Should I change my flower horns gravel color?

[Flowerhorn15]

I’ve been seeing a lot of debate on how background color and gravel color affect flower horns colors. I currently have a black background and black gravel because I didn’t know that wasn’t ideal for coloration but in my opinion I don’t think he looks dark or faded at all. Do you think spending the money and going through the trouble of changing the gravel to a more natural color will affect his coloration?

My smaller flowerhorn is the only one that is very dark in coloration but I’m assuming that’s because it’s only about 2 inches.

 

[danotaylor]

There are a plethora of options on the nuances of substrate and background color and there effects on fish color. You have a dark based FH and a lighter based FH. You won’t be able to have it perfect for both, so set your tank up in a way that YOU enjoy looking at and are happy with the individual fishes color

 

[skjl47]

Hello; First let be acknowledge I have not kept flowerhorns. My comments will be from general fish keeping for over 60 years. Light color substrate and light color backgrounds have resulted in faded colors on fish. Dark gravel has tended to boost colors in my experience.

Not as clear cut with backgrounds. I started to use dark backgrounds when used at all. I used aluminum foil at times.

My take is over time fish generally evolved to blend in by having darker top body colors and lighter belly colors. A predator looking down from above should have a harder time seeing the dark colors over a dark bottom.
A predator under the fish has a harder time looking up to see a light color (shinny belly) against the sky over the water.

Of course, some fish give the camouflages up during breeding seasons. Some of the dull small creek fish in my area become very attractive during breeding season.

But those who keep the flowerhorns may know best.

Have you tried different frequencies of light. Within the white light spectrums are ranges. I have come to like the "daylight" frequencies in the higher ranges. Maybe 4000 to 5000 k. The soft white frequencies not to my taste anymore. say in the 2500 k ranges.

good luck

 

[tlindsey]

I’ve been seeing a lot of debate on how background color and gravel color affect flower horns colors. I currently have a black background and black gravel because I didn’t know that wasn’t ideal for coloration but in my opinion I don’t think he looks dark or faded at all. Do you think spending the money and going through the trouble of changing the gravel to a more natural color will affect his coloration?

My smaller flowerhorn is the only one that is very dark in coloration but I’m assuming that’s because it’s only about 2 inches.

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Welcome aboard.

 

[HUKIT]

Here is a festae on black Caribsea Tahitian Moon.



Here is 24hrs later on shockingly white PFS, which I hated and swapped out to Flint which is much more natural.

 

[Flowerhorn15]

Here is a festae on black Caribsea Tahitian Moon.

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Here is 24hrs later on shockingly white PFS, which I hated and swapped out to Flint which is much more natural.

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You might have just convinced me to switch it for a lighter gravel. Still waiting for my smaller flowerhorn to get a little bigger to determine if it’s a female. Any guess if it is? Just recently started to see a small hump on he/hers head

 

[HUKIT]

I am definitely not a fan of dark substrate. Here is what I use now in all of my tanks. This is the brand, it’s heavy and doesn’t get blown around of sucked up with a python. Plus it’s like $6 per 50lbs.