Need A Floating Very Low Light Plant For My Balloon Mollies...

[ab420]

Hello, I have a 29 gallon AGA with Balloon Mollies and Rosy Barbs in it. I have read that the Balloon Mollies would enjoy a floating plant or two to "hide out" in. At one point I had one of those cheap plastic grass floating "plants" and although ugly, they loved it. But it was just ugly and quickly grew algae all over it, so I got rid of it.

I only have a standard flourescent hood that has 1 24" 17 watt bulb. So, I only have around .58 WPG = VERY low...

I read through the pinned topics on plants (they are wonderful btw), and saw that :

Examples of plant species that grow in the very low to low lighting bracket include Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Java fern and various mosses.

I've looked them up and none of them seem like they would be ok as a floating plant.

Does anyone know of any low-light requiring floating plants that I could use?

I figure since they will be floating, they will be so close to the light that my weak bulb may not be an issue. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lljdma06]

For my betta tanks, I actually use moss, and while it stays sort of mid-water, it does grow very well without being attached to anything.

I'm pretty sure that it would float up in a larger system, especially if it were spread thin and if there wasn't a lot of current. I use Christmas moss.

Duckweed may work as may salvinia minima, both of which have grown in my low-light aquariums, though I've never had lower than 1WPG.

llj

 

[Miss Wiggle]

hornwort would work and that'll grow in just about anything

what about riccia? that grows under most conditions or is under 1wpg pushing it too far?

 

[joycould]

Water spite works as a floating plant. You should have enough light to grow it since it will be at the surface. I have good luck with frogbit in that amount of light. I doesn't over take the tank at that amount of light. Salvinia oblongifolia is another good plant that doesn't require a great amount of light.

 

[fishboy619]

i would go with either riccia or frogbit, both do well in low light i find

 

[augustaranger]

What about guppy grass?

 

[aaronnorth]

What about guppy grass?

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