will aquatic plants grow with grow lights for indoor plants?

[PaigeGlamelin]

I have a few vases and fish bowls filled with substrate and water, I have pothos growing out of one but the other two are empty. I would like to fill them with aquatic plants but i'm not sure the grow light will provide enough exposure for the plants underwater. Has anyone had experience with this? If anyone had any horticulture plant ideas either I would love to hear them! These aren't for little critters just to be clear.

[Aubrey]

I bet grow lights will work just fine. I'm pretty sure that's what was used before aquarium companies started making fancier lights. I use just a regular lamp for some of my setups. Might depend on the specific plant, but you're probably good.

[Guppysnail]

Yup they work wonders I use my hydroponic grow lights on all new tanks but...it grows algae quick 

[Patrick_G]

I think they’ll work just fine. I only have lights marketed for aquarium use, but I’ve seen lots of examples of shop lights and home spotlights being used successfully. If those work then a light designed for terrestrial horticulture should work too. 

[CT_]

I think people over think this.  As long as it's not a green led or laser it'll probably grow plants.  Imo you should pick the light you like the color of and the plants will be fine.

[Nirvanaquatics]

On 6/16/2021 at 12:56 PM, PaigeGlamelin said:

I have a few vases and fish bowls filled with substrate and water, I have pothos growing out of one but the other two are empty. I would like to fill them with aquatic plants but i'm not sure the grow light will provide enough exposure for the plants underwater. Has anyone had experience with this? If anyone had any horticulture plant ideas either I would love to hear them! These aren't for little critters just to be clear.

My favorite light for this situation is the GE led balanced spectrum bulbs. The "seeds and greens" version will be closer to natural sunlight, more of a white light that leans a bit on the cool side. The "fruit and flower" bulb looks warmer in color, but will be less likely to produce algae and may actually trigger flowering in some plants like red root floaters. Either option is 9w, so easily gives plenty of light off for a nano setup. The cheaper option, for whatever reason, is usually the fruit and flower one. The best part? These bulbs fit into a standard desk lamp with E26/27 threading. You can find the bulbs here. 

[PaigeGlamelin]

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions, I have grow lights for my plants right now

https://www.amazon.com/EZORKAS-Dimmable-Spectrum-Adjustable-Gooseneck/dp/B07ZHY1B4C/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=grow+lights&qid=1623950536&sr=8-5

I mainly wondering if these will work.

[Biotope Biologist]

My better half has those lights. While she focuses on African Violets and orchids they have enough depth to penetrate a nano setup i'd imagine

[JakeH]

On 6/17/2021 at 1:42 AM, Nirvanaquatics said:

My favorite light for this situation is the GE led balanced spectrum bulbs. The "seeds and greens" version will be closer to natural sunlight, more of a white light that leans a bit on the cool side. The "fruit and flower" bulb looks warmer in color, but will be less likely to produce algae and may actually trigger flowering in some plants like red root floaters. Either option is 9w, so easily gives plenty of light off for a nano setup. The cheaper option, for whatever reason, is usually the fruit and flower one. The best part? These bulbs fit into a standard desk lamp with E26/27 threading. You can find the bulbs here. 

I picked up a few of these GE bulbs from a big box store that had them on clearance-never got around to using them though. You have me motivated to try them now. I’m looking to build a sump that will also serve as a holding plant tank. They should be fine in a aluminum cone, right? Like the fixtures you’d use with a heat lamp.

[Nirvanaquatics]

On 6/17/2021 at 2:39 PM, JakeH said:

I picked up a few of these GE bulbs from a big box store that had them on clearance-never got around to using them though. You have me motivated to try them now. I’m looking to build a sump that will also serve as a holding plant tank. They should be fine in a aluminum cone, right? Like the fixtures you’d use with a heat lamp.

Oh yeah aluminum cones will be perfectly fine. I hope they work well for you! 

[Nirvanaquatics]

On 6/17/2021 at 12:23 PM, PaigeGlamelin said:

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions, I have grow lights for my plants right now

https://www.amazon.com/EZORKAS-Dimmable-Spectrum-Adjustable-Gooseneck/dp/B07ZHY1B4C/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=grow+lights&qid=1623950536&sr=8-5

I mainly wondering if these will work.

I have to warn you, I tried those for succulents and was terribly disappointed by them. They began to burn out and dim within about 3 months. 

[BriannesFishFam]

I have seen grow lights used as a sunglight effect on an aquascape, it only came on in the evening and didn't harm plants. Not sure how it's work as a main source. If you cannot use a grow light you can use natural light while battling algae, you could also used a light bulb or a cheap hygger light from amazon, those are the lights we use on some of our tanks. I would be very careful not to put the light too close to the plants in order to help them grow but not burn them. I think the grow light wouldn't grow the plants you have any faster as the grow light would serve as a regular light. I could be wrong though, maybe the grow light will grow the plants and not affect them negatively. It is at a risk, but if you don't take the risk you have never know, given you the have light on hank already you could save money if it does work.

 

Sorry fro the long ramble, best of luck!

Bri

[gardenman]

I've currently got a Sterilite tub under my 6500 K daylight T-8 light fixture that I use for some seedlings and it does a great job of growing aquatic plants. I have an LED "grow light" that's more the purple color that was great for my outdoor seedlings that I tried a few aquatic plants under and they did nothing under that light. It was mostly floaters I placed in a shallow dish and they just wasted away. Was the light too intense? Maybe. Or maybe they just didn't like it. I don't know. I tried red root floaters, salvinia, and frogbit, and all of them died. They all thrive under the 6500 K T-8 bulbs though.