looking for low light plants

[skyler1354]

looking for low light plants

 

[Brad S]

You could try some of these.





Low Light Plants

• Cryptocorynes
  This plant is one of the more common low-light plants you will see at fish stores. It is usually sold in a basket and has multiple stems coming out of a single crown. Commonly called "crypts" in the hobby.
• Anubias
  These are very slow growing plants. The anubias are broad leafed plants which grow out of a single rhizome. Their leaves are very thick.
• Java Fern
  One of the most popular low-light plants due to its tenacity to stay alive. It will even reproduce little plantlets under the worst of conditions. It also thwarts the intentions of most plant-eating fish, almost as if it tastes bad. This plant grows from a rhizome, and develops a ton of brown hairy roots.
• Java Moss
  This plant grows in a clump, and has very stringy stems with tiny leaves up and down it, kind of like a pipe cleaner. It is usually grown as a clump on the substrate, or tied to a piece of driftwood.
• Bolbitis Fern
  This is another fern (like Java Fern) which can grow under lower light levels. It also has similar roots to Java Fern and does not need to be planted.

 

[mfdrookie516]

how low light are we talking here?

 

[skyler1354]

30 watts on a 20 gal high tank

 

[Brad S]

30 watts on a 20 gal high tank

Well, that's 1.5 watts per gallon. Really low light. You might get something like Java Moss to grow with that but just barely. I think I'd add a little more light if I were you. Not sure what kind of light you're using but maybe you could put in a higher watt bulb or add another one? IMO, minimum watts per gallon is 2. And that will just barely keep a low light plant alive. Plants love light so the more the better.

 

[skyler1354]

idk but i have 3 amozon sword plants and they are doing just fine

 

[Brad S]

idk but i have 3 amozon sword plants and they are doing just fine

Glad to hear your Amazons are doing well. They're another one that doesn't need a whole lot of light. The boof says they need 2 watts per gallon so 1.5 is a little low but enough apparently. Anyway, I assume by idk you mean you don't know what kind of light you have. Is that right? I was just wondering if you could put a higher wattage light in without having to change/buy a different one. Like maybe a screw in type bulb of some sort. You can easily get a higher watt bulb. CFL's are great here. If it's a fluorescent tube type you pretty much have to stay with what you have though. But anyway, your swords are OK so that's one that will grow under low light. Oh, do you feed your plants? Gotta feed them. The liguid stuff made for aquariums is best. Not Miracle grow or the like. Great for the plants but hazardous to the fish. Oops, sorry if you knew all that already.