Opinions please on pea gravel?

rsnprocess

I'm setting up a 15 gallon (seeding it with filter from existing tank and doing the hanging of some gravel in a bag on the side for a while) with the following:

2 honey gourami
5 lyre tail guppies

I've ordered a LED hood for this aquarium. I wanted to get a substrate that shows off the colors well. I also wanted to get a smaller size gravel, 1/8 or 1/4 in.. I think this size is pea gravel. Any opinions?

Also where do you buy this size? Can you get it in black?

Aqua Jon

I would go with 1/8" for no reason other than personal preference. You should be able to find something at your local fish/pet store. Black substrate is becoming more and more popular, so I think more retailers are stocking it. If no one near you carries it, look to amazon or ebay.

Byron

If you intend having live plants in the substrate, a fine grain gravel works better than pea gravel. I have or have had both with identical plants.

Aside from plants, either size gravel will work with those fish mentioned. Substrate fish (loaches, corys, etc) do better with fine gravel rather than pea gravel, again I have experienced both.


Byron.

redchigh

In my opinion, black large-grained sand (1-2mm in diameter) and a black background works best to make the colors pop.