# LED lights for plants?



## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I recently bought this set up: 
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-Aquarium-Starter-Kit-5-gal/20693704


Eventually, I would like to introduce live plants to my tank. My fish is sick and getting medicated right now so now is not an option, but eventually. Is it possible to grow live plants with this light? If so, which ones?


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## paloverde (Nov 9, 2012)

Been looking at those myself. With the stock led light that is included, you might be able to grow anibus/java fern/some mosses and perhaps float hygro. That would be a very low light tank, I find them to be very pretty, and super easy to maintain.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I really like the tank, it is the perfect size and the fact that it comes with the LED lights and filter is awesome. I am thinking about buying a second one for my bedroom. 


So basically low light plants are worth a try? I have seen marimo moss balls at Petsmart that I kind of want to try too. I think planted tanks just look so nice (and the fish love them) so if I can get real plants it would be so awesome!


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## paloverde (Nov 9, 2012)

The cool thing with those low light plants is you don't even plant them. Just attach them to a stone or bit of driftwood, easy!


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## SinX7 (Oct 20, 2012)

I would get low light plants. I have LED lights also and most of the people here recommends the low light plants.

Not bad by the water, but I'm not sure how the layout is for that Walmart tank. I wouldn't really get those stuff there, and just get them at Petsmart, Petco or a reliable online retailer.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I am able to grow a wide variety with the Ecoxotic stunner strips, but those do cost an arm and a leg. lol. Most LEDs won't get you much except good colors for the fish. Low light plants, as mentioned by others, should do fine, but know that it could go either way.


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## Karebear13 (Jan 23, 2012)

I have LED lights and my plants were doing great for a while I had hornwort and waterlettuce but they eventually died and I think it was due to the lack of nutrients from doing 100% water changes. So I would def. recommend to cycle the tank so the plants have nutrients 

You could get Java fern and java moss too


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## starrlamia (May 3, 2012)

there isnt enough information about the light to be able to comment on it. You can try low light plants but you may not have any luck, if the leds are not the proper kelvin temperature the plants wont benefit from it.


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

Kytkattin said:


> I am able to grow a wide variety with the Ecoxotic stunner strips, but those do cost an arm and a leg. lol. Most LEDs won't get you much except good colors for the fish. Low light plants, as mentioned by others, should do fine, but know that it could go either way.


I got an LED desk lamp from Target and it's great. It was a bit expensive for a desk lamp- like $35 I think (maybe more. I don't remember), but my plants started growing like crazy after I started using it, and I even started having a problem with brown algae. I never got algae when I was using a CFL bulb (I couldn't find one with K rating over 2700 tho).


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

This LED light will do nicely. It perked up my two swords, good for hygro and other stemmed plants. Cabomba looks nice and bushy. Even a dwarf grass is looking well. And the crypts love it. A little expensive, but it is a viable LED light.

They take a beating, know someone who's only gave out after having fallen completely in the tank.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

LED lights don't mean low light, it is cheaply built LEDs or cheap LEDs that are what makes it lowlight. I can easily have high light with LEDs for pretty cheap for what it is.

There isn't enough information on this light. It is going to be cheap though, it is from Walmart lol. There is a reason why it is able to be sold cheap, they make it cheap. I would do mosses, ferns, and anubias at most.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

kfryman said:


> LED lights don't mean low light, it is cheaply built LEDs or cheap LEDs that are what makes it lowlight. I can easily have high light with LEDs for pretty cheap for what it is.
> 
> There isn't enough information on this light. It is going to be cheap though, it is from Walmart lol. There is a reason why it is able to be sold cheap, they make it cheap. I would do mosses, ferns, and anubias at most.


Thanks! I will probably stick with mosses and ferns in this tank, maybe a piece of my pothos.

I have a 29 gallon tank at my mom's that needs a part for the filter before I can set it up. I was thinking of possibly doing a planted sorority tank in there - the hood will allow me to switch light bulbs as needed which is nice unlike the 5 gal set up.


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