Suggestions For Small, Low Light Plants

[xxBarneyxx]

I'm planning on building a small tank (probably around a 1-2g) to sit on my desk at home.

Has anyone got any good suggestions for low light, small plants.

Will be using ADA aquasoil and ferts, probably around 1wpg with no CO2 added. Tank wont be higher then 12 inches so ideally looking for plants that dont grow taller then around 4-5 inches.

 

[dave_gray2077]

Pogostemon Helferi is nice as a forground plant. Only grows about 5cm high

Lilaeopsis brasiliensis is also a good one. Only grows 10 cm high as well. you can carpet with it as well

Anubias barteri nana. I have this in one of my tanks. Slow growing though. Should be well suited to your tank if you attach it to some drift wood.

 

[jimbooo]

Micranthemum Umbrosum

left side. that is my rekord 60 a long time ago. the tanks about 12 inches tall. grows realitivly slowly. well it doubles it's height in a week in High Light and co2 but will slow down in your proposed setup.

good luck with the project

 

[lljdma06]

Micranthemum Umbrosum

left side. that is my rekord 60 a long time ago. the tanks about 12 inches tall. grows realitivly slowly. well it doubles it's height in a week in High Light and co2 but will slow down in your proposed setup.

good luck with the project

1WPG isn't enough light for even low-light in a tank that tiny. I doubt you'd be able to find a 1W bulb anyway and WPG basically goes out the window for tanks this small, or in the very least you have to figure out what works best. Based on my experience with these little tanks, a 7W CF for a 1g and a 13W for a 2g may give you the low-light effect you want. At least that has been my experience. E tennellus may do well, as would probably Marsilea hirsuta. Tiny cryptocoryne plantlets (little daughter plants) will do well temporarily until they get too big. C. parva grows to about 4-5 inches as well or even less. I have all three in my low-light tanks.

That being said, I totally love Jimbooo's plant. I want some of that!

 

[jimbooo]

glad you like. it grows like a weed in 2.5 WPG, co2 and EI. great stuff.

i didn't even think of the WPG issue. to be honest i was just thinking of small plants, it should stay alive but not 100% sure. anythings worth a go. if not Barney can just chuck it in his bigger tank

 

[iSnail]

Will you be having any wood and/or stones in it?? Mini Pellia on wood seems nice to me

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah I most probably will have some wood in there. There are a couple of scapes that I have in mind but haven't actually decided yet (need to actually see if I can build a tank that holds water first ).

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions though. TBH I hadn't though abotu the fact that WPG is not really going to apply to such a small voloume of water. I think it might just be another case of trying it out and seeing what happens At least with this one there wont be any fish in until I'm happy with the scape so if worst comes to worst i can t pull it all out and start again.