My 33gal tank has small gravel, light beige. It's a community tank, went with a light color cause I thought it would look real good. my new 5gal that I just started for the betta has black sand. I would've gone for gravel, but basically I just wanted a uniform dark color and it turned out I found sand that color. Reason I went to a dark color was that I read somewhere that white substrate is bleached to achieve the color, and it can cause some fish to lose their vibrant colors, which I think is what's happened to my golden gourami. When I got him a year ago he was very colorful. After a month, he faded slightly. Otherwise healthy, but just not as beautiful as when I picked him. I think I might change the substrate this summer to a darker color.
My two of my 10 gallons have gravel. One has alternating tan, blue/burgundy/green, then tan again, the other is going to have entirely black gravel. My other 10 gallon has black eco complete. I think a black substrate really makes the fish pop.. no matter what color.
My divided 6 gallon has tan sand with a gravel cap. The gravel is rust/black/brown colored. My 4 gallon has more tan gravel. My 2 and 3 gallon tanks have the same blue/green/burgundy gravel as one of my 10s. All my quarantine/hospital/temporary tanks are bare bottom for easy clean up.
I prefer gravel or eco-complete for my tanks, sand IMO is a p.i.t.a. I do like the bare bottom for tanks that either 1) aren't going to be used permanently or 2) being used as a hospital/quarantine tank because it helps me to do water changes quickly (since these tanks are usually 1 or 2 gallons).
Like most other people.. my breeding/fry tanks are bare bottom.
Gravel is amazing for a cycled tank. However, it's such a hassle to clean in a small aquarium. I have black gravel in my 2.5 and 2 gallon tanks (takes forever to clean), blue gravel in my 10 gallon, and black rocks in my 1 gallon.
Hands down, my 1 gallon with rocks wins. It's so easy to clean :)
I went from gravel to course sand, and frankly I am far happier with the sand its something between light tan and cream, I wanted something darker more tanish but that was all I could find its ether white tones, vibrant colors not found in the wild or black
? so if you have a bare bottom its easiest to keep clean ,but dosnt look good
and if you use glass for the bottom (like marbles or those glass things you can buy) the glass is easier to clean than the gravel ? ...and is it the smaller the gravel size the harder it is to clean ? I heard sand clogs filters so i dont want to use sand .
I have sand in my 12 gallon, I changed it from silver gravel a couple of weeks ago and it does look really nice also natural but its such a nuisance to keep clean and difficult when it comes to a water change. In my 2.4 i'm thinking I might put some black gravel since my new betta is cellophane he will need a colour that is going to make him stand out =)
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