How Important Is A Dark Substrate For Bright Colors?

[eelman]

i would really like to switch from black gravel to a natural-colored sand. I have always read about how fish lose color if they dont have dark substrate. I could still have a dark background, if that would matter.

do you think that my most colorful fish (boesmani rainbows) would lose their great color with a lighter substrate?

 

[annka5]

I had a dark substrate on my smaller tank, then had sand for my big one.
IMO, it does make a difference, but I think it's MORE to do with how you see the colours rather than what's there in the fish.
My rosy tetras do look more washed out with sand. My cardinals looked slightly better against a dark substrate, but I've a black background in the new tank so the difference isn't at all significant.
Also, to me the tank itself looks better as a complete unit than it did with my dark gravel.
Not exactly a definitive answer! I think if your fish are paler coloured then the effect is worse - they are more likely to look washed out with a paler substrate if they are already pale coloured.
You could try with sand and break it up by adding some darker coloured stones /rocks /bogwood. I think the black background will make a big difference though.

 

[Bloo]

In my opinion it makes a huge difference. Not just in what our eyes perceive and "makes the fish stand out more" - but the actual colour of bright/clourful fish. I've noticed this in particular with fish such as killis, endlers, guppies. The killifish transformation was the most spectacular and the colours intensified tenfold.

 

[eelman]

thanks for the help. maybe i will mix in a bag of black sand.

 

[Teelie]

Depends on the species really. Some fish stand out spectacularly, others turn more mottled and less attractive as they try to blend in better. I don't know how Bosemani's would look against a darker substrate but I doubt those fish would look too drab under black sand either.