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Red gravel does little to display plants.  And adding goldfish will not help.

Motif.  Gravel sets the tone of your aquarium.  It is always the first item of decor you add and the last item you change.  Most people think they’re stuck with the color they start with.  Untrue.  As John Leach says, “You can always add colorful highlights to your driveway.”  In other words, one of the easiest and most economical ways to make a dramatic change in your aquarium is to change your gravel.

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Natural gravels come in multiple colors.

Dark Gravels.  Dark gravels show off the natural colors of your fishes the best.  Subdued gravel colors also emphasize your fish and plants.  Bright-colored fishes look much brighter over dark colored gravels.  

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Green betta over white sand on left.  Her sister over bare glass on right.

Light Gravels.  Many fishes (especially cichlids) bleach out over light-colored gravels.  Black fishes, gouramis, and livebearers look fine over light colors.

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Unnatural colored gravels come in rainbows of colors.

Fluorescent Colors.  Very few fishes stand out when displayed over fluorescent gravels.  Bright gravels, fluorescent ceramics, and bright-colored plants give your tank a look that emphasizes your aquarium rather than your fish.  Warning:  Many fluorescent gravels are “dyed” and will discolor your water.  The carbon in your filter takes these colors out.  

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Orange fish "disappear" over red gravel.

Contrasting Colors.  If you put a goldfish over yellow, orange, or red gravel, it “disappears” into the background.  Even these very bright colored fishes need to be displayed over the “right colored” gravels.  Likewise, avoid putting blue fishes over blue gravel (and similar color combinations).  

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Careful when using sand in your aquarium.

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Sands also come in a rainbow of colors.  You'll even find several shades of white.

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Make your sand layer thin -- ¼ to ½ an inch.

Sand Substrate?  Sand grains come in a variety of sizes (as well as colors).  In your aquarium, sand runs thru the holes in your under gravel filter.  Use only a thin layer.  It packs as hard as a rock.  Cleaning sand is difficult.  It siphons out when you use a gravel vacuum cleaner.  However, it can look pretty good and shows certain fishes off quite well.   

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Black, green, and blue gravels wearing out.

Wears out.  Colored gravel loses color over time.  Constant exposure to water and grain abrasion cause the so-called “permanent color” to wear off.  For instance, black gravel becomes checkered gravel and eventually turns a dirty white.  The other colors also wear off,  but not as rapidly as the black.

Natural Gravels.  Natural gravels hold their original colors better than the plastic or epoxy-coated varieties.  The plastic-coated naturals stay fresh looking the longest.  

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Algae Fix will not kill this strain of algae.  Clorox will.

Grungy Gravel.  Light colored gravels tend to attract algae growth like a magnet.  Simply stirring your gravel cures this for a while.  Eventually, your gravel gets grungy enough that you need to change it entirely.  

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Smaller gravels help your plant root systems take hold.

Small Gravels.  Smaller gravels filter better than larger gravels.  They have more surface area to grow bacteria upon.  Smaller gravels also encourage plant growth by giving your plants the best places to anchor their roots.  However, smaller gravels take a little longer to clean.  You need to run your gravel vacuum cleaner more slowly or you can suck the gravel out of your tank with the water.

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Gravels also come in a variety of sizes.

Larger Gravels.  Larger gravels look better in larger tanks and with larger fishes.  (Careful, some large fish enjoy “pinging” large gravel and small rocks against the glass.)  A mixture of  gravel sizes looks more natural than the “screened” every-grain-the-same-size gravel.  

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You decide which looks better.

Gravel Levels.  Flat gravel looks boring.  The easiest way to aquascape is to pile your gravel up in the corners.   Every time you vacuum your gravel, you will need to re-aquascape.  Terracing some of your gravel behind rocks or wood also adds interest to your tank.  Gravel tends to flatten out over time.  Unflatten your gravel frequently.

Summary.  Bored with the way your tank looks?  Update it.  Change your gravel.  LA

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