# Low-Medium light, no CO2, Plants?



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Try Dwarf Sags maybe? Marsilea? Mosses?


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

What kind of light is that. Looks to be very low level...
Crypt Petchii(e-bay) does well in actual med/low light level.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/pGallery/pg_11602d.jpg
That is in one of my 10g tanks/w one T5HO bulb on it @ 12" from the sub.
This picture is from that same tank. It has another Petchii and Marsilea and
"collected DHG growing near it.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/pGallery/pg_11610d.jpg
I like the Petchii over the Parva because the leaves are a darker color/w shorter stems.
The plant also seems smaller than the Parva.
Actually there is a list at the top of the Low Tech section which list plants that will grow in low light even though some of them are med light plants.
Just that I only do 10g tanks so small is my main focus. But then nothing in them is exactly conventional. Suits me though.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/pGallery/pg_11625d.jpg


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## MEandYouPhoto (Jul 1, 2014)

Raymond S. said:


> What kind of light is that. Looks to be very low level...
> Crypt Petchii(e-bay) does well in actual med/low light level.
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/pGallery/pg_11602d.jpg
> That is in one of my 10g tanks/w one T5HO bulb on it @ 12" from the sub.
> ...


Oh the light on there is a junk light. it WAS a Marineland Hidden LED light but it has since been replaced with a Current USA Satellite Planted Plus of which I have currently running at about 70% power

Here is a picture of the tank with the right light on it



I have looked at the low light list and I noticed most of them are crypts, mosses, anubius and ferns. Although they all say they are low light compatible they do not specify if they also will thrive without CO2. I don't mind dosing Excel in the tank but I can't do another CO2 setup anytime soon. 

I do like the look of the Petchii so I may look that one up.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Oops, my bad...I use Excel @ 2x the recommended doses except that it's all that level and not higher at Water Changes etc.
Looks better/w the new light. I don't particularly like Crypts. But can't give you a good
reason why. I am trying to stay away from stemmed plants as they will get taller than the tank in a 10g. But what is left ? So...there are 14 different types of plants in there.
According to them that light only has 36 PAR @ 12" so you might use it @ 100% and be OK on the algae if you don't over do the hrs. But not with the low amount of plants you have now.


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## MEandYouPhoto (Jul 1, 2014)

Raymond S. said:


> Oops, my bad...I use Excel @ 2x the recommended doses except that it's all that level and not higher at Water Changes etc.
> Looks better/w the new light. I don't particularly like Crypts. But can't give you a good
> reason why. I am trying to stay away from stemmed plants as they will get taller than the tank in a 10g. But what is left ? So...there are 14 different types of plants in there.
> According to them that light only has 36 PAR @ 12" so you might use it @ 100% and be OK on the algae if you don't over do the hrs. But not with the low amount of plants you have now.


Yea I have it turned down due to the few plants. Plus the light is only 10 inches from the substrate so I am likely looking at 40+ PAR at full power. So I am on the low end of Medium light. 

With that being said I might try a couple of different plants to see how it works out in the tank. I have a couple of different types of crypts growing in my main high tech tank but it has C02 and High light. 

Currently I am dosing according to recommended dosing on the bottles for the Seachem line and doing 50% water changes once a week. Lights are running 7 hours daily. 

I think I like dwarf sag and Pygmy Chain Sword. I guess it will depend on what other suggestions I can get or what I can find at my LFS lol


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

There are a* large variety *of anubias and fern species out there if you want to do several kinds in that tank.
Also marimo (which is not a moss but a specialized form of slow growing hair algae) does great in low light tanks with no co2 and no co2 supplements (seachem excel can kill it as excel is an algaecide and maimo is an algae).
Hornwort and ancharis are 2 easy stem plants for low light.. i think anacharis doesn't like excel either.. there's also a lot of moss options... subwassertang is another option for low light but also does not like excel.


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## MEandYouPhoto (Jul 1, 2014)

AquaAurora said:


> There are a* large variety *of anubias and fern species out there if you want to do several kinds in that tank.
> Also marimo (which is not a moss but a specialized form of slow growing hair algae) does great in low light tanks with no co2 and no co2 supplements (seachem excel can kill it as excel is an algaecide and maimo is an algae).
> Hornwort and ancharis are 2 easy stem plants for low light.. i think anacharis doesn't like excel either.. there's also a lot of moss options... subwassertang is another option for low light but also does not like excel.


I knew that Anacharis didn't like Excel. I had some in the tank to begin with and it melted into piles of goo after I dosed Excel for a couple of days. But I wasn't aware that the Marimo moss balls didn't like Excel! That actually explains a lot!

I am curious about the Anubias that you suggested. I am aware that it is a great low light plant and I have Anubias Nana attached to the Malaysian driftwood and it is doing really well. But from what I understand it really needs to be attached to something to thrive and is difficult to attach to the substrate since the risome needs to be out of the substrate. I had a Broad Leaf Anubius in my original tank and it quickly outgrew the tank (only 10 gallons) so I would be interested to know of other smaller type varieties that would be similar to the Nana in size. 

I looked at the Subwassertang and it looks really cool. Does it require a mat or mesh to grow on?


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## Dan386 (Nov 24, 2013)

*Plants*

How about a Sword plant ?

I have a Amazon Sword in my 29 under low light and it grows very well but maybe a bit slow. I think for a 10 maybe a dwarf sword?

I think a regular Sword Plant would take over the tank.


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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

micro swords would work for you


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

MEandYouPhoto said:


> I knew that Anacharis didn't like Excel. I had some in the tank to begin with and it melted into piles of goo after I dosed Excel for a couple of days. But I wasn't aware that the Marimo moss balls didn't like Excel! That actually explains a lot!
> 
> I am curious about the Anubias that you suggested. I am aware that it is a great low light plant and I have Anubias Nana attached to the Malaysian driftwood and it is doing really well. But from what I understand it really needs to be attached to something to thrive and is difficult to attach to the substrate since the risome needs to be out of the substrate. I had a Broad Leaf Anubius in my original tank and it quickly outgrew the tank (only 10 gallons) so I would be interested to know of other smaller type varieties that would be similar to the Nana in size.
> 
> I looked at the Subwassertang and it looks really cool. Does it require a mat or mesh to grow on?


My anubias is not attached to anything, just anchored with fishing ling and lead free plant weights or glass beads, roots either in substrate or floating:
I have petite, micro and golden in there (6g bowfront) I dose seachem liquid ferts and they're doing great.

(the torn leaf on teh golden if the oldest leaf and arrived that way.. still hasn't broken down after 9 months)


For a 10g you get a lot of options:
the ones already listed
coffefolia
nana
barterie
narrow leaf
angustifolia
lanceolata
minima
nangi 
roundleaf
bonsai
afzelii


get too big for a 10g: 
hastifolia (this got to big for my 55g!)
gigantea (don't get unless you have 4'+ tall tank or a very humid environment for it to grow leaves above water)
caladiifolia 
broadleaf (20g long works for it but ti will dominate)

There are plenty more out there if you search hard.. snow white and marbles are the most disgustingly expensive of them.


As for the Subwassertang, I've never owned it, but I recall reading that people usually tie it to wood/rock/mesh.


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## rtague (Jun 14, 2008)

*125 g low tech*

Hi all,setting up a 125 g low tech.I 'm looking at 4 39w t5ho lamps for a total of 
156w over a 6' tank.I want to grow crypts,anubius etc,nothing that demands crazy light,I am not going to be using co2 but will be dosing excel and ei ferts,how does this sound?

Bump: Sorry,meant to start a new topic,disregard.


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## MEandYouPhoto (Jul 1, 2014)

Tryin to hijack my thread? lol

:hihi:

125 gallon! That's gonna be a beautiful tank! Please make sure and post updates and pictures


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

rtague said:


> Hi all,setting up a 125 g low tech.I 'm looking at 4 39w t5ho lamps for a total of
> 156w over a 6' tank.I want to grow crypts,anubius etc,nothing that demands crazy light,I am not going to be using co2 but will be dosing excel and ei ferts,how does this sound?
> 
> Bump: Sorry,meant to start a new topic,disregard.


watts is void as a metric, check out this thread about par and how height/different lights have different strength (low, medium, high):
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368
if its hard to grasp just look at the graphs in the first post.


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