Plants For Low Light Tank

[Biulu]

Hello,

I have currently a 70 ltr tank with 1 15W plant's light. That makes for 18 US gallons, so .83 WPG. Currently I have the following plants: C. wendtti red, Sagittaria platophylla (slowly taking over the tank), amazon sword, tiger lotus, rotala rotundifolia and microsorum on the wood.

I have 1 large amazon sword that I want to get rid of, as it isn't that good looking. Now, plant choice here in Mexico is very limited, but I found a dealer that has the following available:

Althernanthera reineckii "Roseafolia" - 1/2 docena
Bacopa australis - 1/2 docena
Bacopa caroliniana - 1/2 docena
Cabomba caroliniana - docena
Cardamine lyriata - 1/2 docena
Cryptocoryne x willisii "Lucens" - c/u
Egeria densa - 2 docenas
Heteranthera zosterifolia - 1/2 docena
Hygrophila corymbosa "Siamensis 53B" - 1/2 docena
Juncus repens - 1/2 docena
Limnophila aquatica - 1/2 docena
Ludwigia repens - docena
Ludwigia repens "Narrow leaves" - 1/2 docena
Micranthemum umbrosum - maceta
Nymphoides aquatica - c/u
Vallisneria americana "Biwaensis" - docena
Vallisneria caulescens - 3 plantas
Zosterella dubya - 1/2 docena
Vallisneria nana - 1/2 docena

or
Hygrophila difformis docena
Hygrophila polisperma docena
Lobelia cardinalis 1/2 docena
Ludwigia arcuata 1/2 docena
Ludwigia glandulosa 1/2 docena
Mayaca fluviatilis 1/2 docena
Micranthemum micranthemoides maceta
Microsorum pteropus planta
Polygonum aquaticum 1/2 docena
Rotala sp. "Nanjenshan"

I don't like egeria densa as it is too messy and I don't have good experiences with cabomba (it desintegrated very quickly). I am leaning towards ludwigia repens to reinforce my rotala as it is having only 2 stems at the moment.

I will need background and midground plants to replace the amazon sword.

What do you suggest me?

 

[Biulu]

Hello,

I have currently a 70 ltr tank with 1 15W plant's light. That makes for 18 US gallons, so .83 WPG. Currently I have the following plants: C. wendtti red, Sagittaria platophylla (slowly taking over the tank), amazon sword, tiger lotus, rotala rotundifolia and microsorum on the wood.

I have 1 large amazon sword that I want to get rid of, as it isn't that good looking. Now, plant choice here in Mexico is very limited, but I found a dealer that has the following available:

Althernanthera reineckii "Roseafolia" - 1/2 docena
Bacopa australis - 1/2 docena
Bacopa caroliniana - 1/2 docena
Cabomba caroliniana - docena
Cardamine lyriata - 1/2 docena
Cryptocoryne x willisii "Lucens" - c/u
Egeria densa - 2 docenas
Heteranthera zosterifolia - 1/2 docena
Hygrophila corymbosa "Siamensis 53B" - 1/2 docena
Juncus repens - 1/2 docena
Limnophila aquatica - 1/2 docena
Ludwigia repens - docena
Ludwigia repens "Narrow leaves" - 1/2 docena
Micranthemum umbrosum - maceta
Nymphoides aquatica - c/u
Vallisneria americana "Biwaensis" - docena
Vallisneria caulescens - 3 plantas
Zosterella dubya - 1/2 docena
Vallisneria nana - 1/2 docena

or
Hygrophila difformis docena
Hygrophila polisperma docena
Lobelia cardinalis 1/2 docena
Ludwigia arcuata 1/2 docena
Ludwigia glandulosa 1/2 docena
Mayaca fluviatilis 1/2 docena
Micranthemum micranthemoides maceta
Microsorum pteropus planta
Polygonum aquaticum 1/2 docena
Rotala sp. "Nanjenshan"

I don't like egeria densa as it is too messy and I don't have good experiences with cabomba (it desintegrated very quickly). I am leaning towards ludwigia repens to reinforce my rotala as it is having only 2 stems at the moment.

I will need background and midground plants to replace the amazon sword.

What do you suggest me?

I forgot to add that I have sera floredepot substrate, dose seachem flourish and use root tabs.

 

[Biulu]

Ok, I have narrowed down the choice a bit, as I thought it was probably too much for you
I also did some research on the internet and came up with the following list to choose from:

Medium light:

Alternanthera reineckii
Hygrophila corymbosa
Juncus repens
Ludwigia repens
Hygrophila polisperma
Ludwigia glandulosa

HIgh light:
Heteranthera zosterifolia (love this plant!)
Hygrophila difformis
Ludwigia arcuata
Rotala sp 'nanjenshan'

These are all back ground plants. I want 2 background plants and am looking to have some variety in leave form and colour. Now my question is whether the hig light plants will only grow slower or whether they will die and not cope with the low light.

For the middle they basically only have 2 species Micranthemum micranthemoides and umbrosum. Same question here, will I be able to keep these plants or will they die?

So hopefully this will help you guys, to give some suggestions for which plants to choose.

Thanks for commenting

 

[lljdma06]

Can you add CO2? Even a fermentation kit? I have found that I can get away with much lower lighting levels if I use CO2. That being said, I have grown quite a few stemplants without CO2 with 1.4WPG, including some on your list. But those were T5 bulbs.

I have not tried stemplants in my .77WPG 36g, but the susswassertag and the fissidens are growing.

Can you get Cryptocoryne spiralis. Fantastic background plant. Aponogetons as well.

 

[Biulu]

Can you add CO2? Even a fermentation kit? I have found that I can get away with much lower lighting levels if I use CO2. That being said, I have grown quite a few stemplants without CO2 with 1.4WPG, including some on your list. But those were T5 bulbs.

I have not tried stemplants in my .77WPG 36g, but the susswassertag and the fissidens are growing.

Can you get Cryptocoryne spiralis. Fantastic background plant. Aponogetons as well.

Thank you for your reply.
Unfortunately I cannot add CO2 as I am on business trips regularly (same reason why I only keep shrimp and 1 betta in this tank). Aponogetons I have only seen once here, but that was when Tropica still supplied twice/year.

I am thinking of upgrading the tank to a 180 litres (36 g), and would then have 2 T5 with reflector and 2 15 W.

I think then that for the time being I should stick to the ones that are medium light? My tiger lotus and the sagittaria are growing well currently.

 

[Biulu]

Ok, after some more research, I have decided to go with the following plants: Hygrophila corymbosa and polisperma, Ludwigia repens and Micranthemum micranthemoides.

I will give it a try with these and then see which ones turn out well. Since this is a cultivator and in Mexico city (6 hours drive, so possible)I should be able to get more from him since I have experimented with these.

Llj, I will ask if he has the C. spirales and aponogetons. You never know...

 

[Biulu]

Can you add CO2? Even a fermentation kit? I have found that I can get away with much lower lighting levels if I use CO2. That being said, I have grown quite a few stemplants without CO2 with 1.4WPG, including some on your list. But those were T5 bulbs.

I have not tried stemplants in my .77WPG 36g, but the susswassertag and the fissidens are growing.

Can you get Cryptocoryne spiralis. Fantastic background plant. Aponogetons as well.

I have asked the dealer and he has Echinodorus "Rose" and Echinodorus "Ozelot" disponible. Would that be something?

 

[lljdma06]

Can you add CO2? Even a fermentation kit? I have found that I can get away with much lower lighting levels if I use CO2. That being said, I have grown quite a few stemplants without CO2 with 1.4WPG, including some on your list. But those were T5 bulbs.

I have not tried stemplants in my .77WPG 36g, but the susswassertag and the fissidens are growing.

Can you get Cryptocoryne spiralis. Fantastic background plant. Aponogetons as well.

I have asked the dealer and he has Echinodorus "Rose" and Echinodorus "Ozelot" disponible. Would that be something?

Could work.

 

[Biulu]

I will take the ozelot as it needs less light than the rose apparently. I will also take the stemplants I mentioned earlier. He also has otocinclus (very rare here)so I will take several of these too. I definitively have to find that bigger tank now!

 

[Biulu]

I bought myself the bigger tank (36 gallons)and the carpenter will come tomorrow to level out the base to make sure this one doesn't break on me again.

Strangely I found aponogeton! They had only 2 plants so I took them both. I also got the other plants I mentioned so things are looking good.

I will be working on this new tank over the weekend.

 

[lljdma06]

I will take the ozelot as it needs less light than the rose apparently. I will also take the stemplants I mentioned earlier. He also has otocinclus (very rare here)so I will take several of these too. I definitively have to find that bigger tank now!

I like ozelot. I think I have one in my tub outdoors. I should go check though and see if it survived the Winter. It got cold in South FL this year.

I bought myself the bigger tank (36 gallons)and the carpenter will come tomorrow to level out the base to make sure this one doesn't break on me again.

Strangely I found aponogeton! They had only 2 plants so I took them both. I also got the other plants I mentioned so things are looking good.

I will be working on this new tank over the weekend.

I like aponogetons. They get big and have a lot of plant mass. You had better get a journal setup!