What Colour Gravel To Go For?

[ryanred5]

Hi

I'm really not getting on with sand so I've decided I'm going to go back to gravel in my corner tank, the problem is though I don't know what colour to go for.

I'm back to the initial dilemma I had when I set this tank lol, I'd like black gravel but I'm not sure it would look okay.

At the moment the background is a stick-on outside one of dull grey rocks, the fish are 5 brightly coloured Discus (3 Marlboro Reds, 2 Alenquers and 1 Blue Diamond), a small shoal of Cardinals and Rummynoses, some Corys and 2 Bristlenoses. I am going to be adding some plants, bogwood, speckled cobbles and slate once I've sorted the substrate out.

Here are a couple of pics of the corner tank as it is now, I think the pale sand washes everything out, what do you think?

Do you think black gravel would look okay or do you think just a natural coloured one would look better?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Paavn]

you could try the rounded pebbles, i would sort of match the background and if you can make it uneven it would have a stream/river look to it

i didnt think carefully about what kind of gravel would suite me best so mine is white im going to be doing alot of cleaning once the fish get in there


edit:spelling

 

[MHunt]

What's the problem with the sand as it's the best substrate for your cory's. You could go for a small pea shingle. Darker colours make the fish more confident and more likely to show their colours so I would go for a dark substrate myself.

If you want live plants (I see a couple in pots) a change of substrate's an ideal time to put some soil or other nutritious substrate below your gravel/sand. The plants grow much better with it.

 

[7755matt]

Sorry for the mini hijack but i'm thinkng of going the opposite way. I would quite liketo change the gravel substrate to sand, and I was wondering how i'd go about it with fish still in there, or is it just not possible?

thanks

 

[Aquatic_Az]

Personally I think the sand looks great, I want to change the coloured gravel substrate in my tanks to sand myself.

Anyway to answer your question about what would look good in yours, I think black gravel would just make the tank look abit too dark, personally id go for natural coloured gravel with all the other stuff your going to add (plants, bogwood, speckled cobbles and slate) that'll look fab

 

[MHunt]

There's no way to change the substrate without emptying the tank. You'll have to strip down the tank, scoop out as much gravel as possible, and then add the new substrate as if it was a new tank. no other way around it unfortunately.

 

[nuttyJD]

Hi,

I think black/grey gravel makes the fish, plants and decoration stand out more. My tank has a dark 3D background and black/grey gravel, my son's tank has a mix of red and muted colours and the guppie fry tank has just muted colours and out of the three different coloured gravels I think my make more of an focal point of the things in the tank.

This is only my opinion but good luck with whatever colour you choose.
Leanne

 

[DJ ArKaDaRkA]

when i can be bothed to empty my whole tank im going with a fine black gravel

 

[Bigpig]

I would go for a fine coarse dark natural colour

 

[LellowFish]

I would go with some fine black gravel as, in my opinion, it would bring out the fishes colouring.

 

[Night61]

i prefer natural coloring, so river rock with some black stones is what i used.
this is what i use a picture of my stones and a baby guppy looking for attention

 

[rerkin88]

cant go wrong with black gravel i recon....

 

[jmain]

cant go wrong with black gravel i recon....

I got a blue background and blue gravel so I mean its really what you want to look at the most

 

[Vengeful Silence]

edit: I just noticed this thread was started in January. Response deleted.