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Excellent List of Low Light Plants

384K views 297 replies 123 participants last post by  thewaves 
#1 · (Edited)
Please Note: I am not the author of this list. The author of this list, James From Cali, is also a member on this site and he has been kind enough to continually update, revise, and update this list. For James' most updated list, please see further threads from James in this post.

This is an excellent list of low light plants for anyone looking for plants to start a low light tank. It was posted by James From Cali at: http://www.myfishtank.net/

"Plants Ideal For Low Light/Low Tech Aquaria
Some people may be wondering what plants do well in a Low Light setup. I used to be the same way(and still am sometimes) and now I am wanting to make a list of what is appropriate for this kind of tank. Any one wanting to add to the list please go ahead. List Common and Scientific name please.

Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Windelov Java Fern, Windelov Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Microsorum 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 ned high light to attain pink color. Dosing Iron can bring out this color. I have learned this from experience.

Thank you,
James"
 
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#41 ·
All lotus's can outgrow a 10g tank. But in low light it takes time for the plant to outgrow(I have 2 plants plus the bulb). It does take the time to grow though so it can be a nice midground plant in a 10g.

Awesome resource, James. Can you suggest a good link to cross-reference these suggestions if we're trying to set up a South American or African habitat tank?
Here is a link to Monga Bay Biotope pages:

http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm

I too try and match things up more closely to habitats. It may be difficult to start so always go by certain regions and then narrow it down by availability and then cross reference.

Happy Plantings ya'll.
 
#42 ·
Anyone tried cabomba carolina or cabomba pulcherrima in a tank under 2wpg?

In the SA blackwater I'm trying to put together, it's going to be val's in the background and then a sword plant of some flavor and a stargrass. Cabomba is the 4th plant genus that mongabay suggests.

Also, anyone know a good lowlight groundcover that's south american?
 
#44 ·
Combomba should be fine, just avoid puting it near the outflow of the filter. They tend to fall apart with too much movement. Im not sure on ground covers but a snad foreground would make an interesting aspect to the tank and make it more natural. Im in the midst of adding a sand foreground(1 more 1.99 bag to go) and the tank will be all natural.

Verry nice listing This would really help me and a lot of newbies.
Thanks
Thanks.
 
#46 ·
You can try Hydrocotyle leucocephala or Hydrocotyle ranunculoides and keep it trimmed low at the border of the sand, It would look quite nice imo. Im using Horticulture sand which is 1.99 for a 1 quart bag. That one bag filled half of my foreground and now I need one more for the final aditions. The sand is Uni-Grow Premium Organic Sand from OSH. Quite cheap and looks very very very natural.
 
#47 ·
I'm going to try turface pro red - I'm hoping that the combination of the red substrate and the yellowish blackwater will give it kind of a red-clay foothills streambed look. I'm about halfway to starting in on the project and I've got a vacation starting next week so it'll probably be late February before I get rolling. But I'm definitely excited - the anticipation is the best part.
 
#49 ·
The plan is a substrate of light peat, laterite and several inches of red turface. I've got a pile of manzanita driftwood for decoration, and the plants will be corkscrew vals, a stargrass, a sword of some variety and maybe now a cabomba carolina - these are the 4 varietals that mongabay identified in an SA blackwater stream. I'm going to initially try Tetra's Blackwater Extract for color and some minor water additives, and see how that does.

Fish will be 2 bolivian rams, an angel, a school of tetras and 3 oto cats.
 
#52 ·
Yeah, that's the main reason I'm considering leaving the forground open or very lightly planted, and then putting the powerhead in the mid or high water. I tell you what, it doesn't take long to appreciate why folks prefer the flexibility of larger tanks. The 29g is just big enough to make you feel ambitious, but not quite large enough to accomodate everything you might want.
 
#51 ·
(New Plants Highlighted in Purple)
FERNS & MOSSES
Marimo Ball- Aegagropila linnaei
African Water Fern - Bolbitis heudelotii
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Pheonix Moss - Fissidens fontanus
Zipper Moss - Fissidens zippelianus
Willow Moss - Fontinalis antipyretica
Philippine Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Red Java fern - Microsorum pteropus "red"
Windelov Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
Pellia - Monosolenium tenerum
Mini Pellia - Riccardia chamedryfolia
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Round Pellia - Süßwassertang
Flame Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans
Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
Peacock Moss - Taxiphyllum sp. 'peacock'
Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
Singapore Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
Christmas Moss - Vesicularia montagnei
Erect Moss - Vesicularia reticulata
Water Clover - Mariselia minuta
Marsilea hirsuta
Four Leaf Clover - Mariselia quadrifolia

STEM PLANTS
Waterwheel Plant - Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Bacopa - Bacopa caroliniana
Moneywort - Bocapa monnieri
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Anacharis - Egeria densa
American Waterweed- Elodea canadensis
HC- Hemianthus callitrichoides
Stargrass - Heteranthera zosterifolia
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort - Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Ceylon Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Ceylon'
Giant Hygro - Hygrophila corymbosa
Water Wisteria - Hygrophila difformis
Green Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma
Sunset Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Dwarf Ambulia - Limnophila sessiliflora
Red Ludwigia- Ludwigia repens
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Guppy Grass - Najas guadalupensis
Downoi - Pogostemon helferi
Rotala Indica - Rotala indica
Rotala Rotundifolia - Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Rotundifolia sp. Green - Rotala rotundifolia sp. 'Green'
Combomba - Combomba carolina

FLOATERS
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Anacharis - Egeria densa
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort- Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Duckweed - Lemna minor
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Red Root Floater - Phyllanthus fluitans
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Giant Slavinia - Salvinia molesta

CRYPTOCORYNE
Crypt Affinis - Cryptocoryne affinis
Crypt Aponogetifolia - Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia
Crypt Balansae - Cryptocoryne balansae
Crypt Becketii - Cryptcoryne becketii
Crypt Lutea - Cryptocoryne lutea
Micro Crypt - Cryptocoryne petchii
Pygmy Crypt - Cryptocoryne pygmaea
Crypt retrospiralis - Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
Crypt spiralis - Cryptocoryne spiralis
Crypt Walkeri - Cryptocoryne walkeri
Crypt Wendtii - Cryptocoryne wendtii
Crypt Willisi - Cryptocoryne willisi

ANUBIAS
Anubias barteri - Anubias barteri
Anubias barteri 'marble' - Anubias barteri 'marble'
Coffee leaf anubias - Anubias barteri v. 'coffeefolia'
Anubias barteri v. 'glabra' - Anubias barteri v. 'glabra'
Golden nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana golden'
Anubias nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana'
Narrow leaf nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana narrow leaf'
Petite nana - Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'
Hastifolia - Anubias hastifolia
Barteri Round Leaf - Anubias barteri v. ‘Round Leaf’
Gigantea - Anubias gigantea
Congensis - Anubias congensis[/COLOR]
Lanceolota - Anubias lanceolota [/COLOR]
Gracilis - Anubias gracilis[/COLOR]
Anubias Barteri v Angustifolia - Anubias barteri v angustifolia
Caladiifolia -Anubias barteri v Caladiifolia
Anubias Afzelli - Anubias afzelli

SWORD PLANTS
Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
Ruffle Sword - Echinodorus major
Melon Sword - Echinodorus osiris
Tropica Sword - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
Red Flame Sword - Echinodorus 'Red Special'
Pygmy Chain Sword - Echnodorus tennelus
Uruguay Amazon Sword - Echinodorus uruguayensis

LILY'S
Lotus- Nymphaea pubescens
Tiger Lotus - Nymphaea zenkeri

GRASSES
Water Celery- Vallisneria americana
Contortion Val - Vallisneria asiatica
Vallisneria natans
Valliseneria rubra
Corkscrew Val - Vallisneria tortifolia
Dwarf Sag- Sagittaria subulata
Crinum calimistratum
Onion Plant - Crinum thaianum
Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis braziliensis
Crinum aquatica

APONOGETONS
Aponogeton ulvaceous
Aponogeton bouvianus
Aponogeton crispus
Aponogeton elongatus
Aponogeton undulatus
Rigidifolius - Aponogeton rigidifolius

Added Combomba carolina. Added 'Clovers' List to 'FERNS & MOSSES' list.
 
#55 ·
Can you talk a little more about your choice of substrate and reasons for it?

For my low-tech 50, I'm still undecided between using just Eco-Complete substrate or put it on top of a layer of potting soil or something else.
If you're asking me, I'm going with the Turface for four reasons basically: it's almost completely inert, it's got a small grain size, it comes in the color I wanted, and it's cheap. I got my bag for $13 for 50lbs. Same amount of Flourite Red would have been over $50 and I can get the same or higher level of iron concentration in the substrate by using laterite on the bottom.
 
#60 ·
Hey MODS- any chance we could get a sticky on this?

James- I was looking for this awesome list of yours yesterday and couldn't find it- I thought it already had a sticky and went through just about every forum looking for it! LOL

BTW this is awesome work- pics would just make it OTT incredible!



 
#67 ·
Most sites even clarify HC as Low-Very High Light. For instance Tropica.

For everyone that tunes in to this thread HC has not been tested yet and will require experimntation. If anyone has a tank with 1-2wpg with HC growing let me know so we can set this straight. The thing to remeber, as I will stress many many time, is that no two tanks are the same. What will grow for me may not grow for you. HC will grow very slowly and would require the CO2 and ferts to keep algae at bay. In smaller tanks Excel would work best. Larger tanks can probably have a couple 3L soda bottles with DIy Co2.

EDIT: I will be adding pics of Java Fern and Java Fern Windelov very soon.
 
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