background and gravel color

[jumpin joe fish]

How about silica sand. I heard cichlids like to sift through the sand.
Would that make them feel comfortable and bring out their colors or does
the light color of the sand wash out the colors

 

[balton777]

With some cichlids white sand washes out the colors and others it makes them look better. Black substrate makes some cichlids too dark. For example my Jag looks horrible over black sand because it washes out the light colors of his pattern and he turns almost completely black. He looks much better over light colored substrate.

 

[fsubulldogs]

i currently have a mix of white and black gravel and a blue background and my fishes colors are great