My black gravel experience

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Q

qguy

Piranha
MFK Member
Nov 10, 2009
897
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Vancouver. Canada
I have a 110G tank with several large gray color stones, Background is black, gravel is black. I have several dovii fry in the tank. Several doviis from the same batch was placed in a white container. When I needed the white container, I place all dovii fry in the tank. All the Dovii from the white plastic container was lighter in color. After a day or two, all the dovii became dark in color.

Eventually I was able to dispose the dovii. I got a 4-5 inch FH and placed him in the tank, after a couple of days, Fish became dark in color. I removed the black gravel and then the color became light again. The next day, the large gray stones that were upright was placed on the bare bottome tank to cover the white styro underneath. Fish became dark again in color. Stones were returned to their original upright position and the fish became lighter in color again

After two months, the fish is around 6 inches, I returned the black gravel... 2 days and counting the color of the did not changed.

My conclusion with my fish

Younger fish tends to mimic the color of their surrounding to avoid predation hence the changes in color. During maturity, the fish becomes bolder and much more confident that he no longer requires to change color as he is already is bigger and actually needs to stand out to attract a mate.
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agreed. dark substrate darkens fish color. i use black sand with my frontosa. brings out their colors
 
Finally someone gets it. Most people that complain about dark backgrounds and/or substrate are typically keeping juvenile or semi adult fish in those tanks.

Using white tank treatment, and/or dark tank treatments is common practice in the Asian aro trade. It is merely a "grooming" tool used to help show a young fishes potential. Gold crossbacks are typically raised in total white tanks to bring out a high shine at an early age, red aros are typically kept in tanks with dark background, sides & bottom to help develop a deep red color at an early age. All of this can also be greatly affected by the type and/or amount of lighting used over the tank.

For some reason some FH fanatics think they re-invented the wheel with regards to background & substrate colors & how they can affect a fishes color. The reality is most breeders & experienced fish keepers have known about all of this for decades.

Most dominant adult cichlid/FH are going to display dominant coloration no matter how you tweak their environment, the rest just all boils down to personal preference.
 
One drawback to the black gravel is that before the black gravel, I could live with one 10000K 48 inch long light bulb. Now I put on two and its still dark, need to add one more :-)
 
Great write up... I habe also mature male flower horns sfter 2 years in a tank go black just like that having no change othert than the roomate on the other side of the divider... Your overall review and conclusion are the same resolutions I came up with as well!!!
 
Funny how you said that..

I always had purebred cichilds in dark colored tanks and somehow this flowerhorn does not look right in a tank with dark gravel. Somehow it looks more "natural" in a bare tank with red or blue background and colored stones :D

LionDancerKN;4478076; said:
I've always wanted black background for my flowerhorn, but the bright colors grown attached to me
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