Easiest, Low Light, Low Maintenance Plants

[phantomlink]

My goal for now is once my 20gallon tank is empty, to turn it into a plant growing aquarium. My brain has been on overdrive researching tank designs, stand designs, fish stocks etc and I've only done a little reading about real plants. Basically my question is this: What types of plants need little "care", low light and easy to grow? All my spare cash and then some went to my tanks so I cant go for all the fancy lights, CO2 etc. my 125 gallon only has a 30 and 40 watt bulbs but im taking them back soon to ask about getting the same strength.

Thanks

 

[Ps3Steveo]

How many bulbs do you have and what are the wattage your going for?

Plants like Ehinodorus, Cryptocoryne, Microsorum, Anubias, Bolbitis, Pogostemon Helferi, Staurogyne and various mosses should be good for you.

Hope this helps .

 

[phantomlink]

How many bulbs do you have and what are the wattage your going for?

Plants like Ehinodorus, Cryptocoryne, Microsorum, Anubias, Bolbitis, Pogostemon Helferi, Staurogyne and various mosses should be good for you.

Hope this helps .

My main tank has 2 bulbs each 36 inches long, one is 30 watt the other is 40, no idea why the store gave me two seperate kinds but im taking them back on Wednesday to get matching wattage. The tank is 22 inches.high so 125 gallon total. I plan to try growing some in my 20 gallon to start and it has a 15w bulb

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Well those plants should just about survive maybe a tad more light would help.

 

[phantomlink]

Well those plants should just about survive maybe a tad more light would help.

What kind of strength am I looking for without blinding my fish? I'm looking at the stores website and they dont offer much I can see in Fluorescent style

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Well over a 125 Gallon you want about 125-145 Watts of lighting and that will sit you in the low light region for easy to grow plants, at the moment you have very low lighting so might struggle a little.

 

[phantomlink]

Do the lighting fixtures have a max capability? I'm going to the LFS tomorrow and when I looked online they didnt offer anything over a single 40w light, no idea if I could put a 70watt in the fixtures I have

 

[Ps3Steveo]

You could have 3x40W?

 

[Bugdozer]

I have Hygrophila and it grows like mad, I have average light levels, no CO2 and just the odd splash of fertiliser.

 

[stu40]

Clicky

 

[Ps3Steveo]

But the OP has very low lighting, so certain plants may grow and others may not, I've never tried with lighting this low.

 

[stu40]

I plan to try growing some in my 20 gallon to start and it has a 15w bulb

But the OP has very low lighting, so certain plants may grow and others may not, I've never tried with lighting this low.

20G doesn't necessarily mean 20G of water.Plus, is the 15W bulb T8 or T5 ?
The list is starting point.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I plan to try growing some in my 20 gallon to start and it has a 15w bulb

But the OP has very low lighting, so certain plants may grow and others may not, I've never tried with lighting this low.

20G doesn't necessarily mean 20G of water.Plus, is the 15W bulb T8 or T5 ?
The list is starting point.

I'm confused are you asking about lighting for your 125 gallon or your 20 gallon?

 

[phantomlink]

I plan to try growing some in my 20 gallon to start and it has a 15w bulb

But the OP has very low lighting, so certain plants may grow and others may not, I've never tried with lighting this low.

20G doesn't necessarily mean 20G of water.Plus, is the 15W bulb T8 or T5 ?
The list is starting point.

I'm confused are you asking about lighting for your 125 gallon or your 20 gallon?

Start growing in the 20 and once i'm confident in it, transfer them into the 125. I could look at how the glass lid and lights are setup properly when I get the tank started and see if I can squeeze a 3rd light fixture in there somewere. This is my first real aquarium one that doesnt have a lid/light canopy combination it just has the glass lid and I place my lights on top.

Also the 20g is a T8 bulb, I dont know which is better but I haven't seen a single T5 in either of the stores here. I have no idea how to tell how high the K number is I've seen some people talk about. The lights in the 125 are T8s as well

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Right so for both tanks, check what wattage is in your 20G mate.