# Shade Plants



## Aeropars (Apr 20, 2006)

Hello All,

I'm slightly confused about the true meaning of a shade plant and what we should do with them. I'm refering to things like Anubias and some Crypts ect.

Am I right in thinking that a shade plant is a plant that will grow well in low lighting or shaded areas of the tank? Or does it mean the plant MUST be located in shade otherwise it may be detrimental to the plant?

How do you go about creating shadded areas in a tank? 

Any help areciated.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Aeropars said:


> Am I right in thinking that a shade plant is a plant that will grow well in low lighting or shaded areas of the tank?


That is all that it means. They do not require shade like some terrestrial plants.


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## Blue_Dolphinvn (Nov 12, 2006)

The shade plant always grows very low, if you plant them in too much lighting area, algae will appear on their leaf then destroy them....in this list we have also some kinds of moss, echinodorus....


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Rather than call them shade plants, I would prefer to call them low light plants. Crypts, Anubias, and Microsorum fit in this category. These plants tolerate low light better than others. They can be grown in higher light but they must be given CO2 in order to do well in higher light. If grown with low light in a low tech tank without CO2 additions, they do well on the CO2 levels provided by the fish. If grown in a low tech tank with moderate to high light, and, if there are also high light plants, such as Vallisneria, Najas, Eigeria, Ceratophyllum, etc. present, they will fail miserably because they lose out in competition for CO2. They can die out completely if subjected to this kind of CO2 competition. One day you will peer through the forest of Vallisneria, or other high light plant, and not find them any more.


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