what substrate to use? Have Celestial Pearl Danios

fishybert

Hi peeps,

i'm planning on using light colored gravel for a 10-gallon tank that a school of CPDs will call home. The reason is rather self-serving -- i want to see the little ones better when they swim around. i noticed in my current tank(w/ multicolored gravel) that they're pretty hard to spot without putting your face up the tank.

i plan to add some driftwood with java ferns sticking out of it as the centerpiece.

Your thoughts? tia

Olympia

They'll be more faded with light gravel.
Have you though about a medium colored sand? or river rock gravel?
I'd use a dark driftwood. And lots of plants. :D
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Byron

Yes, a sand substrate, lots of wood and plants, and especially floating plants. The substrate could be common playsand, or you can buy black aquarium sand (much more expensive, but for a small tank not too bad if that is what you want). You do need lots of plants, and floating are essential for this species. They will not have good colour without dim light which is best achieved by a good cover of floating plants. Water Sprite is ideal for this. Java Fern attached to the wood will work well as it is a low light plant.

Byron.

fishybert

hmm, i kinda thought having light colored gravel/sand would help contrast the little ones, since they're a bit dark-colored.

i hope to get started on my tank over the weekend...dang deadlines at work keep popping up :p

Byron

The reality is the opposite. Fish that come from habitats with dark substrates, which covers most of the fish we keep, will be more colourful over dark substrates and of course with less overhead light from floating plants. I have seen examples of this in many characins and even corydoras, that changed their background colouration (light/darker) depending upon the substrate. A fish over a bright substrate will naturally feel threatened because it is un-natural, and that means less colourful and more stressed.

fishybert

Yeah, that's what i thought too. Their natural habitat is SE asian rivers with mud at the bottom.

Dark gravel it is then. Thanks!