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#1
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Low, LOW light options
I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while.
I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1 tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood. Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? Anubias barteri cryptocoryne crispatula cryptocoryne wendtii vallisneria asiatica hygrophilia polysperma Java fern Java moss sagitaria subulata Thanks, Todd |
#2
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Low, LOW light options
"t" wrote in message om... I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while. I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1 tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood. Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? Anubias barteri - Yes, and try Nana, smaller, and finer leaves cryptocoryne crispatula - yes, but needs iron I think cryptocoryne wendtii - it'll grow ok, more light, it'll be a weed... vallisneria asiatica ?? hygrophilia polysperma ?? Java fern - Very nice in low light.. Java moss ?? sagitaria subulata ?? Thanks, Todd |
#3
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Low, LOW light options
t wrote:
mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. Use CF and aim for that. You'll be fine. live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? I have a 110 gallon tank with 1 W/gallon of CF light. I have grown several so-called medium-high light plants, including swords, cabomba, sunset hygro, crypts, aponogetons, etc. My suggestion would be to get a package from one of the websites folks here have had good luck with (see google for the urls), and see what lives and what dies. That's what I did and the tank is gorgeous! -- Victor M. Martinez http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv |
#4
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Low, LOW light options
The following do well in my tank at 1.5wpg regular flourescent:
Hydrocoytle leucocephala Aponogeton Cryptocoryne wendtii Cryptocoryne spiralis Saggitaria sublata Vallisneria spiralis and natans Echinodorus amazonicus Water sprite Nymphaea lotus Amazon frogbit (I think) Bacopa caroliniana (floating - not enough light for planted) Anubias nana Java fern Lemna minor (but believe me - you do NOT want this! It's a pest) What didn't survive for lack of light: Bacopa Ludwigia repens Rotala wallichii Myriophyllum Alternanthera reineckii Cris On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 18:10:30 GMT, "t" wrote: I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while. I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1 tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood. Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? Anubias barteri cryptocoryne crispatula cryptocoryne wendtii vallisneria asiatica hygrophilia polysperma Java fern Java moss sagitaria subulata Thanks, Todd |
#5
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Low, LOW light options
Of those you mentioned I have :
Anubias barteri cryptocoryne wendtii Java fern Java moss and they are doing quite well at 1.5w/gal, no co2 and a Flourite substrate. Dan "t" wrote in message om... I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while. I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1 tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood. Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? Anubias barteri cryptocoryne crispatula cryptocoryne wendtii vallisneria asiatica hygrophilia polysperma Java fern Java moss sagitaria subulata Thanks, Todd |
#6
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Low, LOW light options
Of those you mentioned I have :
Anubias barteri cryptocoryne wendtii Java fern Java moss and they are doing quite well at 1.5w/gal, no co2 and a Flourite substrate. Dan "t" wrote in message om... I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while. I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1 tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood. Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? Anubias barteri cryptocoryne crispatula cryptocoryne wendtii vallisneria asiatica hygrophilia polysperma Java fern Java moss sagitaria subulata Thanks, Todd |
#7
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Low, LOW light options
You might find it more prudent to down size your plan here if $ is an
issue. Try a 20-55 gallon tank etc. Shop lights will work well, so will electronic ballast and DIY installations and mylar for reflective material etc. You should be able to get 240w of T-12's(6 x40w) in there no problem. That's enough light for most anything you'll want to do. Use CO2? You can try to DIY but anything over a 55 gal is tough to do and a gas tank CO2 would be the best thing to improve growth/health. Even at 1-1.5 w/gal, adding CO2 will make the tank do much better. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. Well then focus on the plants rather than limiting by not enough light/CO2 etc. You want healthy plants then grow the plants well. Don't expect there to be a plant that does well submersed, little light, no CO2 added and lots of fish. Be realistic here. Plants need light, CO2 and nutrients to grow well, nothing else is going to change that. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? They will poke along. Adding Excel, CO2 etc will help a great deal. DIY hood will also make it easy to add as much light as you want. You don't need a PC lighting set up but if you want to look around, AH supply has good deals. Try the DIY hood, look around for CO2 tanks/reg's etc. The plant cuttings can pay for these items quickly FYI. Regards., Tom Barr Anubias barteri cryptocoryne crispatula cryptocoryne wendtii vallisneria asiatica hygrophilia polysperma Java fern Java moss sagitaria subulata Thanks, Todd |
#8
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Low, LOW light options
"t" wrote in message . com...
I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while. I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1 tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood. Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'm running a 125-gallon with 4 F25T8s on an electronic ballast, and am having great success growing a variety of plants. No CO2 injection, and I'm still pruning the faster-growing ones at least once a week. The real fast growers are Limnophila sessiliflora and Vallisneria spiralis. Bacopa monnieri is growly slowly but fine. Echinodorus tenellus is slowly spreading. Floating Ceratopteris pteridoides does great. Of course Christmas moss and Anubias have plenty of light. I've read a number of articles that argue pretty compellingly that larger tanks need fewer watts per gallon than smaller thanks. Certainly my own experience seems to back that up. I don't think you need to consider this a "Low, LOW light" setup. - Jim |
#9
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Low, LOW light options
On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 18:10:30 UTC, "t"
wrote: I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while... I'm putting in more generic lighting and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. I'd like to plant the tank for some of the healthier properties of having live plants in an aquarium provide. What species of plants could live in such a low-light environment? Here are a few of the species that I THINK might work. Can I get your input? Here are reactions concerning a few species that I had with similar lighting-- cryptocoryne wendtii Grew fine, and will grow with less light. C. pontideriifolia grew and got pretty large. I think it prefers low light. hygrophilia polysperma I wouldn't try this without stronger light. However, water sprite will grow in these conditions, just fitting its growing speed to the amount of light. Java fern In my book, the ultimate perfect plant for poor conditions. Just grows steadily & uses what resources it can get. Propagates itself nicely. Old leaves need trimming as they get ugly. Java moss Like java fern only more indestructible. -- http://www.dandrake.com/ In the days after September 11, Yahoo searches for Nostradamus outnumbered those for Osama bin Laden and Sex, combined. |
#11
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Low, LOW light options
The best choice in a low light plants.
Anubias barteri var. nana (dwarf anubias) ceratophyllum (hornwort) cryptocoryne affinis cryptocoryne lutea cryptoryne walkeri egeria densa (eledea) microsorium pteropus (java fen) hydrophila corymbosa salvinia auriculata (salvinia) from encyclopedia of aquarium plants - Peter Hiscock. |
#12
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Low, LOW light options
Where do you find the Christmas Moss??
Dan The real fast growers are Limnophila sessiliflora and Vallisneria spiralis. Bacopa monnieri is growly slowly but fine. Echinodorus tenellus is slowly spreading. Floating Ceratopteris pteridoides does great. Of course Christmas moss and Anubias have plenty of light. - Jim |
#13
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Low, LOW light options
"Dan Norgard" wrote in message ...
Where do you find the Christmas Moss?? Dan It is pretty hard to find in the U.S. I got mine from Loh Kwek Leong in Singapore. He had been trying to get his hands on some for a while after seeing it in one of Amano's tanks. He couldn't find a source. Then, by luck, he got a tiny bit mixed in with an order of Java Moss. He carefully grew those few fronds into a large supply. It's now pretty easy to find in Singapore. I don't know why it hasn't caught on more in the U.S. - Jim |
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