Alternanthera reineckii: the aquascaping red plant

Alternanthera reineckii is the reference red plant in aquascaping, with lanceolate leaves of intense magenta that do not depend on light to appear, unlike rotalas. That makes it more reliable in colour but more demanding in everything else: it needs nutritious substrate, intense light and injected CO2 to keep a compact habit. Without CO2 it survives, but it stretches and loses its lower leaves.

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