# Hardy low light plants



## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm looking to get some more plants. I have a tiny bushy anubias and a growing small amazon sword. I just upgraded to a 5.5 gallon uncycled with gravel. The tank gets about 6-7 hours of decent sunlight and I dont have a lighted hood. Unless you guys think it would work if I put a plant bulb in the chandelier about 3.5 feet above the tank I don't really plan on adding light to the tank. I'd like some ideas on plants with top cover and all that. btw I can't get anacharis to live. I've gone through two bunches already


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Anacharis is a cold water plant so you'd need to acclimate it to the warmer water, I also had the same thing happen until I found that out 

Plants still need some light to live, although 3.5 feet is rather far...can you get a desktop lamp on it or something?

As for plants:
Water wisteria
Java Fern (don't bury the rhizome)
Java Moss
Anubias (there are other types, and don't bury the rhizome)
Anacharis (as stated before)
Jungle Val
Myrio (although won't be bright green)
Cabomda (will be darker green)
Water Sprite (grows fast and looks great, can float or bury)

You could also grow some crypts although some of the red plants won't get red without high lighting, but they will still grow. Same with Rotala and Ludwigia although I find Rotala needs higher lighting.

Some liquid fertilizers will help as well, you only have to dose once a week although I split the dose to make it two small meals a week. Works well, I only use API's LeafZone.


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## Rilly10 (Apr 1, 2013)

So far my favorites have been mosses (Christmas, Flame, & Taiwan), Anubias of any variety, and I love my Ozelot Sword. It has very pretty spotted leaves, and seems very happy in my low/med light, but may not do as well of you with the light being so far up. I also love Water Sprite which for me is a crazy fast grower, and my betta loves to sit in it. I do have to trim it weekly it grows so fast. My mini chain sword is also very happy. One plant I have wanted to try but have not yet is Bacopa Carolina. I have heard nothing but good things about it. Some others I have tried but did not love were Java Ferns (Windelov is very pretty) and banana plants.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Flame moss needs high lighting, I did a trial and error with that one lol, same with Willow moss as well.

Christmas and Taiwan moss are more like medium light mosses but will do fine in low lights given enough nutrients and then Java moss will just grow like crazy lol, although mine hasn't taken over my tank yet haha, super easy to trim though


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Bolbitis will also grow quite happily in the same conditions as anubias/java fern, although I found it likes to have a bit of water movement so I used to put mine up near the filter outlet. 

If you do get bolbitis be careful you don't get emersed grown. The leaves look different, and they will die off once it is put in water. Then you have to wait until the new submersed growth comes in. 

Most moss species will grow in the conditions you described. 

Is the sunlight direct or indirect? Just be careful as sunlight is obviously much much stronger than artificial lighting and even a couple of hours of direct sunlight a day can trigger algae outbreaks.


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

I believe it gets direct and indirect sunlight. Is direct straight from the window to the tank? The sunlight from the window hits it for about 3 hours then the light from the room is there for a few more hours. I've never had a problem with Algae before in any of my smaller tanks, which led me to believe I may not have exactly the most suitable conditions for plants. My tank is just wayyyy to open for my betta atm. He just floats the top and never swims in the open water. Eventually in a month or two hopefully my tank will be cycled and i'll throw in some shrimp. How do I acclimate the Anacharis to warm water? I've killed it in a separate tank of cold water as well.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

are you really sure you killed the Anacharis? All of mine "died" before they grew. The leaves turned brown and melted off in a rather ugly way but soon after they sprouted new growth and turned into a jungle.


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

Well I was hoping that would happen but its been about three weeks in colder water. I saved the one longest sprig which is actually probably over a month old and hardly grew at all. I clipped it the other day right below the new growth and it is still yet to grow but I think the part below the clip is dying.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

It's funny, I hear a lot of horror stories about people's anacharis failing to grow...mine absolutely flourishes in my 80F tanks. I once forgot to trim it for a few weeks and ended up pulling out a 7ft strand with heaps of bushy green leaves.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Bombalurina said:


> It's funny, I hear a lot of horror stories about people's anacharis failing to grow...mine absolutely flourishes in my 80F tanks. I once forgot to trim it for a few weeks and ended up pulling out a 7ft strand with heaps of bushy green leaves.


Lol same here in my 33, just took over my tank until I moved most of it to my 10 gallon/2 3 gallons and decided it didn't have enough nutrients and died on me >.>


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

Could it be mine doesn't have enough nutrients? I had it in a tank alone with no animals, heat, filter or anything just a 2 gallon bowl and the one sprig slowly grew over time. I really wanted this plant too. The last heap rotted around the weight and smelled awful when I changed the water. I want to get a hood and a light today maybe the lighting will help my plants grow but I really didn't wanna use fertilizers.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

That might well be it. Mine didn't do well in an unheated, unfiltered tank with just a mystery snail for company, but in a tank full of fish (and their poo) it absolutely thrived. At one point, I was also dosing Flourish but then growth got way out of hand.

If you do try ferts, though, don't use Flourish Excel (liquid CO2) as it causes anacharis to melt.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

i cant get anacharis to grow either :evil:

Any of these should work but if i rember corectly they have very high shipping
http://www.azgardens.com/c-51-cryptocoryne-aquarium-plants.aspx

also dwarf lilly will grow tall - possibly too tall for a 5g


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

I picked up a 6500k bulb today and threw it in the chandelier above the tank but many say it is too tall. Once I find an in-store hood for a 5.5 i'll grab it up.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Fastcash124 said:


> I picked up a 6500k bulb today and threw it in the chandelier above the tank but many say it is too tall. Once I find an in-store hood for a 5.5 i'll grab it up.


You don't necessarily need a hood, you can get a regular old desktop lamp and that would provide plenty enough light for your plants! I did that for a long time as well, worked great. What you want to look for is a light that can penetrate through the water nearly to the bottom, that would be considered high lighting but then you can grow anything in them!

Also you can get these lights here: http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100354...ads-_-pla-_-100354513&ci_gpa=pla#.UaX-MtI3szY They have been proven to be really good cheap lighting for planted tanks!


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

Yea those are ok I have something similar for my snake but if I have to have another thing to plug in I'd rather it just be on top of the tank with no risk of falling in


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

The bulb I have in the chandelier lights up almost the entire room but I haven't found a specific write up on distance. Also if I have too much light will that kill the low light plants?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Not in my experience, my Anubias flourishes under my higher fluorescent lighting, they'll just be a brighter green.

As far as height, the thing you want is to have light that penetrates your water, otherwise you're plants won't be getting light. In my honest opinion though, I don't think that chandelier is going to work very well.


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## Fastcash124 (Nov 13, 2012)

Yea I'm gonna try and grab up a hood or at least a light bar


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