High lighting with low or medium light plants...

[schoeplein]

How does high lighting affect most low light or medium light plants? I have mostly high or medium-high plants, but a few lower light plants. I've read it can bleach out plants (turn them white ish), or kill them entirely, or even case their growth to explode...

Are there methods (other than shading/dimming) that can help lower light plants endure or even prosper?

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[Brian_Nano12g]

A lot of lower light plants can still prosper in a high light environment when glut and CO2 are in play. In fact, I've seen their growth rate almost double compared to when I've had them in a low tech tank. On the flip side, their slower growth tends to leave their leaves vulnerable to algae when there's an imbalance. Adding glut has a side benefit of being a mild algaecide. Having an adequate co2 level and fertilizer regimen helps balance the tank and prevent algae. Keeping low light tolerant plants shaded or lower to the substrate (i.e. moss tied to rocks or lower parts of DW rather than the upper part of DW that protrudes closer to the light source), and reduced photoperiods can help. And if algae manages to grow, as in the case of some BBA on my slower growing crypt and anubias leaves in my high tech tank, I spot treat with h2o2 as needed.

But other than that, I haven't witnessed any bleaching out or die off.

Edit:
Oh and having an algae cleanup crew like shrimp, nerites, and otos can help keep your low light plants healthy in the higher light environment.

 

[schoeplein]

My low light plants are short, and planted in the floor substrate - ~24" from the light, and mostly shaded by my larger high light plants. Sounds like they'll be fine.

Also, I'd prefer not to get snails, are there any tropical shrimp that can handle 79-81F?

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[schoeplein]

I do have glut and peroxide on standby. It's nice having half my family in the medical field. Was given a large jug of glut for free.

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[Brian_Nano12g]

Amano shrimp are algae eating machines and are fairly hardy. They do get larger than RCS so are less susceptible to being eaten by fish. RCS are good too and can reproduce in FW... Just give them hiding spots like moss or cholla wood or something.