aquariums to know if it’s something your fish can handle.

• Increases algae growth

Seiryu stone is porous and can help instigate microorganism growth in your aquarium. It influences algae growth, enabling carbon and nutrient cycling. These algae can also serve as food for your herbivorous or omnivorous fish. 

• Reduce ammonia and nitrite levels

Seiryu stone reduces toxic compounds like ammonia and nitrite due to the raised pH levels in your fish aquarium. You don’t need to use chemicals for this, which makes the aquarium safer for your fish.

• Mimics natural fish habitat

One of the elements that make the fish habitat natural is its rocks. The stone, the algae growing on it, and the plants in the aquarium make the place home for your fish.

Aquascaping With Seiryu Stone (How to use)

Setting up a seiryu stone aquarium isn’t difficult. If you have been aquascaping for a while, it shouldn’t be difficult. The important thing is to get your stones ready.

Since you can find seiryu stone only in Japan, you can hardly walk into a store to get it, and importing it is illegal. Worse, you could end up getting a fake seiryu stone.

Getting other stones like dragon stone is good, but they are not really the same. Another issue with it is that the price can be a bit too much, but if you can afford it, you should get it.

Moreover, getting from an online store seems the best thing to do. But the thing is that you don’t really have much choice picking what you need, so you would need to work with what you get. You should probably get more than a pack of you can, depending on how much you want to use in your aquarium.

Here is a few suggested true seiryu stone for your aquarium:

1. SevenSeaSupply Seiryu Stone Rock Aquarium
2. CURRENT USA Seiryu Stone 
3. Lifegard Aquatics Aquascaping Smoky Mountain Seiryu Stone

Once you have your stones, you can go ahead and set up your seiryu fish aquarium. But, how?

1. Break the stone 

First, you need to break the stone to your desired size if it’s too big to fit in your aquarium or will ruin the style you’re going for. Don’t try breaking it using a hammer because it can break it into pieces. 

Use a hammer and chisel instead to carve it into what you want. Plus, ensure you wear protective gear when you do so.

2. Clean stone

Second, you need to clean the stone using vinegar and a toothbrush. You could also leave it in water for about a week or soak it in a bleach solution for two hours. Then rinse under running tap water.

3. Test stone for alkalinity

Before putting seiryu stone in your aquarium, you need to test it for alkalinity to be sure it’s safe for your fish. Do that by soaking the rock in distilled or pH-neutral water for a week. 

Then, test the ammonia, pH, and hardness level of the water. You could also test for alkalinity using acid.

4. Add substrate

After you are sure your stone is safe for your aquarium, you can then add substrate to the aquarium. You could use dark or light substrates to enhance the beauty of your aquarium.

5. Add seiryu stone

Arrange seiryu stones and position them in your aquarium. This may require a few pounds of stones in different sizes, depending on the look you’re going for.

6. Add plant

After adding the stone, beautify and complete the look with aquarium plants. The plant will add to the aesthetics and be good for your fish as it can serve as a hiding place, food, and more.

7. Add water

Finish up by adding water into your aquarium as needed for your fish. Maintaining seiryu rock is pretty easy. You can clean it with a brush and vinegar, and you can use it for as long as you want because they are very durable.

Wrapping up

Seiryu stone aquarium is a good habitat for your fish. It reduces your fish stress and is as natural as their original habitat. The important thing is to ensure you get original stones, confirm they’re safe for your fish, and set up your aquarium!