# Good starter, low light, plants? Retrofitting?



## j_diaz01 (Sep 30, 2012)

So did some research and realized that my 13 watt light on my 12g tank would not be a sufficient amount of light for most aquarium plants. I am considering retrofitting a light with higher wattage, but am unsure. 

To be specific, java moss, java fern and anubias are the only plants I can think of that will do okay in such low lighting? Any others? I want this tank to be more of a fish-focused tank, so I probably wont be doing any fancy CO2 systems, though I am not opposed to supplementing with nutrients. I bought eco-complete as a substrate, both for the plants and because I wanted a black substrate. 

I want a tank with a majestic beauty of plants, driftwood, etc. Very natural looking, though I am not opposed to putting in some artificial plants or caves to spruce it up a bit. Any guidance on plants that would do well in low lighting or even retrofitting would be vastly appreciated. I realize there is a thread with beginner plants, but it doesn't go into too much detail on lighting requirements.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Anachrias, hornwort, those plants you can get from bulbs (like onion plants, apongenton, dwarf lily, etc.).


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## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

Tiger Lotus is an easy beginner plant that you shouldn't have any problems with except how big it gets. it can shoot up leaves 12" high and its footprint is huge(maybe 6"x6" when matured). 

There's a pretty big selection when it comes to Anubias. I've personally never had any success with java fern, but that's when I was using my super hard tap water. My anubias doesn't seem to really care what kind of water it is in....food for thought


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

A lot of people ask this question... There are few plants that really NEED high light, and high light is relative to how much growth you want. Pelia can grow in low light, I grow jungle vals in very low light, and you have a wide variety of mosses that look very cool. Flame moss is one of my favorites, it grows slow like any flora in low light, but it get's an awesome look to it.

If you want a plant that grows insane, under any light, and any condition, get hornwart. It was mentioned above. I have it grow literally 3+ inches a day in my main tank, and it grows more then 4 inches a week in my low light cube. From 3 small strands a friend gave me, I grew 40+ plants that were all over 24" and it took less then a month. The stuff is a weed. The pros are that it grows really fast, the cons are that it grows REALLY fast... I throw away chunks of it 3 times a week. I have a bin outside of it that is just full to the brim of it... I don't want to just kill it, but I can't seem to get rid of it. If you want some I will ship you however much you want, just pay the shipping and gas to the post office which is usually around $7.

"Tiger Lotus" grow great in low light. And if you want some cool color, look no further. In high light the leaves turn green, and emerald with spots of red. In low-medium light, the leaves will turn an awesome orange with red spots. In very low light, the leaves will turn dark red. Normally to get red coloration with a plant, it needs light, but not with the Tiger Lotus. I have 3 Tiger Lotus, and I love them, I always have. Here are a few facts on them. They are not a true lotus. They are a water lily. If you are shopping for one they can be labeled as " Dwarf Water Lily " or " Tiger Lotus ", they are the same. Being that they are a lily, they require little light, very low ferts ( fish waste suffices, in fact I have one in my shrimp tank that gets almost no ferts ). They also require little CO2, and no CO2 supplication. Now, CO2 supplication is not needed, but it will make them grow a little faster. Tiger lotus store their nutrients in the bulb. If you get a plant that has a giant bulb, odds are that it will take some time for it to sprout large leaves and take off, because the plant is already fat and happy. But it is worth the wait to get a larger bulbed one. 

Here is a pic of one of my Tiger Lotus that I have set out in high light ( about 50 PAR, which is high for this species ). I am trying to get the leaves to turn emerald green with red spots. It is changing, but the change is coming slowly. It use to be very orange with a little red, I should have left it like that because it was beautiful, but I really want a green one haha...


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

I am going to have to edit my post on the Tiger Lily, I was way off.. will redo in time..


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

Here is my correction on the Tiger Lotus. All is true except this " "Dwarf Water Lily" or "Tiger Lotus" ", they are the same. ". There is a lot of confusion between what a "Tiger Lotus" is, because it is not actually a Lotus, it is a Water Lily. I hope this will help define what is what and make some things clearer. 

In the Aquarium trade, there are 2 kinds of Water Lily readily available. The picture of the plant in my previous post is in the same_* family* as the_ Tiger Lotus, _Nymphaeaceae_. But it is not a Tiger Lotus, even though you will often see them in LFS labeled as Tiger Lotus. They are actually "Dwarf Water Lilies". I can not remember the link to the species name of the Dwarf Water Lily, if I find or remember it later I will add it to the thread. 

Tiger Lotus _(Nymphaea lotus_) have a much different look. Do not be persuaded by any seller that there are different types of _Nymphaea lotus_ like "_Tiger Lotus Red Nymphea Maculeta_" or "_Tiger Lotus Jade Nymphea Zenkeri_ ". There are no subspecies of _Nymphaea lotus_. The difference is in color and the label they put on that color; one being red or green. Some consider them 2 different varieties. However, color of the plant largely depends on it's light conditions. More light it will turn the leaves green. Less light, and the leaves will turn or stay red. 

So we have 2 different species of Water Lily in the family _Nymphaeaceae_: Tiger Lotus and Dwarf Water Lily. Most of the time you will get a Dwarf Water Lily because of the confusion of the common name, and because both are in the same family. 

Here are some pics of the plants I have, the difference is very noticeable.

*Tiger Lotus ((Nymphaea lotus):*


































*Dwarf Water Lily (Nymphaea spp.):*


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

elodea, hornwort, maybe guppy grass. And there about a dozen java ferns, narrow, wide, curly,


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## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

that's some good information, Murloc. I thought they were the same. I have tiger lotus. I wish I had dwarf water lilly. lol. this thing is HUGE


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

many varieties of cryptocoryne that will do well in low light tanks.


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