Black vs White --> Front Substrate
- Thread starter blurock
- Start date
Speaking from my own experience I started with white sand and got bored quickly with it, mixed some black fine gravel in for salt and pepper look. Thought it looked good UNTIL i bought jet black sand and painted my back glass black with a roller. Now im black all the way. Dont like white or mixed salt and pepper anymore. The black will give you fronts a much more intense coloration. I had my fish on both and its amazing how much bluer the blue stripes are (they looked more ice white with the white sand) and how much blacker the black stripes are (they looked more shades of grey). Over all i find white sand will wash out the colors, alot. But its all about way you like, not us. If you like the ice blue rather than dark blue then white is the way to go etc...
Well I dont really like the look of salt and pepper, but I love all the pics of blacked out tanks I've seen, just havn't seen it with fronts. I like the black and more intense blues, but I like the contrast of the white to black/blue stripes, so would a blacked out tank with good lights keep the contrast on the fish? Cause right now I have them on tan, and my largest is always really dark and my two little ones seem kinda washed out...
You judge. Here are several pics showing the same burundi fronts in two different tanks : These were taken with a flash so it tends to make the white stripes more white than blue, natural eye and they are super blue right now !!
Here is the same fish as below , this time couple months later with the black glass and black sand , also with 50/50 marine glo and white lighting
Here is the same fish as above when there was no blacked glass and white sand w/black gravel mixed. This is how they looked most of the time in this tank, very typical. Tank had normal bright white aquarium lights at the time.
same tank (not sure if fish is same LOL) all is same except added in one marine glo bulb. Had 50/50 marine glo and white bulbs for this look, makes blues more intense with out washing out other colors like it does if you have all marine glo (too blue for my taste). Lighting can make a big difference.
Here is alpha in the white sand and no background:
Here is alpha in black background, black sand and 50/50 lighting:
This pic was taken last night:
Here is the same fish as below , this time couple months later with the black glass and black sand , also with 50/50 marine glo and white lighting
Here is the same fish as above when there was no blacked glass and white sand w/black gravel mixed. This is how they looked most of the time in this tank, very typical. Tank had normal bright white aquarium lights at the time.
same tank (not sure if fish is same LOL) all is same except added in one marine glo bulb. Had 50/50 marine glo and white bulbs for this look, makes blues more intense with out washing out other colors like it does if you have all marine glo (too blue for my taste). Lighting can make a big difference.
Here is alpha in the white sand and no background:
Here is alpha in black background, black sand and 50/50 lighting:
This pic was taken last night:
Wow, thanks for all the pics! That really helps! I like the all black look, guess it's looking like im going to have to invest in some lights.... haha
I have used both black and FW sand ( not white ). I really enjoy them both, and I hate gravel. I think all sand is beautiful and also would be torn between setting up a new tankk with white or black... I think they are both great, and is all about personal prefresnce. IMO piranhas look better in light colored sand.. African cichlids looks better in dark sand..
I've got a 55g Malawi tank with very white Caribsea sand with black background on a black stand. I also was VERY indecisive if I wanted white or black, I had 60lbs of both and then had to decide. One of the pro & con of white sand IMO is that you can easily clean waste off of it as it sticks out, but that's also the con, you see all the waste.
It's not horrible, but I'm always wondering what my tank & fish look like had I chose the black. I'm using one 48" Corallife 50/50 bulb and I find the reflection off the sand does make my tank look a bit "white bright" washes my AC's color out a tad.
Damn, now I'm thinking I may switch to black, but that's pita, here's a quick pic, it's not Fronts but may give you an idea:
It's not horrible, but I'm always wondering what my tank & fish look like had I chose the black. I'm using one 48" Corallife 50/50 bulb and I find the reflection off the sand does make my tank look a bit "white bright" washes my AC's color out a tad.
Damn, now I'm thinking I may switch to black, but that's pita, here's a quick pic, it's not Fronts but may give you an idea:
I think, if your going for the ALL NATURAL look, the rift lakes have a kinda mid-brown sand. It kinda depends on what fish you want that can effect what the sand does in contrast.... With mbuna, darker sands make them look really cool, especially the Pseudo. demasonisick_lid;2338009; said:
. But for the lighter fish, go with lighter sand. Hope this helps...Thanks everyone. Well the repairs on the big tank are taking longer that I had hoped, so I'll have some extra time to think about it... I think my hardest decision and next step is going to be the lights...
