Help w/ new substrate!

[Kustrud]

I switched from gravel to PFS and love how clean it stays. I can turn my wave maker on every other day for 5 min on high and everything on the bottom gets stirred up and sucked away.

However, I have a Green Terror and want to follow the advice of others on here and try something black to bring his colors out more! (Or even something else darker than what I have). Would more food/feces get hung up in gravel vs PFS?

Looking for some specific product recommendations! Black sand? I’m not opposed to gravel if it won’t hold more crud…

I do not want to mix anything in though. I’d like to replace with all black or something else darker in color.

 

[tlindsey]

Would more food/feces get hung up in gravel vs PFS?

Yes some of the fish waste would get in between the gravel vs just laying on top of the sand. They do sell black sand.

 

[duanes]

Is your PFS stark white?
If so mixing in some natural color PFS would accomplish the same purpose as going completely in the opposite (black) direction.
Below are some photos taken in S America where you would find Andinoacara.

And its not just about substrate, but adding some dark rocks, or driftwood can help provide natural color blending objects.

Where Andinoacara are concerned, a totally black substrate would not be natural.
I catch Andinoacara coerleopunctatus (close cousin to your GT) here in rivers in Panama, and with their natural coloration, they'd probably never gravitate to river bottoms that are stark black, because that would make them stand out, and become easy prey for fish eating birds.
Below, a typical river bottom where I catch the Andinoacara, like the one in the net below.

You can easily see the cichlids natural coloration would make them vulnerable too aerial attack, on black (or white) substrate.

 

[Kustrud]

More specifically, is there a specific black sand anyone can recommend? Or is the standard stuff at Petsmart OK?

 

[tlindsey]

Petsmart

Yes fine to use.

 

[A201]

Maybe just tape black foam board on the back of your tank.

 

[Kustrud]

Maybe just tape black foam board on the back of your tank.

Background is already painted black!

 

[A201]

Really nice looking tank. I wouldn't change a thing. If possible you might dim the light a notch or two. Your GT will color up as it matures. I've raised several of them. One of my favorites.

 

[Kustrud]

Really nice looking tank. I wouldn't change a thing. If possible you might dim the light a notch or two. Your GT will color up as it matures. I've raised several of them. One of my favorites.

Thank you! I am happy with it, but really, do you want to try a black substrate just to see what I think.

I was reading about Black Diamond Blasting Sand, is it pretty well agreed-upon that this is a safe substrate?

Definitely the lookI want to try and a store near me has a bag of it. About 99% of the reviews I have read on forums seem to think it’s safe but there is the one percent that does not….

Definitely do not want to harm the fish.

I plan on selling this tank and buying a 75 gallon once they get a little larger (just so everyone knows I’m not keeping these fish in a 29 gallon lol)

 

[A201]

Here's a pic of one of my best Rivulatus. The substrate was more or less a mix of light brown, dark brown & white river gravel.