# Low light plants and pH 8.0?



## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

Hi,

I have some low light plants and pH 8.0, it won't cause the problems?

Hygrophila polysperma
Giant Vallisneria
Java Moss 
Windelov's fern
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptocoryne wendtii Tropica
Moss ball
Anubias nano
Amazon Sword
Rotala indica
Brazilian Pennywort
Egeria densa
African Water Fern
Eleocharis parvulu
Willisii's Cryp 

Thanks


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## urbach (Apr 16, 2009)

Some will survive, some won't. You need to check each plant database. In general keep PH max at ph7.5 for planted tank. 

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk


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## SmittyInFla (May 3, 2013)

My planted tank consistently runs over 8.0 pH...I have not had any significant plant die back. 

I had a few species that didn't take, but that may have been other variables. My Vals are LOVING the tank, now over 2 feet long. There are 17 species of plants in my tank, right now:

Rotala, Vals, Java fern, Anubias round leaf, duckweed, hornwort, pennywort, Bacopa, and others.


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## JustJen (Jun 20, 2011)

Same here - pH of 8.2-8.4 (and a kH of about 19!), and I've got a couple varieties of val, several mosses, multiple varieties of crypts, java fern, anubias, bacopa, cabomba (green and purple), swords, tiger lotus, rotala indica, rotala colorata, broad leaf ludwigia, dwarf hair grass, lots of floaters (duckweed, hornwort, etc.) and I'm sure stuff that isn't coming to mind right now all growing in my low tech/low-medium light tanks. There are absolutely plants that won't grow in my water, but (at least in my experience) they're mostly the ones that aren't going to grow in a low light/low tech tank anyway. I don't know though that I've lost any plants that wouldn't have crapped out in my tanks due to light/ferts/cO2 regardless of pH.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

How about African Water Fern? Somebody try it? 

Thanks


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## JustJen (Jun 20, 2011)

I tried it and didn't do so well with it. In fairness to it, I have very limited java fern and anubias too because I'm lazy and don't like gluing them to stuff, and they (like the african water fern) are rhizome plants that don't do well if you plant them down in the substrate (which is what I did with them). Point being, their lack of success in my tank likely had way more to do with how I planted them than it did the ph.

My friend/neighbor on the same water had some for a little bit though and did fine with it.


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## tgold (Aug 23, 2012)

Crypt Parva, Rotalia, Ludwigia Repens, Fissidens, Dwarf Sagiteria, 
Anubias, HC have been fine.
All but the HC will grow in plain pool sand, and low LED light.
Pennywort and Frogbit have been problems.


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## EvilFish (Oct 15, 2013)

There is any need to using a small doses of CO2 in the planted low light tank?


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## carlsagan89 (Oct 20, 2013)

There is no essential NECESSITY for there to be CO2 however it won't hurt your plants at all and would be beneficial.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

EvilFish said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have some low light plants and pH 8.0, it won't cause the problems?
> 
> ...


Grown most of them in low light, 8.0 and very hard water.


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