# Amazon Scape With Low Light Plants



## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

I want to create a biotope of sorts for my RBP's and other than the popular swords, vals, and annubias.....what other plants can I use to create this? I want to keep it on the low to medium light side and I dont want to dabble with the co2. This would be for a 150gal. Thanks for the help guys.


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2011)

Some of the nicest amazon biotopes I've seen don't have any plants. Lot's of drift wood, mangrove root, and peat moss. You listed everything that will grow nicely without CO2 and mid-high lighting. Echinodorus tenellus is a good plant, easy to grow and looks it looks nice.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

65galhex said:


> I want to create a biotope of sorts for my RBP's and other than the popular swords, vals, and annubias.....what other plants can I use to create this? I want to keep it on the low to medium light side and I dont want to dabble with the co2. This would be for a 150gal. Thanks for the help guys.


If you don't want a true biotope (meaning fish,plants... are all from the area- annubias is african) then crypts would be another good choice. If you do swords you will want some decent substrate and lighting but with the others you could do a simple low light setup. A dual bulb florecent will be a good starting point. If you want swords dual t5 and a good substrate may work so it may be hard to get enough light for swords spread evenly but it may work to place the swords in direct light and the others on the fringes. Like said a black water biotope would be cool too


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## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

What would a black water biotope consist of? I also have 2 ho t5 and ive had swords before but never had luck with them.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

bw biotope is usually a brown sand, driftwood and various small sticks and leaf litter around.

What was your substrate before with swords?


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2011)

65galhex said:


> What would a black water biotope consist of? I also have 2 ho t5 and ive had swords before but never had luck with them.


Swords thrive in some tanks and just die in others, I've tried swords in different tanks, some live some die.
A black water biotope would be driftwood, some scattered leaves over the substrate, sand as substrate(play sand is a cheap alternative), and peat moss to stain the water a nice tea colour. Many amazonian fish do well in these conditions and it can help bring out colours as well.


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## 65galhex (Nov 5, 2008)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> What would a black water biotope consist of? I also have 2 ho t5 and ive had swords before but never had luck with them.


Swords thrive in some tanks and just die in others, I've tried swords in different tanks, some live some die.
A black water biotope would be driftwood, some scattered leaves over the substrate, sand as substrate(play sand is a cheap alternative), and peat moss to stain the water a nice tea colour. Many amazonian fish do well in these conditions and it can help bring out colours as well.
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Now I have black sand and my plans were to add dw and definitely big rocks


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