PlanetCatfish.com

hi
i have a pair of ablino tiger barb about 2".
i was wondering what colour is best for them.
i was told to use a dark colour to help spot the eggs.

I tend to use a more natural color when I make spawning mops, I have a roll of green that has lasted a long time.
Lately I have been using small bunches of Anubias with a good bundle of roots for these sort of situations.

Birger

I use a floating mop and one on the bottom.
Most of mine are either 2 tone acrylic, usually dark green and light green or I sometimes just use solid black.
Not many mops are necessary for breeding most Barbs, Tetras and Pencilfish. They scatter their eggs and quickly turn around and eat them.
More important than mops is the use of an egg trap.
I use a piece of fluorescent light diffusing "egg crate" covered with nylon fly screen covering the entire bottom.
Very few eggs get eaten by the breeding fish this way.
I spray paint the egg crate with black Krylon acrylic spray paint prior to gluing the fly screen cover. Most of these fish prefer a dark bottom and very little lighting during the time they are set up for breeding.

You mention seeing the eggs. You really don't want that. What you can see so can the breeders.
The majority of the spawn will fall through the egg trap. After the fish have spawned and removed, you should see hundreds of eggs under the egg trap.