Live Plants For A 'no' Light Tank!?

[Sammy1911]

Sorry this is probably a really dumb thread but I'm gonna ask anyway!

I've got a 24x18x18 blackwater South American breeding tank set up for Apisto Pebas 'Morado'. In the tank I currently have sand, bogwood, oak leaves, alder cones, a plant pot.

I'm using a small sponge filter. PH 6.8 / GH3 / KH 16 temp 26c.

It's an open top currently with no artificial lightning so it only gets what it can from my kitchen window

So I was wondering to help create a 'cosier' environment could I add live plants? I want to avoid artificial possible. Any ideas?

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Mosses (I found Christmas moss to grow better than java moss), anubias, java fern. I've had other plants but those have grown better in the "natural" light only tanks.

 

[lljdma06]

According to Mongobay, a website I particularly like for this sort of thing, it lists Amazon swords, Heternantera, Vallis, Ceratophyllum, and Cabomba. With no light, you can probably can get away with the swords and vallis. I've also grown crypts with only natural light, but they're not part of the biotope. Lots of bogwood, placed stratigically with a scattering of amazons swords of various sizes, may achieve a nice effect. At this point, though, just adding a single strip light would open up your options and guarantee that the live plants in there will do better. They'll struggle and while it's noble to want to use live plants, I don't think it's worth it to add them if they are not going to do well. Depends also on how strong the lighting is from the kitchen window. Show me a picture.

Liz

 

[mattbleasby]

I wouldn't have thought Vallis would grow without light? But Swords YES YES YES and Cabomba will grow in anything

Thats from my experience, I had a tank setup with some moss balls. Swords and Cabomba and it grew slowly but nicely

 

[Sammy1911]

WOW thanks everyone, some great ideas there. I like the idea of cambomba and Xmas moss, I've got swords and vallis in my 65G display tank so it would be nice to have something different.

I've got more suggestions than I've expected already but I'm gonna be cheeky anyway and say 'is there anything else?'