white or black substrate

[ineke]

Hi All ,

I am starting up 2 new tanks for RCS and have both black and white marble chips. Wondering if anyone has a heads up about the white? I have one tank already setup with black and it looks good. For the 2 new tanks I have a choice so thought I might have one of each but if you think the colours show up better on black I will stick to that. Would hate to setup up a new tank then find the white doesn't work as well. Thanks for any thoughts

Cheers

Ineke

[fish4fish3]

BLACK!

black silica, crushed black quartz and your black marble are good because they are inert... doesn't effect PH... :victorious:

fish and shrimp bothe like to be as invisible to any predators as possible and try and blend in. Only thing is that they haven't worked out they stand out more when they put on their brightest outfit over a dark substrate becoming a big red bulls eye! lol

i haven't really tried any of the other substrate like "up aqua" or benibenachi... as i don't have any fussy shrimp.

[ineke]

yes the black looks great just thought that as I had the white silica as well - was given with the tank I got originally along with the black. So 3 black tanks it is!

[Gbang]

once you go black you can never go back!!!

the shrimps don't have their best potential colour on white substrate. black brings their colours up hardcore!

[Triggs]

Vote for black also for reasons all mentioned above

[ineke]

All tanks now black and with the nanos they have a black backing so hopefully when the pick of the girls go in them it should look good!!!!

[Kaya]

hi ineke,

do you have any pics? I'd love to see what the marble chips look like in the tank :)

[KiwiBigD]

Got to be black, if you want the colour of the shrimps to come through then you want darker colours so the shrimps feel safer. Remember

in their natural habitat they want to blend so as to not be eaten, light substrate shows their colours of so the shrimps will either hide or

try to blend more.

[Squiggle]

Looks like black it is Ineke, lol

[ineke]

Bit of a late reply but all tanks black ,dark grey/black or benibachi, however I am going to put a small area of white where the feeding bowls go in the nanos so I can see how the colours are going making sure the shrimp aren't pale due to ill health. I need to be able to see some of my really dark shrimp so that is a good compromise

[Squiggle]

Are you calling me slow Ineke? Lol

[ineke]

hi ineke' date='

do you have any pics? I'd love to see what the marble chips look like in the tank :)[/quote']

kaya I have some photos of how my tank first looked under new members the bug has bitten and also in the shrimp and shrimp tank i thinkif you search my name it should come up. That tank has been pulled Down at the moment because I am using benibachi in it. I still think the black silica/marble chips looks fantastic my red cherries look ultra dark when in that tank. Try the search if you can't find it I will have look a bit later and bump it up. It's worth getting if you have any cherry types

[ineke]

Are you calling me slow Ineke? Lol

No Squiggle I was referring to me!!!! Would I pick on you:cheerful:

[Squiggle]

Yes! Yes you would in a heartbeat! Lol, But that's cool :encouragement:

[ineke]

Yes I would :triumphant:

[MrShrimp]

Biggest problem with any white substrate is that after a few months, you can easily see algae growing on them, also any waste can be visible. It's like a white couch, looks amazing when first brought but after some time, it doesn't matter how hard you clean it, it doesn't look so bright .

[ineke]

I'm trying just a very small area at the front of the tank so I can check the health of my shrimp because they are almost invisible against the dark colours. But then they are a very dark chocolate almost black