The effect of black gravel

[CDM]

Here's a good demostration for the effect of black gravel. The belly was milky white without any spots, and here's a pic 6 months after black gravels added.

 

[AnDr3w]

Black gravel is

 

[Razman]

sweet, so thats whats gonna happen to my bichir. CDM, how bout an update on the rest of your bichirs.

 

[zaric]

The effect is good Btw, was that a lung behind the wood

 

[PhullTank57]

Nice! I love the effects that black gravel does to a fish's color.

I've used black gravel/sand with my polys before, but personally I prefer to use a reddish/rust like color gravel instead. IMO, it shows alot more color contrast and highlights on my endlis.

Thanks for sharing, bro CDM!

 

[ancientfishfan]

One of my guinea endys from Toyin/Rehoboth Aquatics shows this on the belly. It's on brownish gravel. The other guinea and other volta do not. I think the darker gravel brings it out. Just wouldn't expect it on every endlicheri.

CDM, I've always been in complete awe of your collection and photos. You are the man!

 

[freeskierrocket]

I've got black backings on all my tanks and blk gravel on a couple , natural gravel on the others!!!!! I love the Black contrast though!!!

 

[CDM]

The effect is good Btw, was that a lung behind the wood

Yes, there's a Protopterus aethiopicus behind the wood.

Nice! I love the effects that black gravel does to a fish's color.

I've used black gravel/sand with my polys before, but personally I prefer to use a reddish/rust like color gravel instead. IMO, it shows alot more color contrast and highlights on my endlis.

Thanks for sharing, bro CDM!

Indeed, the reddish/rust like color gravel shows the best color contrast and highlights on bichirs. However, two major reasons keep me from it. Those red gravels selling in our LFS here are artificially dyed. I don't want to risk my bichirs with those unnatural materials. The second reason is it's too hard to get accurate white balance for photography with the red substrate.

One of my guinea endys from Toyin/Rehoboth Aquatics shows this on the belly. It's on brownish gravel. The other guinea and other volta do not. I think the darker gravel brings it out. Just wouldn't expect it on every endlicheri.

CDM, I've always been in complete awe of your collection and photos. You are the man!

Thanks for the nice comment. I have no clue about where my endlicheris came from, because our LFS never care where they got their stocks from. However, all my endlicheris show similar black spots as that on above photo, though some of them just started.

 

[TipStylez]

Yep, black gravel sure dose cause the fish to turn darker. Kinda like camo.

 

[CDM]

sweet, so thats whats gonna happen to my bichir. CDM, how bout an update on the rest of your bichirs.

Here's an update:
Ornate; darken a bit:

Endlicheri 01 and congicus 01; both remarkablly affected by the black gravel:

Other endlicheris also get darker, the front one even shows brownish tint:

This endlicheri used to be dark, hence it gets darker a bit, but less remarkable:

This endlicheri shows darker base color while the stripe color does not get darker, and the contrast is not so nice. Personally, I think it's the unwanted side effect of the black gravel.

Here's an example for the late black gravel affected, the base color on its back is getting darker, IMO, that's the best stage for contast:

This unique one passed after the massive change of filtering materials:

Another shot for the congicus:

Another congicus:

Lapradei 01 and 02 (more greenish and brownish on the base color):