# What is the best background color for Discus?



## chemjab (Aug 17, 2004)

*What color substate is best?*​
Black1161.11%White15.56%Other633.33%


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## chemjab (Aug 17, 2004)

Like the subject I want to know what color you think are the best for background and substrate for making the colors pop on Discus. Pictures would be great.

jgentry commented that black substrate can make pigeons pepper. That has got me wondering 
if a different color might be better?
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=179685

So bring on the pics opcorn: .


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

i dont have pics, but i like black for all fish, white tends to drain the color IMO.


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## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

I voted other, I prefer a natural looking substrate. In a tang tank I'd want grey/beige substrate to match the rocks, in a SA river habitat I like a nice tan coloured sand. Natural looking substrate and a deep blue background is the way to go IMO.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

AHHH, i thought it said background! i like brown-tan sandy substrates!!!!!!!!! is there a way to change my vote????


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Lol, it does say 'background' in the thread title, gage, but the poll says 'substrate,' and then the OP asks for opinions on both in his opening post. 
BV


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## jgentry (Jul 3, 2008)

I think it depends on what fish you have. Some fish turn really dark and loose a lot of color on a dark substrate. Other tend to look great on back substrates. I prefer a natural brown substrate for all my freshwater. However my saltwater tank has black sand and it looks great.

For the background I like the light blue non reflective adhesive backgrounds. If the tank has a sump I generally just leave the wall as the background if I can hide all the cords.


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

For the most part, Discus seem to look better on lighter substrates/ backrounds. They seem to darken up on dark substrates/backrounds. I'm in the process of changing my backround to a lighter one instead of the darker one I have.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

For background I always go black now. It gives the best look of depths out of the colors I've tried.

As for sand, depends on the fish. Most fish look better over dark, even black substrates (and some stretches of the rio xingu and west africa do have natural black mud or sand). A rare few look better of lighter sand (apisto cauc's and Geo Tapajos Red Heads come to mind).

A lot of the line bred discus strains would pop over black, but natural colored ones like heckels tend to darken over it and you don't see their colors, so for me it would depend on the discus colors.


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

My brighter Discus like my red pigeon blood and golden phoenixes look ok over the darker backround but my leopards and blue diamonds don't show up well against it at all. That's why I'm switching.


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## jack lover (Aug 12, 2008)

i would love to have some discus but they are like 80$


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

Big Vine said:


> Lol, it does say 'background' in the thread title, gage, but the poll says 'substrate,' and then the OP asks for opinions on both in his opening post.
> BV


just noticed that...LOL

i say a tank sand substrate with a black background.


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## chemjab (Aug 17, 2004)

shef said:


> My brighter Discus like my red pigeon blood and golden phoenixes look ok over the darker backround but my leopards and blue diamonds don't show up well against it at all. That's why I'm switching.


hey shef,

I have recently discover that my Pigeons are showing a lot more pepper with the black substrate and background.

I too am looking at changing to a lighter background/sub to try and reverse the effect.

For details see:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=66212


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## shef (Oct 3, 2004)

I was also told that dark backrounds would bring out peppering. This is how mine looks:


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