Gravel for African Tanks

[Mettle]

Why is it that so many people use white as their colour of choice for African cichlid tanks? Is this because it makes the fish look better?

I'm just curious about this.

Also - which substrate is it that people use for African tanks to raise the PH and water hardness? Crushed coral? And is this why it's always white?

Thanks.

[srenka]

I read that it is better to use dark substrate for rift Africans.  Reason for white, is the crushed coral.

What, I'm doing is using crushed coral in the filter, and use onyx as substrate, that way I get the dark substrate and help with water chemistry.  (Onyx is supposed to harden the water a bit)  Onyx is not cheap and some may not like the steel colour of it.

Sarenka

[kennyman]

Carib-Sea has some great substrates blended for each of the three rift lakes.

[darkdep]

The crushed coral thing happens a lot in African tanks just for the buffering.  But you can also put that stuff in your filter.  I don't use it in most of my African tanks actually, I use black sand.  Africans are happiest in rocky setups, and IMHO black or dark substrate looks more "right".

[NjOyRiD]

try google, llook for picture of lake malawi, in water...you'll see what color is the substrate

[limmer]

I have been using dolmite (stucco stone) for my gravel from the old days.  It was supposed to raise the PH.  Not sure if things have changed from the old days.  The color I have is black.  I went to Merkley Building Supplies to check out the red recently.  Problem was they only had 100 lb bags.  They have 50 lb bags in season.  The 100 lbs was about $20 I think.  They have samples in the show room.