Easier low light plants

[Steve_2]

Can anyone give me a few example of very easy low-light plants to grow in my 150 gallon(29" high)? I don't want to invest in a CO2 unit and I would like to stick with ~1 to 1.5 Watts/gallon. Considering the size of my tank, I'd like plants that are tall and somewhat fast growing in low-light for the background, and anything for the foreground. I have sand as a substrate and lots of bog wood. pH is pretty high...about 7.8-8.0.

Can anything grow in there? Sorry if this question has been asked 1,000,000 times.



Thank you.

Steve

[zima]

Not sure how much luck you'll have with such high ph, light that is approaching the lowest possible for plants, and sand substrate. I had little luck growing anything in sand.

African fern is the first that comes to mind; you can tie lots of it to your wood. It'll grow very slow, but at least it'll grow. As for tall, bachground plants, hornwort might be something to try. Indian fern is another. I'd say leave the roots of these plants out of sand because their roots will just rot (very little oxygen exchange in sand due to fine grains).

[Steve_2]

So if I was to switch to gravel, it would allow me to grow more plants?

[Laura]

I suspect you'll have very similar limitations regardless (although I have no direct experience with playsand).  It is a very tall tank with low light.

I would aim for plants you can tie onto your driftwood that would bring them closer to the light and are low light to start with.  Java moss, java fern, anubias and african fern would all be good.  You could try a couple of crypts too.

Some of the vals may to okay in your tank - I think it's washefuzzy on the board has a low light tank full of it and if I remember right they prefer more alkaline conditions (I could be wrong on this - I just know they won't grow in my more acidic tank).  I also have an onion plant growing in a fairly low light tank and it's doing okay - it's tall with very robust leaves.

[charlie]

Can anyone give me a few example of very easy low-light plants to grow in my 150 gallon(29" high)? I don't want to invest in a CO2 unit and I would like to stick with ~1 to 1.5 Watts/gallon. Considering the size of my tank, I'd like plants that are tall and somewhat fast growing in low-light for the background, and anything for the foreground. I have sand as a substrate and lots of bog wood. pH is pretty high...about 7.8-8.0.

Can anything grow in there? Sorry if this question has been asked 1,000,000 times.



Thank you.

Steve

Might i ask what fish are you keeping with that PH value?
These plants can be grown in that PH & low light, please check the temp. compatibility, they are all tall plants
Vallisneria americana gigantea
Vallisneria nana
Ceratophyllum submersum
Ceratopteris thalictroides

[Steve_2]

Thanks for all the info guys. Right now I am converting my tank. I am getting rid of my oddball fish.....gar, clown knife, polypterus, etc. And I want to get fish that are more visible outside feeding time. Small and medium(2-6") community fish. I've kept and bred angels with that same water so I guess it's a matter of acclimatisation for most fish.

If anyone else has suggestions, the more choices I have, the better.

I will check my pH again tonight. I have not tested in a long time, and I suspect with the addition of the bog wood, the pH might have dropped somewhat closer to neutral.

OH, and my exact wattage is 160 watts. So that's ~1.07watt/gallon. Maybe I could add 2 more bulbs down the line. That would bring it up to 1.6 watt/gallon.


Steve

[Steve_2]

I tested my water today for pH, GH and KH and I was really surprised.

The pH out of my tap is at 8.4. In my tank it's only at 6.0. I am guessing that the large amount of bogwood might be at cause. Is it too low?

The GH is at 120. Somewhat on the hard side I suppose. Too hard?

And the the KH is what worries me most. It's <20. Is that bad?

Sorry about all the questions 

Thanks!

[fischkopp]

pH and KH are alright, almost optimal for most plants. I am a bit surprised that you measured such a high GH - unless you add something (like epsom salt) to the tank it should be around 40ppm.

Good low light plants that haven't been mentioned yet are Amazon swords. There are quite tall varieties that make good background plants, and of course E. tellenus for the foreground. They do prefer a rich substrate though, either a layer of black earth underneath the sand or some root tabs. No need to change the substrate in my opinion.

I have no own experience, but I would think that Sagittaria's would work well too. Not to forget that most aquatic mosses will do well.

From what has been mentioned,  I like crypts, ferns, anubias and the onion plant.

[Steve_2]

I do not add salt. Actually...I add nothing at all. Just water and a chlorine/chloramine neutralizer. What should I add/do to make it rise to ~40ppm?

Thanks for the info btw!

[fischkopp]

I do not add salt. Actually...I add nothing at all. Just water and a chlorine/chloramine neutralizer. What should I add/do to make it rise to ~40ppm?

Don't add anything. I meant the GH is usually around 40ppm for Ottawa tap water. I would guess that the test kit is not too accurate here. And don't worry about the KH being 20ppm - you didn't have to so far .

[Steve_2]

Oh great! Thanks!

[charlie]

Out of curiosity, can you test your water source for KH & Gh ( i`m assuming the results for KH & GH you posted is from your tank water??)

[Steve_2]

I re-tested everything very carefully. pH is still what I said it was. GH from the tap is 100, from the tank is 50, KH from the tap is 30, but from the tank is only about 25.


Steve

[estuary]

try onion plants  i have very fine gravel almost sand  they do fine
anubus, giant val, java fern and mosses, water weed  should also work
you could pot plants in better substate  hide pots with rocks and stuff

[Steve_2]

That's also a good idea. Thanks!