Suitable rocks

xxamyxx85

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Hi everybody,

I am looking to add some large rocks to my 10 gallon Betta tank. I have read that some stones are too rough and can cause damage to the Bettas fins.
Does anyone have any recommendations? I am after a dark rock preferable black/grey and something that won’t affect my water.

thank you.
 
Did you check at your LFS?

Smooth rocks are usually best for Betta, so they don’t scratch themselves.

Are you looking for rocks like these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Houston-Ma...874921?hash=item2a88179b69:g:bfwAAOSwDtpZbBKf
Hi, thanks for getting back to me, no my LFS never seem to have very good stock of things like that.

I was looking at something very similar, would these be okay?
B812D1ED-3BC2-4CF5-9138-450908D081F5.png
 
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This is the heading:

Aquarium Decoration Rock Fish Tank Natural Stone DARK GREY​

And this is in the description:

100% NATURAL. Every owner of underwater pets knows that decorations and aquarium substrates not only look nice, but also affect the environment of our fish. That is why it should be ensured that most of them are natural. Usually used to decorate Tanganyika and Malawi biotope aquariums with cichlids. -stabilises pH and hardens the water -perfect for rock biotopes: Tanganyika, Malwai, Lake Victoria -verydecorative

should I be looking for Seiryu Stone?
 
This is the heading:

Aquarium Decoration Rock Fish Tank Natural Stone DARK GREY​

And this is in the description:

100% NATURAL. Every owner of underwater pets knows that decorations and aquarium substrates not only look nice, but also affect the environment of our fish. That is why it should be ensured that most of them are natural. Usually used to decorate Tanganyika and Malawi biotope aquariums with cichlids. -stabilises pH and hardens the water -perfect for rock biotopes: Tanganyika, Malwai, Lake Victoria -verydecorative

should I be looking for Seiryu Stone?
Those would raise your water hardness, I suggest looking for another variation.

Yes, something along these lines would work well. (Although they are more light grey)
 
is this more like it? It doesn’t mention if this affects the water chemistry though.
0E937E52-2669-4198-8B3E-0416D0AD13BC.png
 
is this more like it? It doesn’t mention if this affects the water chemistry though.
View attachment 131790
Seiryu Stone Effects on Water Chemistry

"When using rocks in aquascaping you need to be aware of the effects they can have on chemistry. Many stones contain carbonates, acids, and other elements that will cause minor to dramatic shifts in water chemistry.

Fish, plants, and invertebrates can be sickened or even killed with the wrong stone. As a very general rule of thumb, igneous rocks like granite tend to be inert while sedimentary and metamorphic rocks like limestone and marble tend to affect water chemistry somewhat.

Seiryu Stone, a metamorphic rock, is a bit troublesome because it has a strong effect on the pH of aquariums. To be precise, it contains calcium carbonate, both of which impact the GH (Calcium/Magnesium concentration) and KH (carbonate concentration) of an aquarium.

Taken together you’ll see an increase in pH and water hardness using this rock.

While neutral water in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 (a weak acid) will show a slow increase in pH the various tannins and other molecules in most aquariums will accelerate leaching of calcium carbonate from Seiryu Stone.

Many fish, such as Livebearers and Rift Lake Cichlids, actually prefer hard water so the alkaline inducing effects of Seiryu Stone can be seen as a bonus."
 
Seiryu Stone Effects on Water Chemistry

"When using rocks in aquascaping you need to be aware of the effects they can have on chemistry. Many stones contain carbonates, acids, and other elements that will cause minor to dramatic shifts in water chemistry.

Fish, plants, and invertebrates can be sickened or even killed with the wrong stone. As a very general rule of thumb, igneous rocks like granite tend to be inert while sedimentary and metamorphic rocks like limestone and marble tend to affect water chemistry somewhat.

Seiryu Stone, a metamorphic rock, is a bit troublesome because it has a strong effect on the pH of aquariums. To be precise, it contains calcium carbonate, both of which impact the GH (Calcium/Magnesium concentration) and KH (carbonate concentration) of an aquarium.

Taken together you’ll see an increase in pH and water hardness using this rock.

While neutral water in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2 (a weak acid) will show a slow increase in pH the various tannins and other molecules in most aquariums will accelerate leaching of calcium carbonate from Seiryu Stone.

Many fish, such as Livebearers and Rift Lake Cichlids, actually prefer hard water so the alkaline inducing effects of Seiryu Stone can be seen as a bonus."
Thanks for this. Seriyu stone is out the window.

does anyone have a suggestion for rock suitable for Betta fins that won’t change the water chemistry? Preferably dark in colour.
 
Hi again,

I have mountain rock in my other Betta tank (only a very small amount) it doesn’t affect the water chemistry and My Betta has not damaged any fins on it, do u think this would be okay? It would obviously be a much larger piece then what I have in the nano tank so more would be exposed to the Betta.F6B2EFED-CFAE-4826-BE3E-1BC41F974358.png
401DC802-8DF4-4FC9-93FC-B7B70EBC77EC.jpeg
 
I love river rocks and gravel from my local garden shop. Background really makes it work.
20210309_131219.jpg
 
I believe I got the background from Aquarium Vinyl. Easy to apply with just water. The caves had to be sanded inside. Very sharp edges.
 

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