# Anyone use white gravel?



## Kyguylal (Jan 21, 2012)

I'm colorblind. I can't tell shades apart from one another very well, especially reds and blues, so I figured it was a good idea to get white gravel for my new tank that coming tomorrow. Looking now, was this a bad idea? It's a 6.6 fluval chi. I have a few granite rocks with moss on them that will be going in. 

Will these colors clash horribly?

I got the white so I could see my shrimp. 

Anyone have white gravel that works for them?


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## DaveK (Jul 10, 2010)

My experience with white gravel is that it looks great when new, but once it gets some dirt or algae on it, the gravel looks rather grungy. 

Considering everything, perhaps black gravel would be a possible choice?


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## zoo minsi (Jan 1, 2006)

never used it personally but ive seen plenty of tanks with white sand or gravel, only issue i could see would be that it might need to be cleaned a bit more often but other then that should work like a charm. goodluck cant wait to see some pics.


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## bfensty (Jan 20, 2013)

I myself have stuck to black gravel because the way it contrasts with anything you put in the tank really looks cool. Also the only problem with white gravel I could see would be that like white clothes they need to be cleaned more often than darker ones.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

I'm not great with colors myself, and tend to favor earth tones, greys and black. 

As to aquariums though, I never really liked the look of a really light/white substrate. I like the black substrates (flourite black, black beauty, etc.), or the brownish/mixed substrates (natural river gravel, flourite, etc.).

I think the white substrates I've seen tend to both show dirt and give the tank a washed-out appearance, whereas I feel the darker substrates tend to make the fish and plants stand out more.

There are some people who really like the look of white substrates (some of the pool filter sands are pretty whitish/light colored), and I have seen some tanks set up like that that actually look pretty nice.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I think white or off white sand would be better than white gravel, if you want white. 
The chunky pieces of gravel will give the shrimp more places to get partially out of site, and the dark spots between the rocks will make it harder to see the shrimp. 
Looking for shrimp against sand is almost like looking for them on a sheet of paper: Really easy to find them. 

On the other hand, many fish will wash out their color when the tank is too light. Instinct tells them they are out in the open in the lake or river and can be seen by a predator. By using black or dark substrate the fish color up better, and, IMO the plants stand out better. 

Like lochaber, I like the natural shades that are blends of soft greys and browns, but all in a darker tone, and I like black substrate. This creates a background that makes livestock and plants stand out.


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## Kitsune_Gem (Apr 10, 2012)

White looks amazing at first, but as the tank gets older, it looks so bad. It shows every bit of algae, poop, dirt, ect. It will never look as good as it once did..


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## kal_daka87 (Dec 21, 2012)

Diana said:


> I think white or off white sand would be better than white gravel, if you want white.
> The chunky pieces of gravel will give the shrimp more places to get partially out of site, and the dark spots between the rocks will make it harder to see the shrimp.
> Looking for shrimp against sand is almost like looking for them on a sheet of paper: Really easy to find them.
> 
> ...


+1 to everything said above.


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## rileynapalm (Feb 7, 2013)

I'm colorblind too. I favor darker substrates, such as black, because I feel that it shows the fish and plant colors better. They tend to kinda wash out and look pale on lighter gravel. 

But, that being said, I used a natural type of gravel in my 15 and really wish that I would have went a different route. My 29 has the brownish red eco-complete mixed with the black. I stuck a black background on the tank and it all looks awesome! feel free to look at my signature and check my tanks to see if one appeals more to you.


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