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Large low light house plant ideas

AnguisFragilisAnguisFragilis Posts: 95
edited September 2022 in Plants
After working out how much my aquarium will cost me to run in the new world order I have made the hard decision to sell it. That’s left me with a big empty corner which I’d like a tall and fairly volumous (made up word) plant to go in. I don’t know what constitutes low light when talking about houseplants but my gut says this would be low light. Any suggestions?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2022
    Monstera deliciosa … the Swiss Cheese plant … might suit your purpose. 

    Sorry about the aquarium tho … there’s hard choices having to be made. 😔 

    By the way, I think voluminous was the word you were grasping for 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Turn the tank into a terrarium. You'll still need to run the lights but at least it won't need the heater and pumps going.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • AnguisFragilisAnguisFragilis Posts: 95
    My OH has suggested a terrarium. If we don’t get enough for the tank itself to justify the sale then we may do that. As of yesterday it is empty and off so we will see. The LED lights aren’t a big drain, it was mainly the heaters.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Aquarium heaters don't use much leccy once the water is up to temperature.
    I had a 5ft tropical tank with 2 x 100W heaters and I'd only see the them click on for a few minutes every now and then, and during the summer months they rarely came on at all.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AnguisFragilisAnguisFragilis Posts: 95
    I crunched the numbers using approximations of the project rises over the next 9 months and smart meter readings and it isn’t justifiable. I was starting to think that way based purely on carbon footprint anyway.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Go for temperate fish. No heater needed and there is a still a nice colourful collection of fish available.

    Plant choice will depend on how dark the space actually is. There are lots of tropical forest floor species which don't need masses of light.
    You could also build a little plant stand and have several smaller lower light plants stacked on it. This would give you more options such as smaller ferns.  
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Aspidistra eliator is good in a dark spot, the variety 'Milky Way' has interesting lightly spotted leaves. It will enjoy occasional spells in lighter conditions (it's actually hardy outside too...)
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is good in a dim spot as well, although not as big as a well-grown Monstera (nor is Aspidistra).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
    I'd keep the fish... don't they die if they are rehomed?
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