Low Light Plants?

[Metallic Sardine]

Hi guys,

Can any bros out here give me a list of low light plants. Will be switching from a normal plant tank to a 4ft with only 72w of light and no co2.

any suggestions?

Thanks,

MetaSrad

[hwchoy]

no CO2, sounds very tough.

[juggler]

Possible. I have done without CO2 and very fertilisation for my 1.5ft apisto tank with Java Moss and Anubias.

Other low light plants to consider: Java Fern, X'mas Moss? Crypts?

[David]

Jug....this is a four feet tank with only 72watts.......what is the breath and height?

[Metallic Sardine]

hi guys,

thanks for your replies and help. the breadth is 1.5ft and the height is also 1.5ft.

its not that i dont want to design a more suitable environment for plants but just want to take a holiday from the maintenance of a full scale planted tank.

BUT i just cant get away from the beauty of plants in a tank, it just makes the tank so much more natural and attractive!! dont know some guys can live with a bare tank???!

1 watt per gallon, can it be done?

maybe we can get this going as a project as to how much an aquarium hobbyist can get away from the meticulous maintenance of a planted tank. you guys can give suggestions while i experiment and i will revert to you guys weekly on how the tank is doing? hhmmmmm sounds like quite a plan....

thanks again for your help guys,

MetaSard

[CT]

Low light with no CO2, I think nana and java fern will be suitable plants in this kind of tank.

[theodore]

I have Sagittaria sublata and E. tenellus growing well in my low-light (1W/Gal) tank. The tank has DIY CO2 but no base fert. I'm quite sure they can survive without CO2 ... Growth rate is totally different issue of course.

[PEPSI]

So E-tenellus can survive under low light n without CO2? I alway tot they need quite a high watt of light

[checkerboard]

you can try marselia crenata for the foreground. I am growing it in a tank with no CO2 as well.

Crypts like balansae and wendtii can do without CO2 as well and of course there are the moss, xmas, java etc.

Java fern, nanas are also good additions.

[hwchoy]

yes I have tanks without CO2 too, but once you tried CO2 injection you will notice the tremendous difference. now the decision is "is the tremendous difference worth the time or $$ for CO2 injection"

[Metallic Sardine]

hi guys,

many thanks for your replies. they are a great source of info and I will do more research into the plants that you guys have suggested. will update you guys as i progress along.

yah, i know c02 will give great growth as I once owned a planted as well. it can be really mesmerising to watch the bubbles coming out of the leaves of the plants! great stuff.

but now, no choice, just stick to low maintenance first.....

thanks again

metasard

[juggler]

----------------
On 8/29/2003 9:21:30 PM

Jug....this is a four feet tank with only 72watts.......what is the breath and height?
----------------

I see. Mine is doing at about 1.25W/g. Better than his 4x1.5x1.5 with 72W at about 1W/g.

Please give it a try and see how it goes. Would be interesting and I am sure would be very low maintenance.

[peterkoh]

hi theodore,

read the echinodorus is a heavy root feeder. i'm trying to convert to a low light tank and got some plants from Far East at Simon road over the weekend, inc submersed tenellus. what is your water temp range and u don't use fertilizer in your substrate at all and yet tenellus is doing well ?

Thks.

[theodore]

I don't know the temp for my low-light tank cos the plants I chose are not picky about temperature range. No basefert and only 1-2cm of gravel. Growth rate will be visibly slower as compared to an 'average' planted tank (basefert, CO2 and 2-3W/Gal of light) but it will still spread to cover 70% of my tank within 3-4mths. In a high-light setup, you will have to trim every 1-2 weeks to prevent them from overrunning your tank.

[vinz]

If you don't mind the occassional CO2 top up, you can still use CO2. You'll get better results with the plant growth.

In a no CO2 tank, aeration or water surface agitation will be order of the day, to keep the O2 and CO2 levels up at ambient. Or any kind of wet-dry filter in place of these two.

[Metallic Sardine]

Hey Vinz,

Wow! Talk about thread revival man!

May I know how to occasionally top up CO2? I have heard that Mr Amano used Perrier when he first started. Is that the way?

I am using a cannister filtre. Is that a wet/dry filter?

Thanks again!

MetaSard

[vinz]

LOL... No no no, I meant injecting CO2 the normal way.. i.e. DIY or cylinder. TOp up as in topping up the cylinder or resetting the DIY solutions.

Cannister filters are generally not wet-dry, but Eheim has a cannister filter that is a wet-dry.

[Georgeer]

Nana, Java fern, moss (if temp is low enough).....

I just just "upgraded" my riccia tank to a low maintenance setup as well with lots of Java fern, Windelov Fern and moss.

[a_scape]

This is the same idea that my friend apply in Germany, he only use Bolbitis Heudoloti, Anubias Nana, Anubias Caladifolia 1705, Anubias Coffeefolia and Microsorium 'Lectus'.
Cheers,

AChen

[Metallic Sardine]

Hi Vinz,

Haha. Sorry for the mix up. I have the equipment for a DIY CO2 setup and I guess I can set it up for a week or two eveyr month such that my plants can get some growth spurts! Hehe...perrier...what was I thinking???[:]

My current setup is a Ehiem Pro II cannister (cant remember the model number) as well as an undergravel filter. I guess I can't keep any plants that need rooting to the substrate but I am stocking up on plants that can be bound to driftwood. Seems to work together with water column ferts but I do have to beef up my lights some more. [] []

I had given up keeping a full-scale planted and told myself that I would start on it again only when I retire....quite a long way off lah. It's a bonzai equivalent hobby and although a beautiful planted tank is a great accomplishment, I really cant do it well with my work schedule...[]

I am aerating my tank pretty well with 2 tubes but I will need some surface movement.

Thanks for your help dude![]

Cheers,

MetaSard