Red Aquarium Plants
Well designed aquarium with lots of flourishing greed plants looks pretty, but you know what looks prettier- an aquarium with red plants. These plants have a very different vibe and add a unique touch of elegance and beauty to the fish tank. The depth and overall pop effect they offer are also amazing. If you haven’t tried them, do consider having one or more of them. For many of plants it is important that you ensure they have sufficient levels of CO2 in the water to help with photosynthesis – a Fluval CO2 Kit is a good option.
Here’s a list of some species that we would suggest for the beginners.
Red Aquarium Plant Options
Alternanthera Reineckii
Alternanthera Reineckii is a species of red aquarium plants that belong to the Amaranthaceae family. The species comes from South Brazil and Paraguay region. It has been a part of most natural tanks due to their appealing looks and long life.
The plants have oval-shaped stalkless leaves that grow in parallel patterns, offering it a very different appearance. These leaves can grow upto 2.5-3.5 cm in length and 0.5 to 1.5 in width that enables it to cover even large tanks with ease. Another good thing about these leaves is that they have mixed shades. The upper portion of these leaves is greenish, which becomes pinkish in the middle part and red at the bottom part.
The best part of this red aquarium plant is that it can adapt to the outside conditions. So, if your tank is not enough for it to stay inside, it will pop at the surface. However, make sure that you never to sink the part that’s growing outside the water. It may affect the plant’s health, and it may shed leaves due to sudden change.
Another thing you need to consider is that this plant needs soft water that is slightly acidic. As for temperature and light, moderate to high light with a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, will be enough. You might also want to use a high nutrient substrate with this plant. Its leaves turn purplish and can also fall in the absence of proper conditions.
Ludwigia Repens
Ludwigia Repens is a beginner level, ease to grow red aquatic plants that originate from Mexico and parts of the United States. The plant has a firm root that attaches and propagates in any type of substrate without any problem. However, try not to use it with sand bedding as the plants fail to breathe in the sand and may suffocate to death.
There are no set rules or requirements of the plants, but it’s ideal that you grow them in medium to large tanks. It is also important to regulate their number and trim them as the species is known for its fast growth and can take over a whole tank if left unchecked.
The species also need a lot of light for proper growth and pigmentation. Usually, you need to install 2.5 watts of light per gallon of water for this plant. Other than light, you can also add to some fertilizers to maintain 5ppm nitrate and high phosphate levels of the soils used by this plant. It will speed up its growth and enhance its color vibrancy.
Echinodorus Red Devil Aquarium Plant
The red devil is an attractive red aquarium plant sword-shaped leaves that are ruby red in color. It belongs to the Echinodorus species, but presents a very different character compared to the other plants of this species. For instance, this plant has a moderate growth rate. The plant never exceeds a width of 20 to 30 cm and a length of 25 cm, which makes it perfect for the background. Its appearance also makes it flexible for both foreground and midground usage.
This plant is hardy in nature, but it gets affected by the light and the nutrients available in its surroundings. In the absence of adequate light, its leaves may turn to greed while in low carbon dioxide, it won’t grow properly. It will also need you to keep a tab on the water. Its hardness can range between soft and hard, but the water acidity level has to be between 5 and 8pH. Similarly, the temperature has to range between 22 to 28 degrees Celsius, and the carbon dioxide content should be high. It can survive in moderate CO2, but it will slow the growth of this plant and even affect its health.
Rotala Indica
Rotala Indica, also known by the name Indian toothcup is a native Southeast Asian species of flowering aquatic plants. The plant belongs to the Lythraceae family and is most common in the Indian region, which is also a reason for it’s the word ‘Indica’ in its name.
The plants consist of a stem, leaves, and some spikelike flowers that occur on the leaf axils. Its stem has an average growth of 30 to 40 cm while the leaves can grow upto 2cm. The flower, on the other hand, doesn’t have any such size specification, but they remain constant in number. Usually, they have four triangular sepals and four tiny pink petals each.
The overall color of this plant is supposed to be red, but its oval-shaped leaves have multiple shades. They are usually green for the top region of the plants and then change to pink while coming down to the bottom. This multi-shades pattern offers its very distinct look that looks very appealing and attention-grabbing. It is one of the reasons why Aquascapers prefer to use this red aquarium plant in their fish tank.
The other reason for using it is its easy growing factor and adaptability of this plant. With sufficient carbon dioxides, light, iron, and micronutrient, you can grow in any part of the world. The plant also offers very decent flexibility for all typical water conditions.
Ludwigia Arcuata – Red Aquarium Plant
Ludwigia Arcuata, also known as needle leaf ludiwigia, pond seedbox, and narrow leaf ludiwigia, is an angiosperm that belongs to the Onagraceae family. The plant is native of North America and is available in both submerged and emerged form.
In emerged form, it will grow round leaves like the other plants of its family. These leaves will offer deep green constant color with no variation. In the other case, the plant leaves will become thin and start to acquire slightly orangish to red color depending upon the light it gets.
The plant is a slow-growing type and won’t need much attention, but you have to trim it regularly for maintaining its growth rate. You will also need to add a high amount of potassium, nitrates, iron, and other similar nutrients to the soil of these plants. It is essential to ensure the vibrancy of its color and its health.
Apart from this nutrient, you will also have to ensure high carbon dioxide and pH levels of 5.5 to 7.8pH. It is also ideal to ensure that the temperature of this plant never falls beyond 72 degrees Fahrenheit or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Red Aquarium Plants – Summary
Most of the beginners believe that red aquarium plants are too difficult to find and grow, but the fact is wrong. Their requirements may be different from the green plants, but other than that, they are pretty easy to grow and maintain. So, if you want to add a unique look to your fish tank, just choose one of the above-mentioned plants and get down with it. You won’t regret your decision.
Of course, if you want to create a more stunning display, you could use floating aquarium plants as well as your red aquarium plants. They can be particularly useful if you are trying to reduce the amount of direct light that your fish are exposed to! Alternatively, if you already have a low light environment, consider selecting some low light aquarium plants.