plants that will grow in low light

"Plants that will work in low light tanks....

This list of plants do well in a Low Light setup. Common names are first then after are there Scientific name.

credit goes to me and people on planted tank

Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Windelov Java Fern, Windelov Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Micro...sorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
Java Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
Green Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma
*Sunset Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Ceylon Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Ceylon'
Rotala Rotundifolia - Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Rotundifolia sp. Green - Rotala rotundifolia sp. 'Green'
Rotala Indica - Rotala indica
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Moneywort, Water Hyssop - Bocapa monnieri
Brazilian Pennywort, Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Crypt Wendtii - Cryptocoryne wendtii
Crypt Balansae - Cryptocoryne Balansae
Pygmy Crypt - Cryptocoryne pygmaea
Guppy Grass - Najas guadalupensis
Anubias barteri - Anubias barteri v. barteri
Anubias barteri 'marble' - Anubias barteri 'marble'
Anubias barteri v. 'glabra' - Anubias barteri v. 'glabra'
Anubias nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana'
Coffee leaf anubias - Anubias barteri v. 'coffeefolia'
Crypt retrospiralis - Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
Crypt spiralis - Cryptocoryne spiralis
Golden nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana golden'
Narrow leaf nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana narrow leaf'
Petite nana - Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'
Philippine Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Red Java fern - Microsorum pteropus "red"
Crypt Becketii - Cryptcoryne becketii
Pelia - Monosolenium tenerum
Waterwheel Plant - Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Bacopa - Bacopa caroliniana
African Water Fern - Bolbitis heudelotii
Hornwort - Ceratophyllum submersum
Crypt Aponogetifolia - Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia
Micro Crypt - Cryptocoryne petchii
Tropica Sword - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
Downoi - Pogostemon helferi

*Do not need high light to attain pink color. Dosing Iron can bring out this color.

sweet, thanks for the list

nice list

Excellent entry!

now when you say low light do you mean regular flouresent lighting?
or what kind exactly?

cool thanks for the list
do you know where to buy

all my javas and crypts came from other planted tank keepers it's usually cheaper and better plants.

https://usafishbox.forumotion.com/manuals-f153/lighting-chart-t5205.htm#72993]lighting chart
Alk see this guide

ok thanks
i got some water sprite from fern and i want ot get some others she said she would let me know when it was ready

you're welcome... low light is a big term and it's a old term when people say low light they are talking about 1-2 wpg watts per a gallon. that came back from a dumb you need 2-3 watts per a gallon to grow plants. that is back when there was just t12 bulbs..

now t12/ t12 ho / t12 vho
t8 /t8 ho
t6
t5 / t5 no/ t5 ho
t4

vho= very high output
ho high out put
no= normal out

this what let me to putting that lighting chart.

in my opinion people need to understand p.a.r. photosynthetically active radiation.
because 2-3 watts is no out dated. is a VERY basic start but that is very general and quite out-dated due to the variety available modern lights with varying lumens per watt lights, different wavelength, focused lumens, PAR output, etc..
Photosynthetically Active Radiation is the spectral range of solar light from 400 to 700 nanometers that is needed by plants

nice! thanks for that info:)

thanks for the info now i know why my java fern burned out

Ok so what is the best spectrum for plants?

67k?

it more of what your eyes like......... in my opinion there is no such thing as "the perfect color spectrum for growing plants".... 5,000 to 10,000k grows plants.

I like a mix of 6,700k and 10,000k or 6,700k and color max. to repeat myself 5,000 to 10,000k will grow plants. 6,700k has more of the yellows,reds,and slight greens of the color spectrum, well 10,000k has the purple and blues of the color spectrum. plants both need reds/yellows and blues/purples of the color spectrum to photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll-a will take in the yellow/red and chlorophyll-b will take in the purple and blue.

why does 5,000 to 10,000k work in my opinion think of it this way. 6am would be sunrise your 5,000k then around 9-11am would be the 6,700k area, then 4-6pm would be 10,000k then after that it's night time..

why is wpg old and doesn't really work because not all bulbs are the same in my opinion.

you have lumens, p.a.r./-(nano-meters)color rendering index, etc on each bulb.

The lumen-a measure of the power of light perceived by the human eye.

color rendering index (CRI) (aka color rendition index) is the measure of light to reproduce various colors spectrum in comparison with an ideal or natural light source. ...(exp. cool white, warm white, etc etc)..

par- Photosynthetically active radiation, it's the wave band of solar radiation from 400 to 700 nanometers that photosynthetic organisms are able to use in the process of photosynthesis.

chlorophyll - coloring matter of leaves and plants, essential to the production of carbohydrates by photosynthesis.

chlorophyll-a is C 55 H 72 MgN 4 O 5/chlorophyll-b
C 55 H 70 MgN 4 O 6

So a combo of those is best?
Very good explanation! Most of my planted tanks are by windows so I have never really had to worry much with the lighting I'm using.... But its a very good thing to know!!

you're welcome, I've learned alot on plantedtank and aquaticplantcentral, and hanging out with dfwapc(dfw aquatic plant club)..

There's lots of digging involved over on plantedtank to get it in layman's terms...
I am able to grow lots of plants very well but I use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Method; dirt, sand, flourish excel, decent lights or a window and fish poop is the main fertilizer. That's pretty much all I do, but There is always so much more to learn!

Quick Question Wal-mart brand aquarium/plant bulbs...would they work (2700 I believe) wife bought me ton of them and now cannot return them receipt was washed and they have sinced stopped carrying them...kinda makes me wish she just gave to me 5 months agon on my birthday, o well still love her

I tried them and got one plant out of 10 bulbs.

They do work with the right substrate. I use the Walstad method for the most part (kitty litter, topsoil capped with gravel). I have some nice plants still going from those bulbs. Just threw them in and they started growing. For any bulbs that do not grow you can send them in with the reciept to the manufacter whose address is listed in the back. They send you several more in about 8 weeks. If you lost your reciept, just buy another pack, then take the bulbs that didn't work and return them with the receipt you just got (waiting to see if any from the ones you just bought don't grow).

Mine were in a similar set up but not with kitty liter. I have heard you can send them back to the company.

hmmm maybe i can switch out one bulb in each set to give me a better spectrum...thanks for the info guys and gals

good info plantedtank..thank you