[James From Cali]

Originally Posted by AQUAMX

Hi James

Your list has been causing a great conversation point on my local forum in Australia.

I would like to ask a few questions if thats ok.

Can you tell me what exactly what you call low light/low tech?

A low tech tank to me has always meant low light (1wpg), diy substrate and perhaps using fish as a means of fertiliser. Perhaps its borderline, but d.i.y co2 may be added into this. Although d.i.y or pressurised still equates to high tech in my opinion. Adding co2 is adding co2.

Doesnt cranking up co2 and adding more ferts such as iron take you out of the low tech area and into high tech?

Many of the plants on this list, while can be grown in low light, will not present the form people are expecting. For example downoi/little star, while can be grown under low light will show its true leggy form and become unsightly. Higher intensity light is needed to bring out the compact growth that people are used to seeing pictures of on the internet. So while it can be grown in low light i would think it should still be recomended as a high light plant.

HC has also been added to your list. Is this really a low light/low tech plant? From personal experience i have grown it in lower light shrimp tanks but with minimul success. Again, perhaps its not a plant that should be offered on this list. New comers to keeping plants will only find themselves being dissapointed.

Finally, i would like to ask about Iron being used to bring out the red in plants. Is it simply a case of adding iron to do this? Can a lack of nitrates and phosphates also bring out red in plants.Can sunset hygro or Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig' attain their true color and potential in low tech tanks simply by adding iron?
I beleive to get the proper look ( like you seen in magazines) they need high-very high light, a correct balance of nutrients, temp and co2. Hardly low tech. But sure, you can grow it.

In the case of the H. polysperma is it the intense light that brings out the veining or the iron? Many will agree, this is one of the most beautiful plants of all time.

I think lists compiled by plant growers are great, especially for people getting into the hobby. It takes alot of time to grow plants and learn these things. I try to spend alot of time with a good local grower here in Oz. Ive been at it now for 15 years and feel i have barely scraped the surface.


If i were new to the hobby and came across your list, i would be so excited thinking i could grow almost anything. Much of what i have read through plant libraries/lists such as tropica and books from authors such as kasselmann contradict what you are saying with some of the plants. As does my own experience.

But then, i think the meaning of low tech has dramatically changed. Your idea of low tech may be 2wpg and d.i.y co2 including a fert regime. But this is not low tech, at least not to me. Perhaps it is me who is out of touch. I may need a refresher course on whats what.

When i have some time i would love to add some plants to your list, but for me its time for work. I hope you take no offence to my opinions.

H. Polysperma

Low light is anything under 2wpg. It causes for slower growth of many plants and lowers the needs for CO2 and other nutrients. High Tech IMO would be where you have amzing equipment that runs up your bill and you have reactors, fans, valves, and the works. Low tech can be none of that. Adding nutrients to a take with plants is still needed. Fish produce MAcros(Nitrates mainly) where I add Micros(Trace elements) to the tank. Adding CO2 is not nessecary but adding DIY CO2 does not make it high tech. It would be insufficient on a high Tech set up IMO since it does not produce enough CO2 to support every plant in a sufficient matter. Alot of these plants may start to die off in the beggining but with patience they will ocme back. As long as they are producing the roots the plants do well. I have even got some of these plant on the list from people who have grown them in lowlight. Almost all of those plants I have personally grown under a 15 watt bulb in a 10g aquarium with a light fish bioload and no co2 and just weekly Flourish addition. Most sites grow these plants under these conditions after seeing it 1 day in a different lighting setup. Once they see a plant cannot live a day in low light they move it on into a moderate light tank and they say well they need medium high light. But if you really do provide light, some form of fertilizer then your plants will come back. That has always been my experience. I go against everything a site says because that is your starting point. They tell you that you need this much light but in reality you can definitely go lower.

Me personally I have 1.5 wpg on my tank, no co2, and no "real" fertilizing regimine. My lotus plant is growing great as well as my onion plant. I am in the works of adding more plants as I am in the middle of a total revamp of the tank. Please add plants all you want. This list was created to help people so they didnt go through hell to find the right plants. Although the plants will not show the form that they do in higher light tanks they do show nicely. They are all wonderful in any way and its personal preference. I found with Nitrates around 5ppm(which I keep mine out and plants seem to do well with higher fish load) and Iron being added the pinks/reds come out on plants greatly. Low Nitrates + High Iron = Pink Plants. I have grown Rotala rotundifolia, Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig', Ludwigia sp. and all have gotten red in my aquarium with low light, no co2, Iron addition, low nitrates. On the H. polysperma I got veins and everything. It came out just like in a high light tank.

Its all about the balances in your tank. Light, nutrients, CO2. You still need the balance and no matter what lighting you have the plants will look amazing. Now this was in my experience as well as many others and I love the fact that you brought these questions up as I could give an idea of how I created the list. I enjoy reading comments like yours because we all have something to learn. And please feel free to add to the list and if you can find something more debatable on my list I will definitely do more research on this and see what I can find and correct it. Being only 17 I learned from many older more knowledgeable people and I just tweaed what they said and found my own thing. And what I found is that those guidlines can be followed but with patince they can be ignored.