"Excellent" List Of Low Light Plants

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

James From Cali

AC Members
Feb 12, 2007
25
0
0
33
Hi everyone. I have been researching lower light aquariums for some time now. Having my own aquarium(that is 1wpg) I was looking for plants to try out. I couldnt find very reliable sources at first so I started testing and asking others their experiences. you can view conversation in the following link that I have encountered and my offers to people about experimenting for them.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/56042-excellent-list-low-light-plants.html

B=Background,M=Midground,F=Foreground,FL=Floater,A =Anywhere,


FERNS & MOSSES
A-Marimo Ball- Cladophora aegagrophila
B-African Water Fern - Bolbitis heudelotii
B/F-LWatersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
A-Pheonix Moss - Fissidens fontanus
A-Singapore Fissidens-Fissidens sp. "Singapore"
A-Zipper Moss - Fissidens zippelianus
A-Willow Moss - Fontinalis antipyretica
M-Wavy Leaf Java Fern- Microsorum pteropus undulata
M-Tropica Java Fern-Microsurm pteropus 'tropica'
M-Philippine Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
M-Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
M-Red Java fern - Microsorum pteropus "red"
M-Windelov Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
M-Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
M-Needle Leaf Java Fern- Microsorum pteropus 'needle leaf'
A-Pellia - Monosolenium tenerum
A-Mini Pellia - Riccardia chamedryfolia
F/FL-Riccia - Riccia fluitans
A-Round Pellia - Süßwassertang
A-Flame Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans
A-Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
A-Peacock Moss - Taxiphyllum sp. 'peacock'
A-Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
A-Singapore Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
A-Christmas Moss - Vesicularia montagnei
A-Erect Moss - Vesicularia reticulata
F-Water Clover - Mariselia minuta
F-Marsilea hirsuta
F-Four Leaf Clover - Mariselia quadrifolia

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

FLOATERS
B/FL-Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
B/F-LWatersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
B/FL-Anacharis - Egeria densa
B/FL-Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
FL-Duckweed - Lemna minor
 
Last edited:

James From Cali

AC Members
Feb 12, 2007
25
0
0
33
Cant edit this right so more of the list to come. Can someone explain why I keep getting this message:

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 1 characters.
 
Last edited:

James From Cali

AC Members
Feb 12, 2007
25
0
0
33
FL-Red Root Floater - Phyllanthus fluitans
F/FL-Riccia - Riccia fluitans
FL-Giant Slavinia - Salvinia molesta

CRYPTOCORYNE
M-Crypt Affinis - Cryptocoryne affinis
B-Crypt Aponogetifolia - Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia
B-Crypt Balansae - Cryptocoryne balansae
M-Crypt Becketii - Cryptcoryne becketii
M-Crypt Lutea - Cryptocoryne lutea
F-Micro Crypt - Cryptocoryne petchii
F-Pygmy Crypt - Cryptocoryne pygmaea
B-Crypt retrospiralis - Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
B-Crypt spiralis - Cryptocoryne spiralis
M-Crypt Walkeri - Cryptocoryne walkeri
M-Crypt Wendtii - Cryptocoryne wendtii
M-Crypt Willisi - Cryptocoryne willisi
F- Crypt Parva - Cryptocoryne parva
M- Crypt Pontederiifolia - Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia

ANUBIAS
M-Anubias barteri - Anubias barteri
M-Anubias barteri 'marble' - Anubias barteri 'marble'
M-Coffee leaf anubias - Anubias barteri v. 'coffeefolia'
A-Marbled Nana - Anubias barteri nana 'Marble'
M-Anubias barteri v. 'glabra' - Anubias barteri v. 'glabra'
A-Golden nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana golden'
A-Anubias nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana'
M-Narrow leaf nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana narrow leaf'
A-Petite nana - Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'
M- Minima
B-Hastifolia - Anubias hastifolia
B-Barteri Round Leaf - Anubias barteri v. ‘Round Leaf’
B-Gigantea - Anubias gigantea
B-Congensis - Anubias congensis
B-Lanceolota - Anubias lanceolota
M-Gracilis - Anubias gracilis
M-Anubias Barteri v Angustifolia - Anubias barteri v angustifolia
M-Caladiifolia -Anubias barteri v Caladiifolia
M-Anubias Afzelli - Anubias afzelli

SWORD PLANTS
B-Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
B-Ruffle Sword - Echinodorus major
M-Melon Sword - Echinodorus osiris
M-Tropica Sword - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
M-Red Flame Sword - Echinodorus 'Red Special'
F-Pygmy Chain Sword - Echinodorus tenellus or Helanthium tenellum
B-Uruguay Amazon Sword - Echinodorus uruguayensis
B-Argentine Sword - Echinodrous argentinensis

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

GRASSES
F- Dwarf Hairgrass - Elocharis acicularis
B- Giant Hairgrass - Elocharis montevidensis
B-Water Celery- Vallisneria americana
B-Contortion Val - Vallisneria asiatica
B-Vallisneria natans
B-Valliseneria rubra
N-Corkscrew Val - Vallisneria tortifolia
M-Dwarf Sag- Sagittaria subulata
B-Crinum calimistratum
B-Onion Plant - Crinum thaianum
F-Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis braziliensis
B-Crinum aquatica

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

James From Cali

AC Members
Feb 12, 2007
25
0
0
33
Thank you. The list is stickied on a fellow site. It just seems to keep growing. There are plants I am debating about putting on the list. Cardmine is one of them but I still might and try it out later. Lobelia cardinalis is another one of them.
 

Inka4040

O_o
Mar 31, 2008
3,441
1
38
38
Real Name
The Silver Slanket
Considering a few of the plants on this list, what are the low light levels that they would work for? I think plants like the calmistratum and downoi wouldn't do very well at or under 2wpg. I don't know jack about co2 though, so that may be a factor...
 

Bk718

No Monkey Business
Nov 29, 2007
7,148
1
60
Brooklyn, NY
most of the plants you listed are not even low light.. and even those that are in the "low" category doesnt mean it will do well at 1wpg. From personal experience plants such as java fern (normally low light) was at a stand still when i had it under 1wpg, it did not grow at all in the 2 months i had it. Then once i moved it into a tank that was under close to 3wpg it started growing like mad, new babies left and right. One shouldnt waste their time with plants if their light is 1wpg, even if plants grow, like stem plants they will try their best to reach for the what ever light there is available (their form will be all weird looking since the plant is trying to strive) When those stem plants get taller they block the light of the lower part of them which will eventually rot and die..
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store