Does Black Substrate make your cichlids look better?

[Calihawk]

I LUV Black tank...but it all depends on what you have. Black works with Pearls and Spangles or Bright color fishes. So if you have a Black Nasty or Cuban it may not work (just think of how your regular pleco looks like on black. Jack Dempsys are dark but it brightens their spangles.
Pleco looks unspectacular

Bright Colors (well she's also breeding mode)

Comparison with my Flowerhorn..First in my plain 55 and second in my darken 120

 

[Steveo McNello]

Light substrate with a 3D background. Looks perfect in my opinion. I tried the black background before and Idk if it wasn't mixed right but the black was not nearly as deep as I thought it'd be. It was almost a dark dark purple with the lights on.

 

[Steveo McNello]

In fact, there's a black background behind the 3D one ; )

 

[balton777]

Light substrate with a 3D background. Looks perfect in my opinion. I tried the black background before and Idk if it wasn't mixed right but the black was not nearly as deep as I thought it'd be. It was almost a dark dark purple with the lights on.

Other than the plants, it looks like I dunked my head into a river and this is what I saw.

 

[Calihawk]

Other than the plants, it looks like I dunked my head into a river and this is what I saw.

LOL, some places including the beer bottle.

 

[m1ste2tea]

like others have said it depends on your background. Personally I like a black background with a neutral colored substrate, this way when you look at your fish at level they pop out more against the black background yet the black is not overwhelming to cause your fish to morph into a dark shade.

 

[Jimmy16]

i like my blue gravel lol

 

[Steveo McNello]

Other than the plants, it looks like I dunked my head into a river and this is what I saw.

Yeaaaaa the plants ended up being a bit greener than advertised haha.

 

[pbass510]

In my opinion black gravel and black sand looks pretty good

 

[koltsixx]

I personally believe what some others have said, it depends on the fish and you've got to experiment to find exactly the right combo of substrate, plants and background. In my opinion dark substrate's and dark backgrounds seem to work wonders on light beige with black/brown mottling Gar's, Poly's and high orange fish like Devils and BP's. Other than that I've had unattractive reactions to black backgrounds and substrate by the fish. At least as far as CA/SA cichlids with yellow often darken to a unpleasant degree(Lyonsi, Loisellei) as well as green colored fish like Pearsei who become more brown looking. I think if you've got the money for a 3D backdground it's the way to go as far as backgrounds and substrate either a beige/brown mix or pure white sand and I'd go with alot of green plants. In my experience the more contrast you have in the tank the more contrast the fish will have and the more striking their appearance. It goes along with what others said which is a logical assumption that they try to blend into their environment, anyway that's just my 2 cents.