# low light plants



## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

hi guys. i have been reading alot of your topics, and looking at your pics. i don't have any experience with live plants, but i love the way it looks. i have decided to give it a shot. i just wanted to ask a few questions. will plants grow in playsand? and what is the easiest plant to start off with? i dont want to buy a co2 setup either. i want to start planting my 30 gal. i have a small 18" light with a 15-watt power-glo lamp in it. will that be enough light to start off with? and i have a ac 70 on it ( dunno if that matters) the tank is fully cycled.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

> will plants grow in playsand?


yes. But sand is inert. Plant substrate is better, but not needed totally. You would have to make sure your water column is fertilized, because your plants will be feeding from the leaves.


> and what is the easiest plant to start off with?


Hmm.. Low light plants that grow fast, like hornwart. Anubias are easy, but grow very slow.. water sprite is a good easy one too.


> i dont want to buy a co2 setup either. i want to start planting my 30 gal. i have a small 18" light with a 15-watt power-glo lamp in it. will that be enough light to start off with? and i have a ac 70 on it ( dunno if that matters) the tank is fully cycled.


well, IMO, I would say that if you don't want CO2, keep it under 1.7wpg or so.. I know that isn't an exact measurement, but it sure is a ballpark figure that isn't too out of line..
If it was my tank, I would get more light than 15 watts over a 30g. But if that is all you have, just get a bunch of anacharis, and cryptocorynes..
This is a great article to read on low light tanks.. you don't have to follow it exactly, but it can give you an idea on how things sort of work, if you read it 10 times lol
hope this helps


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## Guru (Apr 20, 2004)

I like rotala indica it seems to just shoot up real fast, usually takes just in a couple of days.


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

JIM~ post some pic after every is done, would love to see it..


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

HOACH said:


> I like rotala indica it seems to just shoot up real fast, usually takes just in a couple of days.


Please, I am not trying to be wierd, or lame.. but Rotala indica is a very rare, high light, red plant from south east asia.. Rotundafolia is the plant you are talking about.
Most stores and lfs usually call it indica because that is what they used to call it, and suppliers have not changed the name yet.. If you ever get the real 'indica' Ill buy some off of u








--it is super rare, and I know ppl who are trying to get some of it who can get most anything.


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## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

JDM~PiRaYa~AE86 said:


> JIM~ post some pic after every is done, would love to see it..


i will.. i'm gonna get some flourite substrate tomorrow then i'm gonna try to get a new light.

dippy what do you think about anubias bareri, java fern, and cryptocoryne blassi (sp) i have been doing some searchs and these seem to be hardy plants. and do you know a site thet sells good plants for short money? i have been looking on ebay is there any other place?


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

~Silly~Spy said:


> JIM~ post some pic after every is done, would love to see it..


i will.. i'm gonna get some flourite substrate tomorrow then i'm gonna try to get a new light.

dippy what do you think about anubias bareri, java fern, and cryptocoryne blassi (sp) i have been doing some searchs and these seem to be hardy plants. and do you know a site thet sells good plants for short money? i have been looking on ebay is there any other place?
[/quote]
try www.aquabid.com sometimes there are people who sell off their overgrowth on there that only want a few bucks.. also, you could try joining www.aquaticplantcentral.com and buy from the hobbyists there as well.. they dont want an arm or a leg for their plants.. but you are sort of limited to what people are selling.. some guys on here know of good places to get plants online, but I dont know them..I am in a plant club, and i get great deals on super rare stuff usually. (1ce a month)

I have a few very small java fern plantlets, and some crypt wendtii..

If you are sticking with low light, and those plants.. (java fern, and anubias both do very well attached to drift wood) I really dont think you need to get flourite. crypts are heavy root feeders, but I have seen them do well in sand too.. it is up to you though.. Flourite is expensive.. there are cheaper alternatives as well


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

~Silly~Spy said:


> I like rotala indica it seems to just shoot up real fast, usually takes just in a couple of days.


Please, I am not trying to be wierd, or lame.. but Rotala indica is a very rare, high light, red plant from south east asia.. Rotundafolia is the plant you are talking about.
Most stores and lfs usually call it indica because that is what they used to call it, and suppliers have not changed the name yet.. If you ever get the real 'indica' Ill buy some off of u








--it is super rare, and I know ppl who are trying to get some of it who can get most anything.
[/quote]

Gosh what a psycho...


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## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

thanks dippy and chuck, both really good links.


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## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

ok today i went to petsmart and got a great deal on florite and black moon sand 13.99 per bag! anyway while iwas there i picked up some spiral vals, some hornwart and a java fern. this is what my tank looks like about 5 hours later..
without light:
View attachment 97044

with light:
View attachment 97045

right side:
View attachment 97046

left side:
View attachment 97047

i forgot to mention, i also got some flourish tabs. i have a glass hood and a twin lamp light fixture on the way sould be comming next week. more light is better right.







oh and if your wondering the gold spilo on the left has his own tank, he is just there for a little while.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

looks good.. 
Java ferns grow from their rhizome.. the horizontal green thing the leaves grow from.. 
so if you bury that, it could inhibit any new growth, or even kill the plant eventually.
Just thought i would tell ya.. they do great tied to drift wood.

True, more light is better, but things change as you use more light. good to keep that in mind!


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## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

is this better?
View attachment 97049

hey if i add more light , it would be wise to inject o2 right? i have been looking for the dyi o2 coke bottle, but i can't find how to make one. can you tell me what i will need. i know that you have to mix sugar and yeast, but how do i make the setup?


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## 2PiRaNhA~2FuRrY (Nov 1, 2005)

~Silly~Spy said:


> is this better?
> View attachment 97049
> 
> hey if i add more light , it would be wise to inject o2 right? i have been looking for the dyi o2 coke bottle, but i can't find how to make one. can you tell me what i will need. i know that you have to mix sugar and yeast, but how do i make the setup?


looking good bro. looking good :nod:


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

~Silly~Spy said:


> is this better?
> View attachment 97049
> 
> hey if i add more light , it would be wise to inject o2 right? i have been looking for the dyi o2 coke bottle, but i can't find how to make one. can you tell me what i will need. i know that you have to mix sugar and yeast, but how do i make the setup?


there are other links out there, but try this one.. it is the first one i found.. DIY CO2

You wont need it unless you go at or over like 1.8wpg or so.. it is a hard way to tell, by wpg, but it is a rough estimate that gets close to the ballpark.

if the DIY dont do it for ya, there is always excell


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## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

JDM~PiRaYa~AE86 said:


> is this better?
> View attachment 97049
> 
> hey if i add more light , it would be wise to inject o2 right? i have been looking for the dyi o2 coke bottle, but i can't find how to make one. can you tell me what i will need. i know that you have to mix sugar and yeast, but how do i make the setup?


looking good bro. looking good :nod:
[/quote]
thx, i need to learn more and get a better set-up. i want a jungle lol. it's gonna take me some time though.


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## Curley (Aug 4, 2004)

You dont need any super high lights or co2. Just keep it easy... 
Mine: 100 gallon with play sand sub. (bunch of random low wattage plants, here is a pic of the middle of my tank, a lot of those onion bulbs on the far right and some more swords and hornwort on the left that u cant see)
Only 80 watts (shop light from hardware store)
No co2
lights on for 10 hours
cheap LFS fertilizer
Just get low light plants there is many of them. High wattage is nice looking cause u can get all those sick azz flowering plants but u can make something with just about nothing. Man this is addicting cause I always want to aquscape it and change the looks. I had a buttload more plants but had these 2 fish called Uruas that just thought it was a buffet. I like your java fern on that drift, looks good. Just ask Dippy that dude knows his sh1t... Late


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## ~Silly~Spy (Mar 12, 2005)

Curley said:


> You dont need any super high lights or co2. Just keep it easy...
> Mine: 100 gallon with play sand sub.
> Only 80 watts (shop light from hardware store)
> No co2
> ...


very nice looking tank man. i know i don't need to get crazy with scaping, but i want to. i want a full green tank.


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