Low light - how low is too low

D

Daisy

AC Members
Jan 3, 2006
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hey all,
I might be I'm setting up a new 20g tall planted....I'm still working the design and so on out in my head, but I want to stick fairly low light for this tank.(will be primarily a shrimp tank, with maybe 5-10 neons...I'm not sure if i'll use eco-complete like in my other tank for substrate or not)

So far I'm planning on having Anubias, java fern, and java moss. I was planning on cutting the costs slightly by using an old hood/light fixture I have. It will only give me about .75wpg though.(1 15watt bulb i believe)

Is this too low for even low light plants?(I want them thriving and growing, rather than barely hanging on) and what would be a good wpg for these chosen plants?

Is there any other nice low light plants that you could list?

Excess info: I'll being using Flourish and flourish excel for ferts.

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the responce. I was figuring the fertz would help the plants grow without higher light. Why do they raise the need for light, just too low to begin with?

Reguardless, I've found a fixture I'm willing to buy that will put me up to 1.5. If I also put my other old light on the glass top then it should be 2.25wpg(3 15w bulbs total)

That should work well right?
 
I had .5 in a 36g bowfront tank and grew amazon sword, red rubin, anacharis, green melon and red melon. They grew pretty good, too ;)

I even added DIY CO2 as an experiment. Helped some, but when I upped the lighting to 1.2wpg they grew even better. The anacharis remained kinda spindley, however.

Once I got to 2.2wpg, things really started taking off :)

Roan
 
Daisy said:
Thanks for the responce. I was figuring the fertz would help the plants grow without higher light. Why do they raise the need for light, just too low to begin with?

Reguardless, I've found a fixture I'm willing to buy that will put me up to 1.5. If I also put my other old light on the glass top then it should be 2.25wpg(3 15w bulbs total)

That should work well right?
Click to expand...
You'll need CO2 for that or a LOT of Excel.

IMO stay with 1.5. It'll work fine and those are all low-light plants.

Roan
 
I agree with Roan stick to the 1.5 for now until you are ready for a little more fast pace. Regardless of your choices Good luck with your plants!
 
It's funny, I'm more worried about doing a low light tank than I am with my high light one, lol. :o

Thanks, I'll need the luck ;)
 
Hi,
my 25 g tank is running at 1,6 watts per gallon , Excel only, and the plants are fine.
Rotala macranda aren't so red but it's ok for me.

plants;
Rotala macranda
Hemianthus
Rotala nanjesan
Eusteralis estelata
Anubias nana
Java fern
Java moss
Echinodorus amazonense
Heteranthera zost.
Najas indica
Althernanthera lilacina
Cabomba
Rotala walichi
Higrophila polysperma

Tank picture:

126810380.jpg

126810292.jpg


Regards

Dunga

Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
 
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