It would help if we knew a little more about the set-up: are you planning to use *only* artificial lighting, or will there be sun as well? How far away will the lights be? How many lights? What kind of lights? Etc.

That said, I'm fond of Haworthias lately, and they seem to cope reasonably well with both higher and lower light levels (I had one for a year and a half in a north window and it liked it there just fine; the same one in a south window seemed content there too), so I'd recommend them for a lot of situations. Gasterias are easy to get along with too, though they're less flexible about how much light they want. Both are easy to keep up with as far as watering and temperature and so forth.

The holiday cacti (Schlumbergera, Zygocactus) supposedly will put up with medium or low light, but I don't know them personally (so to speak), and I wouldn't attempt it.

And then there's always Sansevierias (snake plants) and Beaucarnea (ponytail palm), both of which prefer bright light or partial sun but can adapt over a pretty big range, and are pretty undemanding about water and temperature and so forth.

I have two bulbs in each light - a warm and a cool - and they are approx. 5-7" from the tops of the plants there (mostly african violets). The set up is perpendicular to a south window with varying amts of light coming in depending on how much I have the blinds open. I have a few cacti on the end closest to the window and I'm glad you said Haworthias because I have two (zebras) there also (one I just got last week) and they are among my very favorites. Thanks for the suggestions...I'll have to look them up to see what they are. I do have a ponytail palm, but it's too big to fit on the shelves. Thanks. Loretta

That sounds like enough light to be able to grow most cacti and succulents, actually. You should be able to do most Aloes, Crassulas, Euphorbias, or Echeverias, for example.

I've read here at this forum that some types need cooler temps in the winter? The temp. for these plants will be 68-73 in the winter and around 80 in the summer. Any I should avoid? (from the common plants I can pick up at Home Depot or Walmart?) Loretta

I was hoping someone else would jump in, 'cause now we're out there to the point where I'm gonna have to start making stuff up.

My *guess* is that that would be fine with most of the common succulents. Some of them might prefer to go cooler than that, though I would expect that any of the most common plants (your Aloes, Haworthias, Agaves, Euphorbias, Gasterias) wouldn't care.

Anybody want to confirm or rebut?