01
Overview
Reineckii is the dependable route to tall red mass: less temperamental than red Rotalas, deeper-toned than red Ludwigias. The two-tone leaves, wine above and orchid beneath, give a stand depth that single-color plants lack, and its Paraguay-basin origins make it more adaptable than its looks suggest.
Size note: Aquarium cultivars differ: some tolerate medium light and optional CO₂, while compact red forms need higher-energy care.
02
Aquascaping use
Plant a bold group against green backgrounds where the violet undersides show during movement. It carries the red role in both Dutch rows and nature-style drifts.
03
Planting
Space stems properly in fertile substrate; crowding costs the lower leaves their light and the stand its fullness. It converts from emersed growth steadily rather than dramatically.
Nutrient-bearing substrate
04
Light & CO₂
Give it strong light and CO₂ for saturated color and tight nodes; in milder setups it lives but leans maroon-green. Stability sustains the purple undersides.
05
Substrate & fertilization
Feed richly at root and column; iron and nitrogen both show up directly in leaf color. Starvation reads as pale rose rather than red.
Feeding behavior: Mixed feeder. Nutrient demand: high.
06
Growth, trimming & propagation
Top and replant to build width; each cut stem forks. Refresh the planting from tops yearly as old stems woody-up.
Stem cuttings
07
Common problems
- !Color thins under medium light
- !Lower leaf drop in crowded stands
- !Slow restart after hard cutbacks
