James From Cali

FERNS & MOSSES
Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Windelov Java Fern, Windelov Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
Flame Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans
Philippine Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Red Java fern - Microsorum pteropus "red"
Pelia - Monosolenium tenerum
African Water Fern - Bolbitis heudelotii
Marimo Ball- Aegagropila linnaei
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Singapore Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
Christmas Moss - Vesicularia montagnei
Erect Moss - Vesicularia reticulata
Pheonix Moss - Fissidens fontanus
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides

STEM PLANTS
Green Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma
Sunset Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Ceylon Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Ceylon'
Giant Hygro - Hygrophila corymbosa
Water Wisteria - Hygrophila difformis
Rotala Rotundifolia - Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Rotundifolia sp. Green - Rotala rotundifolia sp. 'Green'
Rotala Indica - Rotala indica
Moneywort, Water Hyssop - Bocapa monnieri
Bacopa - Bacopa caroliniana
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort - Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Guppy Grass - Najas guadalupensis
Waterwheel Plant - Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Downoi - Pogostemon helferi
American Waterweed- Elodea canadensis
Red Ludwigia- Ludwigia repens
HC- Hemianthus callitrichoides
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides

FLOATERS
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort- Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Anacharis - Egeria densa
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides

CRYPTOCORYNE
Crypt Wendtii - Cryptocoryne wendtii
Crypt Balansae - Cryptocoryne Balansae
Pygmy Crypt - Cryptocoryne pygmaea
Crypt retrospiralis - Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
Crypt spiralis - Cryptocoryne spiralis
Crypt Becketii - Cryptcoryne becketii
Crypt Aponogetifolia - Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia
Micro Crypt - Cryptocoryne petchii
Crypt Affinis - Cryptocoryne affinis
Crypt Lutea - Cryptocoryne lutea
Crypt Walkeri - Cryptocoryne walkeri
Crypt Willisi - Cryptocoryne willisi

ANUBIAS
Anubias barteri - Anubias barteri v. barteri
Anubias barteri 'marble' - Anubias barteri 'marble'
Anubias barteri v. 'glabra' - Anubias barteri v. 'glabra'
Anubias nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana'
Coffee leaf anubias - Anubias barteri v. 'coffeefolia'
Golden nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana golden'
Narrow leaf nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana narrow leaf'
Petite nana - Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'

SWORD PLANTS
Tropica Sword - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
Melon Sword - Echinodorus osiris
Ruffle Sword - Echinodorus major
Pygmy Chain Sword - Echnodorus tennelus

LILY'S
Lotus- Nymphaea pubescens

GRASSES
Vallisneria natans
Water Celery- Vallisneria americana
Vallisneria asiatica
Vallisneria rubra
Corkscrew Val - Vallisneria tortifolia
Dwarf Sag- Sagittaria subulata
Crinum calimistratum
Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis braziliensis

APONOGETONS
Aponogeton ulvaceous
Aponogeton bouvianus
Aponogeton crispus
Aponogeton elongatus
Aponogeton undulatus

thanks.

James From Cali

Added Onion Plant, Round Pellia, Pellia, Mini Pellia

FERNS & MOSSES
Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Windelov Java Fern, Windelov Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
Flame Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans
Philippine Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Red Java fern - Microsorum pteropus "red"
Pelia - Monosolenium tenerum
African Water Fern - Bolbitis heudelotii
Marimo Ball- Aegagropila linnaei
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Singapore Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
Christmas Moss - Vesicularia montagnei
Erect Moss - Vesicularia reticulata
Pheonix Moss - Fissidens fontanus
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Round Pellia - Süßwassertang
Pellia - Monosolenium tenerum
Mini Pellia - Riccardia chamedryfolia

STEM PLANTS
Green Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma
Sunset Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Ceylon Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Ceylon'
Giant Hygro - Hygrophila corymbosa
Water Wisteria - Hygrophila difformis
Rotala Rotundifolia - Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Rotundifolia sp. Green - Rotala rotundifolia sp. 'Green'
Rotala Indica - Rotala indica
Moneywort, Water Hyssop - Bocapa monnieri
Bacopa - Bacopa caroliniana
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort - Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Guppy Grass - Najas guadalupensis
Waterwheel Plant - Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Downoi - Pogostemon helferi
American Waterweed- Elodea canadensis
Red Ludwigia- Ludwigia repens
HC- Hemianthus callitrichoides
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides

FLOATERS
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort- Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Anacharis - Egeria densa
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides

CRYPTOCORYNE
Crypt Wendtii - Cryptocoryne wendtii
Crypt Balansae - Cryptocoryne Balansae
Pygmy Crypt - Cryptocoryne pygmaea
Crypt retrospiralis - Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
Crypt spiralis - Cryptocoryne spiralis
Crypt Becketii - Cryptcoryne becketii
Crypt Aponogetifolia - Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia
Micro Crypt - Cryptocoryne petchii
Crypt Affinis - Cryptocoryne affinis
Crypt Lutea - Cryptocoryne lutea
Crypt Walkeri - Cryptocoryne walkeri
Crypt Willisi - Cryptocoryne willisi

ANUBIAS
Anubias barteri - Anubias barteri v. barteri
Anubias barteri 'marble' - Anubias barteri 'marble'
Anubias barteri v. 'glabra' - Anubias barteri v. 'glabra'
Anubias nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana'
Coffee leaf anubias - Anubias barteri v. 'coffeefolia'
Golden nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana golden'
Narrow leaf nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana narrow leaf'
Petite nana - Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'

SWORD PLANTS
Tropica Sword - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
Melon Sword - Echinodorus osiris
Ruffle Sword - Echinodorus major
Pygmy Chain Sword - Echnodorus tennelus

LILY'S
Lotus- Nymphaea pubescens

GRASSES
Vallisneria natans
Water Celery- Vallisneria americana
Vallisneria asiatica
Vallisneria rubra
Corkscrew Val - Vallisneria tortifolia
Dwarf Sag- Sagittaria subulata
Crinum calimistratum
Onion Plant - Crinum thaianum
Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis braziliensis

APONOGETONS
Aponogeton ulvaceous
Aponogeton bouvianus
Aponogeton crispus
Aponogeton elongatus
Aponogeton undulatus

CLOVERS
Water Clover - Mariselia minuta
Marsilea hirsuta

thanks.

James From Cali

Added Water clover and Mariselia hirsuta

James From Cali

New additions:

FERNS & MOSSES
Marimo Ball- Aegagropila linnaei
African Water Fern - Bolbitis heudelotii
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Pheonix Moss - Fissidens fontanus
Zipper Moss - Fissidens zippelianus
Willow Moss - Fontinalis antipyretica
Philippine Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Philippine'
Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
Red Java fern - Microsorum pteropus "red"
Windelov Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
Narrow Leaf Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
Pellia - Monosolenium tenerum
Mini Pellia - Riccardia chamedryfolia
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Round Pellia - Süßwassertang
Flame Moss - Taxiphyllum alternans
Java Moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
Peacock Moss - Taxiphyllum sp. 'peacock'
Taiwan Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
Singapore Moss - Vesicularia dubyana
Christmas Moss - Vesicularia montagnei
Erect Moss - Vesicularia reticulata

STEM PLANTS
Waterwheel Plant - Aldrovanda vesiculosa
Bacopa - Bacopa caroliniana
Moneywort - Bocapa monnieri
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Anacharis - Egeria densa
American Waterweed- Elodea canadensis
HC- Hemianthus callitrichoides
Stargrass - Heteranthera zosterifolia
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort - Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Ceylon Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Ceylon'
Giant Hygro - Hygrophila corymbosa
Water Wisteria - Hygrophila difformis
Green Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma
Sunset Hygro - Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig'
Dwarf Ambulia - Limnophila sessiliflora
Red Ludwigia- Ludwigia repens
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Guppy Grass - Najas guadalupensis
Downoi - Pogostemon helferi
Rotala Indica - Rotala indica
Rotala Rotundifolia - Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala Rotundifolia sp. Green - Rotala rotundifolia sp. 'Green'

FLOATERS
Hornwort - Ceratophylum demersum
Watersprite - Ceratopteris thalictroides
Anacharis - Egeria densa
Brazilian Pennywort - Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Water Pennywort- Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Duckweed - Lemna minor
Parrots Feather - Myriophyllum aquaticum
Red Root Floater - Phyllanthus fluitans
Riccia - Riccia fluitans
Giant Slavinia - Salvinia molesta

CRYPTOCORYNE
Crypt Affinis - Cryptocoryne affinis
Crypt Aponogetifolia - Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia
Crypt Balansae - Cryptocoryne balansae
Crypt Becketii - Cryptcoryne becketii
Crypt Lutea - Cryptocoryne lutea
Micro Crypt - Cryptocoryne petchii
Pygmy Crypt - Cryptocoryne pygmaea
Crypt retrospiralis - Cryptocoryne retrospiralis
Crypt spiralis - Cryptocoryne spiralis
Crypt Walkeri - Cryptocoryne walkeri
Crypt Wendtii - Cryptocoryne wendtii
Crypt Willisi - Cryptocoryne willisi

ANUBIAS
Anubias barteri - Anubias barteri v. barteri
Anubias barteri 'marble' - Anubias barteri 'marble'
Anubias barteri v. 'glabra' - Anubias barteri v. 'glabra'
Anubias nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana'
Coffee leaf anubias - Anubias barteri v. 'coffeefolia'
Golden nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana golden'
Narrow leaf nana - Anubias barteri v. 'nana narrow leaf'
Petite nana - Anubias barteri v. nana 'petite'

SWORD PLANTS
Tropica Sword - Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica'
Amazon Sword - Echinodorus amazonicus
Melon Sword - Echinodorus osiris
Ruffle Sword - Echinodorus major
Pygmy Chain Sword - Echnodorus tennelus
Uruguay Amazon Sword - Echinodorus uruguayensis
Red Flame Sword - Echinodorus 'Red Special'

LILY'S
Lotus- Nymphaea pubescens
Red Lotus - Nymphaea zenkeri 'red'

GRASSES
Vallisneria natans
Water Celery- Vallisneria americana
Vallisneria asiatica
Corkscrew Val - Vallisneria tortifolia
Valliseneria rubra
Dwarf Sag- Sagittaria subulata
Crinum calimistratum
Onion Plant - Crinum thaianum
Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis braziliensis

APONOGETONS
Aponogeton bouvianus
Aponogeton crispus
Aponogeton elongatus
Aponogeton ulvaceous
Aponogeton undulatus

CLOVERS
Marsilea hirsuta
Water Clover - Mariselia minuta

thanks.

brandonttu

I am glad I found this. It has been very helpful.

Robert Hudson

Wow, much effort went into this I can see, but I disagree with so much of it. The term low light is so subjective and misleading when every other componant to successful plant keeping is not addressed. I think in a sense it is mis leading to simply make a blanket list of plants under the term "low light".

The definition of low light to most people new to the hobby is whatever light came with their aquarium, and then maybe bumping that up to between 1 and 2 watts of flourescent light per gallon of water. I don't think half the plants on your list would grow in those conditions, and even if they do survive, what kind of condition are they in?

The stem plants in particular I have a problem with. Generally speaking, stem plants are the most light demanding of all aquatic plants. There are a few exceptions. Most of the exceptions are now illegal in the USA because they grow so prolificaly. Rotalas, Stargrass, Ambulia? Are you serious?
Downoi? Low light? HC? Thats crazy! You are telling me HC is a low light plant? I would love to see that. Hygrophila difformis under weak light has thin stems that can not support the weight of its own leaves and flops over. With strong light and re planting tops the stems remain strong, thick and sturdy.

Lets look at your mosses. Zipper moss, according to several people is non aquatic under any light level. Pellia, in all its forms, LOW LIGHT? Have you grown it under 2 watts per gallon?

Any floating plant is pretty much a given. When it is two inches away from the light, any plant will grow. A couple of the plants on the floating list technicaly I would not call floaters. They are stem plants that will take root in the substrate under bright light.

Cryptocorynes,

Yes several common Cryptocoryne species are very tolerant of low light levels and growing submersed, but they grow painstakingly slow. Like an inch a year. They might as well be plastic.
Balansae, retrospiralis, aponogetifolia, and pygmaea really do better under high light levels. Balansae in particular can be quite finicky.

Vallisneria I would defintly not call a low light plant. Not in a million years. Dwarf Sag.. yeah, you can get away with it, but the leaves will be much thinner than under high light. Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis braziliensis, now I know you have never grown this plant under low light. I won't believe it for a second. This plant has always been know as being the MOST light hog of any foreground plant. It is the KING of high light plants. Unless you are growing it in only inches of water, there is no way it would survive.


Aponogetons

Under weak light the plant will only survive on whatever energy is stored in the bulb, and most likely will only grow a few inches tall or have thin weak leaves. Once the energy in the tuber is used up, then the leaves die off and it will not grow back. Under good light, and good feeding, the plants grow to be huge, over two feet in length, tons of leaves and flower stalks. Aponogeton bovinianus is the most light finicky of all of them.

Sword plants. All sword plants more or less grow the same and are sort of iffy in the low light catagory. NEWBIES often think that the sword they bought potted that has been growing "well" in their ten gallon tank for the last 8 months is just wonderful. You and I know that a healthy sword plant would swallow a ten gallon tank for lunch.


Red Lotus - Nymphaea zenkeri 'red', If you want Tiger lotus to have leaves the size of a quarter and grow to be maybe six inches tall, then grow it under low light. If you want leaves the size of your hand and the plant to be the dominate focal point, give it some real light, C02, and feed it at the roots generously.

A true low light plant list is much shorter. Maybe ten plants.

BiscuitSlayer

Robert - You might want to read the entire thread if you haven't already. There are documented cases (in this thread) where people have grown plants such as HC in a low light setup but they use CO2 injection.

Overall, I can see how this list could be confusing to some people though. Newcomers that just see a list like this might not read the whole thread or do any research and just assume that you can grow HC under a stock tank light with nothing else.

I know it would be a lot of work, but the topic of this thread (I think) needs to be compiled into a website/page with specific parameters/profiles for each plant. Supplemental care should also go along with with the aforementioned plant so that new commmers can get an understanding of what it will take to grow something like HC under low light.

I have to admit that I read the thread and jumped to the last page and saw the list too. My jaw dropped at first until I started reading the thread from the beginning.

Edit:

Personally, I don't like the high tech / low tech terminoligy. It is too vague. If you are running low light with pressurized CO2 injection, what is it then? Medium tech? I have always thought of high tech as daily ferts, CO2 injection, and a lot of light. It never really even occured to me to inject CO2 into a low light tank with moderate fertilization.

If you guys are up to starting a website or plant profile page for low tech setups, I might be able to help. You know where to find me. LOL

Deni

I've been wondering how to get a red lotus to stay small. Thanks! That might help me to decide whether to increase my light or not.

I haven't read the whole topic, which I should do, but in other things I've read, the problem with a lot of plants in low light is that they grow too tall, probably because they're trying to get closer to the light.

Maybe, rather than a list of low-light, medium-light or high light plants, there could be a chart of what effects different levels of light has on each kind of plant. I hadn't read that about the Nymphaea under low light before and thought that, unless I had an aquarium the size of my living room, there was no point in getting one.

BryceM

I think the point that Robert is trying to make is that this list is not an accurate representation of plants that thrive in low-light conditions. As long as everyone understands that, go ahead and use the information however you'd like.

Just becasue there are anecdotal reports of a person growing HC under what they considered to be "low-light" conditions does not mean that HC is a low-light plant. Just because an expert can coax a plant to survive in certain conditions doesn not mean the average person will enjoy the same success.

I agree with Robert. The list of true low-light plants is probably around 20 or 30 species. You could perhaps throw in another 50 or 100 that could be grown in certain medium-light or CO2 supplemented conditions.

Robert Hudson

Thank you guaiac_boy. I admit I did not read the entire thread, but I figured there was something like that in there. It doesn't matter. This is the most insane list of "low light" plants I have ever seen. You might as well say every plant is low light. I can't believe nobody else has challenged this in all the time this thread has been here.

If you want to engage a conversation about how having 40 or 50 ppm of C02 and half a watt of light per gallon of water will enable these plants to grow fine, then OK. Do that and open that up to debate, but don't call it a "low light plant list". Good grief.

Some plants thrive under very minimal light with or without C02, while others may grow at an acceptable rate, while the rest, (majority) will simply perish. That is an important distinction. That is something that every newbie should understand.

Do you realize how hard it is to convince some fish people that if they want to grow plants the little 15 watt bulb on their 55 gallon tank just ain't gonna cut it? They will blame the plant, or the store they bought it from, or their water, or they will dump a gallon of fertilizer in the tank, anything except the light. They will finaly give up and go back to plastic plants. Having a list like this REALLY HELPS.

Sure, thats a good idea. Any thing that is more informative than this. Each plant reacts differently and has it own little needs.

Let me also add, I mean no dis respect to any one, Not to Homer or James, or any one. I know Homer and James are very well meaning and generous people who only want to help. They enbody the very spirit of what this forum is supposed to be, but I think this thread has serious flaws and can cause a serious problem.