Ludwigia RED Aquatic Plant Guide

Ludwigia Red / Palustris Aquatic Plant Guide:

Not every aquatic plant needs simple maintenance, but every plant is lovely. Some of them have high needs & if you do not offer care, then it will be difficult for the plant to grow. Ludwigia Red is one of the simple species that is recommended for beginners. It also provides a reddish appearance to your aquarium. This plant is very versatile & can add beauty to your aquarium. It seems stunning with any tank decoration.

Ludwigia is a beautiful plant that develops many colors & they are available in many varieties. Some of the species are only green, but in this article, we are focusing on Ludwigia Mini Super Red.

Ludwigia Palustris is a famous & striking red color aquatic plant for freshwater tanks. If you take care of this beginner’s plant, then it will grow well & provide bright red color to your middle or background of the tank. It can grow even in medium lighting, but can show bright red color when offered bright lights & required nutrients.

 

Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant Overview:

• Simple Care Level
• Best plant for middle or background of aquarium
• Lights Requirement: Moderate to High
• Native: Grown in plant nurseries but can be found in Southeast Asia
• Temperature Range: 64 Degree Fahrenheit to 82 Degree Fahrenheit
• pH Range: 5.0 to 7.0

 

Topics Covered:

• Appearance of Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant
• Other Names of Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant
• From where can I buy Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant
• Ideal Tank Water Conditions for Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant
• Where to keep Ludwigia Red plant in Aquarium
• Tips for keeping Ludwigia Mini Super Red Plant Healthy
• Trimming Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant
• How to reproduce / propagate Ludwigia Red plant
• Ludwigia Repens vs Ludwigia Palustris
• Top substrate for Ludwigia Red plant
• Top substrate for Ludwigia Red plant
• Daily Light Timing for Ludwigia Red plant
• Can Ludwigia Red plant grow when floating on water
• Are Ludwigia Palustris plants root feeders
• Which type of fertilizer is best for Ludwigia Palustris
• Can Ludwigia Palustris plant grow emersed
• Can Ludwigia Palustris plant grow submerged
• Benefits of Ludwigia Palustris Plant in Aquarium

Appearance of Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant:

Ludwigia Mini Super Red has little, round & pointed leaves. The color of the leaves is based on the aquarium conditions. It can take green or red color based on water conditions. Ludwigia Mini Super Red plant looks beautiful when you grow it in bunches of 10 to 12 stems.

Ludwigia Red is a stem plant that takes red color easily & it is smaller in size than the popular Ludwigia repens.

 

Other Names of Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant:

Ludwigia Red is also known as Ludwigia Palustris, & Ludwigia Mini Super Red. This plant does not have any mini version but plants growing in lean environments have smaller sizes as compared to plants growing in high nutrition settings.

 

From where can I buy Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant:

A comparatively little Ludwigia that develops a high red coloration even in moderate tank lights. It is available in fish stores or nurseries under different names such as L. palustris. Do not confuse it with Ludwigia Rubin that grows bigger leaves.

 

Ideal Tank Water Conditions for Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant:

It is simple to grow Ludwigia Red plants. It can grow in a variety of conditions & it is not very selective about water parameters, but needs bright lights for better colors. It grows faster & needs nutrients.

• Temperature Range: 64 Degree Fahrenheit to 82 Degree Fahrenheit
• pH Range: 5.0 to 7.0

 

Where to keep Ludwigia Red plant in Aquarium:

You can grow Ludwigia Red in the middle or background of the aquarium. Or leave this plant to float on the water surface. Floating plants can cover your aquarium water & avoid tank lights from reaching water.

 

Tips for healthy Ludwigia Mini Super Red Plant:

Ludwigia Mini Super Red is a versatile plant but if you want super red color, then it needs bright lights & high nutrition. Availability of iron can offer better red coloration to the plant. If you inject carbon dioxide then Ludwigia Mini Super Red will grow vigorously. You can grow Ludwigia Red plants underwater or emersed.

Ludwigia Red can be planted from a cutting. Cut the main stem & then replant it in the gravels.

This plant is delicate. So, take care of the plant while handling it.

Your Ludwigia Red can melt & rot if big changes happen.

If you provide carbon dioxide & good aquarium soil then your plant will grow well.

Ludwigia Red plant needs medium to high lights.

Gravels are not required for planting it.

It absorbs nutrition through side roots & you can attach it to driftwood, rocks or structures.

Ludwigia Red shows intense red color & grows quickly when you provide ideal aquarium conditions.

It can make side shoots, but trimming makes the plant dense.

 

Trimming Ludwigia Red Aquatic Plant:

Ludwigia Red plant needs trimming when it grows taller. Use a sharp scissor to trim the main stem. It is a stem plant & you can easily propagate them. When you chop off the stem then it soon develops fresh roots after replanting.

 

How to reproduce / propagate Ludwigia Red plant:

Chop of the plant stem & then replant it in an aquarium & they will develop roots. After replanting Ludwigia, roots will grow quickly if you use iron rich substrate.

 

Comparison of Ludwigia Repens vs Ludwigia Palustris:

Ludwigia Repens is a better plant because it provides slightly better texture than Ludwigia Red. Ludwigia Repens is available in green & red colors. Ludwigia Palustris takes ultra-red coloration that gives a different appearance to your tank.

It is easy to grow Ludwigia repens & it can grow in lower light intensities.

Ludwigia Palustris is a Cryptocorynes stem plant that turns red easily & it is smaller in size than the popular Ludwigia Repens.

 

Top substrate for Ludwigia Red plant:

Add a substrate that has a high amount of iron. Seachem Fluorite substrate is good for Ludwigia. It has high iron & it is one of the top substrates for growing Ludwigia Palustris. Along with Fluorite substrate, you can add liquid fertilizer that contains a high amount of iron.

 

Daily Light Timing for Ludwigia Red plant:

If you provide low lighting to Ludwigia then plants will take more time to grow. This plant needs 6 to 8 hours of light every day, & if you turn on tank lights for longer then, your aquarium will attract algae. Using light timers can save you from extra effort. Just set time for turning on & off the lights.

 

Can Ludwigia Red plant grow when floating on water:

Ludwigia Palustris is able to grow submerged or out of water. If you allow the plant to float then it may grow above the water surface.

 

Are Ludwigia Palustris plants root feeders:

Ludwigia red is a root feeder plant. It can still absorb nutrition using its leaves, but mostly it uses roots for absorbing nutrition.

 

Which type of fertilizer is best for Ludwigia Palustris:

Ludwigia Palustris is a root feeder plant, so you can provide fertilizers in the form of root tabs.

 

Can Ludwigia Palustris plant grow emersed:

Ludwigia Palustris can grow when it is emersed, & it is not very delicate because the fleshy tissues of the plant can keep moisture.

 

Can Ludwigia Palustris plant grow submerged:

Ludwigia Palustris can grow up to 12 inches long when it is submerged. The stems of this plant are light green to deep red in color. Leaf of the plant is about one & a half inches long.

 

Benefits of Ludwigia Palustris Plant in Aquarium:

Ludwigia Palustris can lower levels of nitrates in aquarium water. Fish waste releases ammonia which is highly toxic to fish, & good bacteria growing inside biological filtration media breaks ammonia into nitrites which is less toxic than ammonia, & further breaks it into nitrates which is less toxic than nitrites. Higher concentration of nitrates is still toxic to fish & filters can’t remove them from aquarium water. Nitrates can be removed with regular partial water changes. But if your tank contains Ludwigia red herb then it is able to consume nitrates which fertilizes the plant.

Ludwigia Palustris does not need additional CO2 if you are keeping fish in tank water. This herb can aerate water too.

Tank lights are enough for Ludwigia red herb. In the availability of tank lights, the plant can absorb CO2 & release oxygen.

Live plants in fish tanks can offer a natural appearance to your tank & it is possible to copy the natural environment of streams or rivers if you are keeping live plants in tanks. Plants encourage fish in spawning. Female fish lay eggs on plant leaves or hide them in the roots. Adult fish usually prey on the young ones so fries can use plants for hiding. Adult Fish & fries eat live plants.

Ludwigia Palustris can attach itself to driftwood or structures, or can cover tank surfaces.

 

Summary:

 

Category	Rating
Common Names	Ludwigia Red, Ludwigia Mini Super Red, Ludwigia Super Red
Full Plant Name	Ludwigia Palustris
Family	Onagraceae
Type	Stem
Care Level	Simple
Color	Red
Placement in Aquarium	Middle or Background of Aquarium
Growth Rate	Quick
pH Range	5 to 7
Temperature Tolerance	18 to 28 Degree Celsius
Carbonate Hardness	0 – 14 Degree dKH
Planting	Cuttings
Can grow emersed?	Yes
Can grow submerged?	Yes