Of course! lol
If I post lame pictures of tank cranks, empty tanks, a bag of gravel, you know you will get a fish pic for sure!
Super excited about the Trimac, always been on my wish list but never really had a spare tank to dedicate to one. My buddy has it temporarily housed for me and the fish is on pretty light gravel so it was looking washed out. My hope is that the color Im using will let it darken up. Hopefully more of the darker green shows.
I've never really considered the color of the substrate. I've always kept all of my fish on black sand. It's always been better for my UJ bichirs and it's cheap! Hopefully the darker gravel will bring out those rich greens
With the bichirs especially the big lower jaw the substrate really can make them pop. I just cant do the red garnet... I hate the fake look about it, even though it is a natural product. I use Caribsea peace river sand in the 300 and it is a very natural looking sand but lighter, so my bichir tend to look lighter and washed out. At this point no plans to change out the sand in an 8foot tank.
The hoga that was moved to the 75 growout looks totally washed out on a lighter gravel. It is a lighter gray and he doesn’t get the deeper reds like the other hoga on the little darker golden sand in the 300.
Substrate color doesn’t always effect every fish but Ive noticed benefits to some.
Yep color can really contribute to a look. I pretty much try and have each tank have its own ‘look’ or ‘theme’. Most I like but a couple are not quite right yet. I think right now it involves textures... dont know if that makes sense. Basically all the substrate is uniform right now. I feel like I need to mix sizes of stones, gravel and sand because in nature it’s not all uniform. Anyway still working out that aspect.
It's interesting the notion that any substrate that isn't a bland neutral is 'unnatural.' In nature you have gold/red/brown leaf litter, gray stone, black stone, multi color river rock, black sand beaches, red coral beaches, green moss, green/blue algae...it's more about the application than the color itself. Black,a popular color can be overwhelmingly dark, colorless and gloomy if the base is solid black. Especially true with large tanks, it can make the room look darker. Care needs to be used with aquascaping to bring in interest and contrast, lighting is vital.
Flowerhorns are the only fish I would do "unnatural color" substrate with (ie orange, electric blue, pink, etc) because it suits their ornamental appearance and colors. A mud brown substrate with a FH would just look weird.
Salt tanks you can go buck wild with color, due to the brilliant colors of the fish.
This is the kind of update I like... Progress and pictures
Look the 75 is on the rack and filling up
The left side of rack with the 75 filled. Aquaclear 110 running, heater on, gravel in. Just need to get temp set and bring over bio-media from another tank.
The right side of rack
The full rack, just need to get the 65B puffer tank moved over and the 30 in the center set up. Very soon...
The 75g growout with hoga x1, midas x5 , sagittae x3
Lots of storage, bottom tank 10" off floor so room for storage bins. I have heavy stuff like gravel, bio-rings, matrix and other heavy decor.
The middle has room for my Python hoses
The left side has a under bed type box and hold the Python gravel tubes
The other 65B I have will go where the Mopani is sitting.
The other (arrowhead) puffer on the left lower side 65B will go in the middle 30 gallon (36x12 footprint) and then I have the 65B and 75 as support tanks for the whole amphilophus community happening in the 300.
I love when I have good updates to share!
Look the 75 is on the rack and filling up
The left side of rack with the 75 filled. Aquaclear 110 running, heater on, gravel in. Just need to get temp set and bring over bio-media from another tank.
The right side of rack
The full rack, just need to get the 65B puffer tank moved over and the 30 in the center set up. Very soon...
The 75g growout with hoga x1, midas x5 , sagittae x3
Lots of storage, bottom tank 10" off floor so room for storage bins. I have heavy stuff like gravel, bio-rings, matrix and other heavy decor.
The middle has room for my Python hoses
The left side has a under bed type box and hold the Python gravel tubes
The other 65B I have will go where the Mopani is sitting.
The other (arrowhead) puffer on the left lower side 65B will go in the middle 30 gallon (36x12 footprint) and then I have the 65B and 75 as support tanks for the whole amphilophus community happening in the 300.
I love when I have good updates to share!
So you want an informer, not a true mob baby...?
Looks good. Are you going to use sponge pre filters?
Lol, when the trimac is in , it will be gangsta enough for me.
Sponge pre filters... hadn’t thought of it. Might consider, thanks for the reminder.
