# easy red plants?



## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

I have been looking at some amazing aquascapes on here today! Everyone has such pretty tanks!
One thing I kept noticing was how my eye would draw to the red plants. They worked as highlights or placed in rule of thirds location. I am familiar with this due to my other hobby being photography. 
I am also a very visual person. 

I want red plants. I need red plants. I need easy to care for red plants. Red or not it won't look good if its dead 

40g bowfront
adding excel, Flourish, trace 
Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus (total lumans 1000, [email protected]" 36, [email protected]" 28, [email protected]" 21)
2 aquaclear 70's on the back
In aquaclears I have purigen with fitted sponge, charcoal and bio ceramic thingies

I have 1 dwarf gourami who is the bane of all that is holy currently and on borrowed time. 4 cory cats, 1 neon (my cat caught the rest but that is on another thread) 

I want easy to care for red ~ and showy. I like showy and pretty. What would you suggest?


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Ludwigia sp. 'Red'


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

Newt said:


> Ludwigia sp. 'Red'


Ok, that is what I was looking for! Thanks! I am still learning the names of these plants


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

praline3001 said:


> Ok, that is what I was looking for! Thanks! I am still learning the names of these plants


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Echinodorus barthii (Red melon sword)


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

Oh that is pretty!!!!

I am still experimenting and learning but visually know I need something to draw the eye. That would be perfect! 
Is it easy to care for? I have seen it listed as "moderate care". Is there anything special I need to do for it?


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

I think the Ludwigia is more what I am looking for. It will provide background color on the rule of thirds line for me.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

_Cryptocoryne wendtii_ 'Red' is just about bullet-proof. So is the _Ludwigia_.


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

Michael said:


> _Cryptocoryne wendtii_ 'Red' is just about bullet-proof. So is the _Ludwigia_.


I googled and found this. That's the right plant? That is pretty showy as an accent! I don't want a lot of red, just enough to highlight and draw the eye a bit.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I took it as you wanted RED and only RED plants.


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

Newt said:


> I took it as you wanted RED and only RED plants.


I did. I put the Ludwigia sp. 'Red' on my shopping list. I may end up having to order it through as I don't think I have seen anything red like that at the local fish place.

I think the smaller red one would look great in the foreground and the Lud. towards the back for height.


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## HDBenson (Sep 24, 2014)

Regular old Myriophyllum aquaticum gets pretty red in its submerged form with enough light - even without enough light to keep new growth red low light will at least KEEP the current color in check AND... it grows in your backyard(well, maybe not if you live in an apartment)!! But check sluggish waterways around you for it. I use M. aquaticum and Ludwigia palustris for red in my NPTs(Natural Planted Tanks).


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## Danielc03 (Jul 1, 2012)

Alternanthera reineckii : With good light is very red, easy and beautiful


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Here's another >>>








Red Tiger Lotus


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## crazy4fids (Dec 17, 2014)

HDBenson said:


> Regular old Myriophyllum aquaticum gets pretty red in its submerged form with enough light - even without enough light to keep new growth red low light will at least KEEP the current color in check AND... it grows in your backyard(well, maybe not if you live in an apartment)!! But check sluggish waterways around you for it. I use M. aquaticum and Ludwigia palustris for red in my NPTs(Natural Planted Tanks).


Wouldn't the milfoil melt in a heated tank?


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## crazy4fids (Dec 17, 2014)

Newt said:


> Here's another >>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This one will do well even in low light.


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

They are all nice! I think I am going to get some of the Ludwigia sp. 'Red' and put it in the (facing) right back corner of my tank. That will give it some height and that splash of red will help draw the eye around the tank. I might put a smaller foreground plant but honestly I really am liking the dwarf baby tears in each corner and might use that has most of my ground cover. I was going to do more of a grass/lawn but really REALLY liking the texture and interest that the dwarf baby tears has.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

My experience with Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides) is that it likes high CO2 to do well; and good lighting.


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## praline3001 (Dec 29, 2014)

Newt said:


> My experience with Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides) is that it likes high CO2 to do well; and good lighting.


Mine has been doing well and spreading using Excel and I have decent lighting.


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## HDBenson (Sep 24, 2014)

crazy4fids said:


> Wouldn't the milfoil melt in a heated tank?


Mine hasn't - yet. I have it in two of my NPTs going great. Both of these tanks are set to 77F. But they've only been in there for three months. Mine is wild collected too. It may have not had a dormancy period yet but we'll see. Isn't M. aquaticum from South America though?


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## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

My experience with Ludwigia reopens is that it need more light than what I'm giving it. The stems are growing to fast with only leaves near the top. Bot I'm only running about 1 Watt per gallon of HO-T-5's on my tank which falls in the low light range. Have not measured the PAR but suspect it is the low 20's at the substrate level. I doubt it is a lack of Iron as the color is still showing considerable red.

I would strongly recommend using crypts in the forground for a redish touch as they are low light demanding. If you want to draw the eye to the back rather than use reds you can use brighter shades of Green to make the area look a little brighter in contrast to darker blue/green colors. 

Use the plant finder on here and you come up with some interesting combinations. 

Remember to also use texture as well as color to draw attention to or away from an area. Pieces of drift wood and rocks can add interesting touches as well.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

Some Cryptos like legroi, becketti 'pink' etc do get reddish. Another easy relatively small plant is Lagenandra meeboldii 'red/pink'. Easy red stems: Ludwigia repens (and repens 'rubin') Ludwigia arcuata, Rotala rotundifolia, Hygrophila polysperma 'rosanervig'. Good luck!


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## essabee (Oct 11, 2006)

The easiest red plant which you can have is the red temple plant (Hygrophila corymbosa red). Your tank needs to be brightly lit without the excess lights which necessitates CO2 to stop algae. You would need a good plant growing substrate or some root fertilizer tabs if only washed sand is used. No fert dosing is required for this plant.


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## reybie (Jul 18, 2007)

The only red plant I've had success with and not very much is the ludwigia glandulosa... the rest just turn green for me, that or they start shrinking until I'm left with nothing.


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