Description

Alternanthera reineckii, commonly known as Scarlet Temple, is a popular and vibrant aquatic plant known for its striking coloration and numerous benefits to an aquarium ecosystem.

Key Features

Vibrant Coloration: The plant is prized for its lance-shaped leaves that display shades of red, pink, and purple, particularly on the undersides. The intensity of the color depends heavily on lighting and nutrient conditions.

Versatile Placement: Due to variations in size (e.g., the standard form can grow up to 20 inches, while the ‘Mini’ cultivar is more compact), it can be used as a foreground, midground, or background plant in an aquascape.

Growth Habit: It is a stem plant that grows in dense, bushy clusters. Regular trimming encourages lateral shoots, leading to a more compact and lush appearance.

Moderate Care Needs: While it can tolerate moderate lighting, it thrives with high light intensity and benefits greatly from CO₂ supplementation and a nutrient-rich substrate, particularly iron, to maintain vibrant coloration.

Enhances Aesthetics: Its unique red and pink hues provide a strong visual contrast against green plants, making it a stunning focal point in any aquarium design, especially popular in Dutch-style aquascapes.

Improves Water Quality: As a live plant, it performs photosynthesis, releasing oxygen into the water which is vital for fish respiration and beneficial bacteria. It also helps absorb excess nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from fish waste and decaying matter, which helps prevent algae growth