Low Light Aquarium Plants

Flourishing green or red plants in an aquarium are instance appeal uplifters. They are not only essential for a healthy marine ecosystem of the tank, but also complement its natural beauty. However, not everyone has access to direct sunlight or high tech lighting system required for their optimal growth. For all such Aquascaper, we bring a list of some beautiful plants that can survive on minimal light. If you go this route it is important to choose an aquarium background that will match your tank!

Low Light Aquarium Plant Options

Vallisneria

Tapegrass, popularly known as Vallisneria, is a beginner level aqua plant genus. It belongs to the Hydrocharitaceae family and looks very identical to the marine seagrass. It is a submerged species that spreads by runners.

The plant is common amongst tropical and sub-tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America and is known for its leaf structure. They are long, round-tipped and have very well-defined vein structures on them.

It is also a popular aqua plant due to its market prices and caretaking. The plant is inexpensive and doesn’t need any specific caring or external nutrient fertilizers.

However, you may have to cut its leaves or trim them after regular intervals. The plant is fast-growing and will take over the whole tank if you don’t regulate its growth.

Monosolenium Tenerum

If you are not interested in long leaves and want something bush, Monosolenium Tenerum will be a perfect choice. The plant sits at the tank bottom and forms a bushy structure that looks identical to the moss plant.

However, it’s doesn’t belong to moss family, and unlike moss, this plant does not attach itself to anything. It naturally sinks to the bottom of the tank and stays floating there without forming firm roots. Aquascapers usually use strings, nets, or wireframes to anchor it down.

Talking of the habitat, this plant is quite hardy and can survive moderate temperatures and pH without any problem. It doesn’t even need fertilizer or other external nutrient sources, but it’s delicate. The only aspect you need to regulate is the size of this plant. It’s a fast-growing breed.

Sunset Hygro

If you are a fan of non-green aquarium plants and need low light aquarium plants that can provide shade, add Sunset hygro to your list. The leafy plants have purple to red-colored leaves with white veins that look pretty awesome in fish tanks.

Other than the colors, this plant is also a great choice due to its temperature and tank compatibility. The plant can easily thrive in any size of tank ranging from small to large. It can also sustain a 64 to 86 degree Fahrenheit, which is more than many other low light aquarium plants.

However, being a colored species, it needs a bit high level of caring and a properly maintained fish tank. You need to ensure that it can get adequate amounts of iron and nitrates from the tank. The levels don’t have to be too high, but they have to be enough to keep it healthy. The same theory also applies to water acidity levels. You have to ensure that the acidity remains between 5 and 9 pH. If you fail to maintain these conditions, the plant may not die, but its color may fade. It can even turn to green.

Hornwort as a Low Light Aquarium Plant

Aquarium plants are not there to just make it beautiful, but they also crucial to balance its chemical and toxic levels. Hornwort plant is excellent in both these aspects. It offers a very distinct foliage pattern and has outward growing leaves. These leaves give it a bushy tail-like look and the nickname ‘coontail.’

The plant is also great as it doesn’t have any true roots, which makes it easy to plant it without much bedding or decors. This lack of roots also enables you to use it as both floating and drowning plants.
Other than the beautiful structure and flexibility, this plant is also great for managing the tank water quality. It also helps in generation of oxygen and removal or excessive chemical. It even consumes the excessive nutrients that are the prime reason for algae.

However, it is a fast-growing plant that can reach cover up to 6 feet. Therefore, you will need a large size tank for growing it. You might also have to balance the inner tank acidity level to 6.0 to 7.5 pH. It will also need a bit of care for the needles it sheds. You have to remove them as soon as possible.

Parrot Feather

Myriophyllum aquatuicum, commonly known as the parrot feather, is a flowering low light aquarium plant that belongs to the Saxifragales family. The plant is a native of the Amazon River in South America, but now, it is available on all continents, except Antarctica. You will find it near ponds, streams, lakes, or any other water body that has a high nutrient content.

Apart from habitat, it is also excellent in terms of looks. The plant offers feather-like leaves arranged in whorls of four to six, which is identical to that of the parrot feathers. It’s the main reason for its name. It is also a reason why they make a perfect hiding spot for the shy type fish.

The caretaking of this plant is not much difficult as it is adaptive to most temperature and pH levels. However, you might want to keep a tab on the water nutrient levels. The plant needs a high amount of extra nutrients and will need regular fertilization. It is also a great idea to keep an eye on the light intensity of the tank.

This plant doesn’t need a very high light but will need at least moderate levels. If possible, try to place it in a spot where it can get direct sunlight.

Low Light Aquarium Plants – Conclusion

When it comes to deciding aquatic plants for an aquarium, new aquascapers often face problems with the light source. Some of them end up with dead plants while others have to buy expensive new lights. However, you don’t always have to install a whole new lighting system to ensure greenery in your aquariums. Aside from low light aquarium plants there are a number of plants that grow nicer under a refugium light and will help to filter your tank.

Depending on how much light you need, there area number of great aquarium lights on the market today. We’ve profiled the best 72 inch aquarium light for 125+ gallon tanks, 48 inch aquarium light for 55 gallon tanks, our favorite 36 inch lights for 30 gallon tanks, the best 30 inch lights for 29 gallon tanks, our favorite 24 inch aquarium lights for 20 gallon tanks and even the best 20 inch light for 10 gallon tanks.