Question: Adding gravel

[xBSD]

Hello gang,

As usual, I have a question for you wise folk. I currently have (turquoise) green gravel in my tank; I like green, but this particular kind of green is brighter than the fish in my tank, their colors get kind of muted in the face of such overwhelming green.

Would it be OK for me to add a thin layer of darker gravel for now, then add a little more after a few days? No problem if I do it with the fish still in the tank, or do I have to take them out? (I sure hope not)

Cheers and thank you much, in advance.
-xBSD

[hpt84]

you can add gravel with the fish inside as long as you rinse the gravel really well. Personally, I would drain the tank. Put the fish in a container. Take all the gravel out and add new gravel. Natural gravel is of course very natural. Black gravel bring out the color of your fish. Sand is another option.

[Adrian]

hmm, I had this problem once before too. I did add gravel while my fish were in the tank, a little at a time until it was complete.

Then, one day when I was doing a massive water change, I blended the two together. In this instance, black and green, and it was really stunning. I vacumned the detris out, and refilled the tank. Note: when this massive water change was being done, I had removed all my fish.

[xBSD]

Appreciate the responses, I just added a layer of black gravel to the tank and it looks fantastic!

Cheers!
-xBSD

[doug z]

Yeah, black is way better..

Especially if you are doing plants..

[siymdapolio]

Agree about the black gravel really does bring out fishes colors, But i recently have bought some local gravel that the LFS sells and uses, must be rinsed tons(which I didnt but fish are fine after tons of water changes, my fault) They substrate is a blend of very neutral colored rocks with some white crystal and other light colored rocks very natural and neutral coloring instead of adding all these primary colors or strong tints. Just thought you might want to look into that stuff too.

[xBSD]

Agree about the black gravel really does bring out fishes colors, But i recently have bought some local gravel that the LFS sells and uses, must be rinsed tons(which I didnt but fish are fine after tons of water changes, my fault) They substrate is a blend of very neutral colored rocks with some white crystal and other light colored rocks very natural and neutral coloring instead of adding all these primary colors or strong tints. Just thought you might want to look into that stuff too.

Alex, that's what I started with, completely natural gravel, not that I didn't like it, I just wanted to add "green", being my favorite color and being completely new to this hobby... it dampened the fish and plant colors. On top of that I threw in this gigantic white rock, not a single fish went anywhere near it. Now it's a completely different story. I really like the black color in my tank, along with the dark driftwood cave and a horizontal dark rust colored rock with a cave, it looks (to my eyes at least) amazing.

This black gravel will eventually get mixed with the other two kinds, now that'll be interesting. Maybe I should add even more black gravel to nudge the eventual mixture to the darker shade.

Cheers!

[siymdapolio]

My mistake :ezpi_wink1:

I agree my tank is very nuetral, no decorations is bringing the fish out in my tank but I am shooting for lots of plant and getting fertilized subsrate and had a giant bog wood in the middle with tons of slate rock covering my undergravel filter :D( long ways away)

Let us know what you end up with, I might want to start a small tank in a while and opened to everything.
thumbs2:

[xBSD]

My mistake :ezpi_wink1:

I agree my tank is very nuetral, no decorations is bringing the fish out in my tank but I am shooting for lots of plant and getting fertilized subsrate and had a giant bog wood in the middle with tons of slate rock covering my undergravel filter :D( long ways away)


Plants are nice, I plan on doing something very similar with bog wood and *lots* and lots of plants, but that's for a bigger tank. I don't want to plant my current (and sole aquarium) 20g too much, about 30% of the area has plants right now, will add a plant soon and stop at that.



Let us know what you end up with, I might want to start a small tank in a while and opened to everything.
thumbs2:


Definitely! Stay tuned for some photos soon. I just need to make a few small changes and then it'll be ready to show.

Cheers!
xBSD

[siymdapolio]

I am going to have a big center peice of bog wood hopefully with some branches coming off extending to the tip of the water, I need fert subrate first, giant bogwood, and tons of slate rock stacked up to cover up the undergravelfilter, Then i will show mine thumbs2: and have more lights

[xBSD]

I am going to have a big center peice of bog wood hopefully with some branches coming off extending to the tip of the water, I need fert subrate first, giant bogwood, and tons of slate rock stacked up to cover up the undergravelfilter, Then i will show mine thumbs2: and have more lights

Nice! How big is your tank?

-xBSD