# Can I grow hygrophila corymbosa compacta in low light?



## Indian fern (Jul 16, 2012)

I have a 20 gal. Ive tried this plant before but it just melted. Other plants are well and thriving. Give it again another try in my new 20 gal. tank.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

I think it might be do-able in low light, but it wouldn't grow as compact as you might like it too. Jus be sure to have god nutrients, my H.polysperma died off in my low light setup.


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## Indian fern (Jul 16, 2012)

Oh no. My tank is mediumlight, no ferts and co2. Substrate is sand, but it has bits of peat buried in it. Will it be enough?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Not very likely


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

It grows in all my tanks, including my 5g tank with stock lighting (eclipse style tank). It grows much slower, but it definitely grows. You can give it a root tab to help it along.


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## Indian fern (Jul 16, 2012)

Guess I wont put some.


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

Why? It should grow fine based on how it grows in my tanks. I think it's one of the best plants to grow in every condition possible. I even grew it in a cichlid only tank before.

I'm not sure the others who commented have actually tried to grow it in a lower light tank so they were offering what they thought based on their experience of other plants, but Hygrophila corymbosa compacta is an exception to the rule. I have found it grows in all lighting conditions. Heck, I've even grown it in a 6.6g bookshelf tank with stock lighting without any substrate at all. I just used a weight to hold it in place.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

I'd be willing to try some in my 10 gallon low light, but my concern is that the plant is just, kinda big. I feel like H. corymbosa would be overwhelming in a 10, or do you not find that to be the case in low light?
Btw, in your low light are you dosing ferts? I feel like my H. polysperma in low light died off because I wasn't dosing anything


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

OP said he has medium lights anyways, I think the main thing that might make this difficult is the lack of any ferts and a simple sand with some peat substrate. Your chances definitely go up a ton when you add some nutrients, because the plant is a huge nutrient sponge. Mine do not seem to do well without some nutrient supplementation. Then again, I'm running high lights so high light and low nutrients=hungry plants lol


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## Complexity (Jan 30, 2008)

The only tanks that I add ferts to are my 75g and 90g tanks. They also get pressurized CO2 and bright lighting. In those tanks, the hygro compacta grows very dense, low, and a rich green color.

My two 29g tanks get medium light, and my 5g tank gets low light. In those tanks, the hygro compacta grows much less dense with a lighter green color. It also tends to grow taller, reaching to the surface over time. It will eventually put out side shoots from the base. I generally cut off the original stem and replant it, leaving the side shoots to grow where they were.

After a few years, I noticed that the hygros in my 5g basically stopped growing. Around the same time, the hygros in my 29g tanks started looking overly pale to the point of getting white coloring around the leaf edges. I took that as a sign that they needed nutrients. So I gave them all some fert tabs. They've perked right back up after that.


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## Indian fern (Jul 16, 2012)

Thanks guys. Ill buy one now in Bio research. Ill try to grow this plant again. I love its large lime green leaves :3


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