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Suggestions for low room temp/cold water

Tom101

Member
Joined
30 Mar 2021
Messages
38
Location
UK
Hi all, I'm looking for plant suggestions for my low room temp / cold water tank. That tank gets down to around 16c/60f for a good chunk of the year.

I currently have a reasonable stock, but always looking for new ideas.

Currently planted
Anubias barteri nana
Anubias coin
Microsorum pteropus
Microsorum pteropus Windelov
Horwort
Elodea densa
Cabomba
Limnophila Sessiliflora
Lobella cardinalis
Ludwigia arcuata
Bacopa australis
Hygrophilia polysperma
 
I would imagine most (not all) plants will survive temps of 16c. The growth rate will be slowed due to reduced metabolism but assume it would be 18-19c + for some of the year.

Couple of suggestions off top of my head.

Vallisneria spiralis.
Saururus cernuus.
 
I would imagine most (not all) plants will survive temps of 16c. The growth rate will be slowed due to reduced metabolism but assume it would be 18-19c + for some of the year.

Couple of suggestions off top of my head.

Vallisneria spiralis.
Saururus cernuus.
Thanks John!
 
For most plants, I have tried to grow submerged unheated I experience that light intensity is a much more important factor than temperature is. All tho there are plant species that are quite temperature-sensitive. I experienced Juncus repens being one of them, even originating from North America it might be confusing and it refuses the grow and melts away at water temperatures below 15°C and even tho it's described as an easy to grow plant if kept above 15°C it still needs a fair amount of light. I guess it originates from the warmer and sunnier southern parts of North America.

Plants that did pretty well for me even below the temperatures you describe and not yet on your list.

Can survive mild frost.
Hydrocotyl sp.
Lilaeopsis sp.
Aponogeton sp.
Eleocharis sp.

need to stay above 0.
Echinodorus sp.
Cryptocoryne sp.
Rotala sp.

The flowgrow database does have a search option to filter on temperature tolerance. :)
This will give you a lot more suggestions...

But since almost all plants we get are Emerged cultured bog plants, then getting them to transition and survive submerged in minimal required conditions might present difficulties. But if once established and matured in more optimal conditions they can take some beating regarding temps etc.
 
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For most plants, I have tried to grow submerged unheated I experience that light intensity is a much more important factor than temperature is. All tho there are plant species that are quite temperature-sensitive. I experienced Juncus repens being one of them, even originating from North America it might be confusing and it refuses the grow and melts away at water temperatures below 15°C and even tho it's described as an easy to grow plant if kept above 15°C it still needs a fair amount of light. I guess it originates from the warmer and sunnier southern parts of North America.

Plants that did pretty well for me even below the temperatures you describe and not yet on your list.

Can survive mild frost.
Hydrocotyl sp.
Lilaeopsis sp.
Aponogeton sp.
Eleocharis sp.

need to stay above 0.
Echinodorus sp.
Cryptocoryne sp.
Rotala sp.

The flowgrow database does have a search option to filter on temperature tolerance. :)
This will give you a lot more suggestions...

But since almost all plants we get are Emerged cultured bog plants, then getting them to transition and survive submerged in minimal required conditions might present difficulties. But if once established and matured in more optimal conditions they can take some beating regarding temps etc.

Thank you for the info, a few nice options there!
 
I've got some white clouds in a unheated tank that I think stays a degree or so warmer than your does for most of the year but probably reached 16 or lower this winter as we didn't have any heating during the really cold weather. In there I have various crypts and whilst they don't grow particularly fast, I think it's because they are out competed by the emersed growth. I also have dwarf sagittaria and susswassertang. I want to add some potomogeton gayi which I know will do well but have had najas guadalupensis living happily in the past.
 
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I've got some white clouds in a unheated tank that I think stays a degree or so warmer than your does for most of the year but probably reached 16 or lower this winter as we didn't have any heating during the really cold weather. In there I have various crypts and whilst they don't grow particularly fast, I think it's because they are out competed by the emersed growth. I also have dwarf sagittaria and susswassertang. I want to add some potomogeton gayi which I know will do well but have had najas guadalupensis living happily in the past.
Thanks Mort - will take a look at those.
 
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