Lighting/Gravel/Fish color

[toddwcpa]

Hello all,

I'm looking for some general advice on how to bring out the color of my fish. I think that possibly better lighting and/or a change of gravel might help.

Currently I am using LED strip lights that are submerged right along the upper edge of the aquarium. It was a setup that came from the big box retailer. Some of the blue lights in the strip no longer work but I haven't wanted to replace it yet just because of the cost and because I kind of like the hidden light strip.

Also, I used very light colored sand in the aquarium, which I've grown to dislike due to getting sand in the tub every time I do a water change. And I've read that dark substrate can bring out the colors of the fish.

And that is my primary goal: to show off the colors of the fish. I currently have a blood parrot, electric blue acara cichlid, five rainbowfish, a gold nugget pleco, couple of cory cats, and a little blue ram. They are all colorful, but I just can't get them to look as nice as they do at the store.

Oh, and I don't have live plants in the tank.

Any advice on bringing out the color will be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Fresh2o]

Generally a darker backdrop will do. Darker substrates can be black sand or blasting sand, or gravel. I find that light colored substrates tend to give some fish a "washed out" look.
A black or dark blue background helps. Painted on looks best, however, anything you can affix to the back out wall should do fine.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Improve the diet.
Include;
high percentage spirulina flake (most fish accept this)
A crumb food with astaxanthin (known colour enhancer)

Add a few simple to keep plants. Makes a big difference, I'm against plants but I think it's a requirement for most fish. So I have a few.
Anubias will do or java fern.
Both are bullet proof. Requiring very little light and not much general maintenance.
They grow on wood or decor but generally are not planted into the substrate.
They can just float about if you wish.

 

[toddwcpa]

Thanks for all the tips.

I changed some of the fake plants from green to a dark red color, to create a darker backdrop. I added one real plant, just to see how it would do. It seems to be doing alright, but isn't a very impressive addition.

But most importantly, I upgraded my lighting to a Fluval LED light strip. It has a remote control and offers a wide variety of settings, most of which are just a gimmick. But the lighting upgrade made a huge difference over the lights that came with the aquarium. Looks like a completely different tank.

A darker substrate would probably also be a smart change. But the thought of removing all that sand... what a pain. Not today.

Thanks again to all who responded with suggestions.

 

[Fresh2o]

Congrats on the new light fixture.
Sand removal is not that bad. During your next partial water change, use the hose to suck up the sand. Not too much or you will clog the hose.