lighting for pothos

[Craziiininja]

I'm trying to grow pothos out the top of my aquariums. will this setup work. also what bulbs should I be using to get good growth i black out the room to prevent excess algae from natural sunlight. I am not great with plants and any help would be appreciated.

[Odd Duck]

Looks like it should.  I have some growing well with this light.  It’s a $15.00 light from Amazon.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Craziiininja]

Could you drop a link to that light? Thank you

[Odd Duck]

I can’t get Amazon links to work here, but this is the light.  There are far better plant lights.  I bought it for other reasons, but it seems to work well for this pothos.

[Craziiininja]

Ok. Are led bulbs better than cfl bulbs for growing plants? Also is 5000k full spectrum?

[CalmedByFish]

Pothos are great about growing in ambient light. Mine have 2 sources of glow: the actual aquarium lights (millimeters from the glass tops of the tanks, not high), and 2 small windows with closed miniblinds. I think it's every few days that I notice the vines have more leaves, and/or the leaves are larger.

Ambient light is also how I grow my pothos that are planted in dirt. 

I think it'd be a pretty unique circumstance that would cause them to need their own light - particularly if you let them dangle down the glass so they're getting some of the aquarium's light. Or they could run along the top of the tank, parallel to the light. That gives a solid glow.

Editing to add: The way you have your vines laying beside the tank lights is almost identical to how (most) of mine are positioned. Works great. I'd venture to say the black lights above aren't needed. Not that it's wrong to have them - just easier to not. I'm all about the easy. 

Edited July 27, 2021 by CalmedByFish

[Odd Duck]

On 7/27/2021 at 2:03 AM, Craziiininja said:

Ok. Are led bulbs better than cfl bulbs for growing plants? Also is 5000k full spectrum?

LED’s are much cheaper to run and honestly usually cheaper to buy now, unless you get super fancy.  5000K is not really full spectrum and I wouldn’t buy this particular light again, there’s better out there for a plant light.  I was just showing you that it works even though it *isn’t* a great plant light.

You definitely don’t need super fancy lights for pothos.  I put that light on the tank to get the submerged plants a bit more light but then I added the pothos to see how they would do.  I changed the angle of that light to hit the pothos better since they were doing so well and they get very minimal room light (lights are usually off in that room) or light from a window (they’re in the shadow of a file cabinet there).  So they only get light from the aquarium and this light and they’re growing very well and have better marbling than the parent plant where I clipped the pieces which gets morning sun.  😆 

[Guppysnail]

I agree with @CalmedByFishi grow them in every room in my house in dirt and every single tank. I use no lights ambient is fine. Direct sunlight that heats them makes mine wither but they are just an agreeable plant. 

[Scott P.]

I have yet to try pothos in a tank but I have grown it as a potted plant.

I don't think they require much light. Most of mine grew like weeds with just ambient light.

[GameCzar]

Pothos is called Devil's Ivy because its impossible to kill for most people.   I don't think it will require special lighting 🙂

[Craziiininja]

Ok. I'll do without the lamps and just let the aquarium lights give it ambient light. Thanks everyone for all the help!! 🙂

[CalmedByFish]

On 7/27/2021 at 10:40 PM, Craziiininja said:

Ok. I'll do without the lamps and just let the aquarium lights give it ambient light. Thanks everyone for all the help!! 🙂

🙂 Keeping it easy keeps it fun!

Usually. 

[KentFishFanUK]

On 7/28/2021 at 4:40 AM, Craziiininja said:

Ok. I'll do without the lamps and just let the aquarium lights give it ambient light. Thanks everyone for all the help!! 🙂

For an opposing opinion, your pothos might not need the spotlights but they look cool!