{"product_id":"scarlet-temple-alternathrta-reneckii","title":"Scarlet Temple | Alternanthera reineckii","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c!-- obsidian --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Scarlet Temple on the Surface:\"\u003eScarlet Temple on the Surface:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScarlet Temple (\u003cem\u003eAlternanthera reineckii\u003c\/em\u003e) is a stem plant native to the wetlands of South America, from Bolivia and Brazil south to Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. Its paired leaves range from pink to deep red with purple undersides, and their color is heavily dictated by the light intensity available to them. In the Botanical Method Aquarium, small groups of \u003cem\u003eA. reineckii\u003c\/em\u003e provide refuge for betta fish, small tetras, and shrimp, along with surfaces where biofilm can encrust. It grows well submerged or emersed, and can help in building South American biotope aquariums that incorporate a transition zone between habitats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Essential Details\"\u003eEssential Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Intermediate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate, upright stem growth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium to High\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCO2:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not Necessary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater Parameters:\u003c\/strong\u003e 68 to 80°F, pH 6.0 to 7.5, soft to moderately hard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePropagation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Trim tops and replant cuttings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTint Tolerance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Low to Moderate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabitat Location:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and northern Argentina\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOptimal For:\u003c\/strong\u003e Betta fish, small tetras, pencilfish, apistogramma, and shrimp\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse with Caution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rinse before introducing; may carry beneficial hitchhiking snails, snail eggs, or duckweed from the grow-out ponds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShipping Restrictions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not legal to ship to Oklahoma\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10 to 20 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuantities:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sold as 3-4 stems per bunch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Scarlet Temple for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\"\u003eScarlet Temple for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScarlet Temple absorbs most of its micro- and macronutrients through its roots, so it grows best in a dirted aquarium or an inert sand substrate with root tabs placed beneath each clump of plants. As a stem plant, it also uptakes nutrients through its leaves and aerial roots and benefits from a light dose of liquid fertilizer in the water column. We plant stems in small groups a finger's width apart, which lets light reach the lower leaves. Biofilm encrusts the lower leaves and stems as they age and becomes a grazing resource for shrimp and our fishes, what we call supplemental nutrition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe darker the tint in your aquarium, the less light reaches your plants. Light intensity influences the growth rate and the color of new leaves. Medium to high light paired with root tabs produces deep red leaves and denser, bushier stems. Under low light, new growth turns greener with wider spacing between leaves, what we call 'leggy growth', and the lower leaves die off from reduced light. CO2 injection is optional and can deepen color and speed growth. Aquasoils absorb tannins from the water column, so an inert sand substrate with root tabs helps to preserve the tint that your botanicals release. Like with most stems, Scarlet Temple is grown emersed, and the emersed leaves will die off as the plant transitions to submerged growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo propagate Scarlet Temple, cut the top few inches and push the cutting into the substrate. The remaining stem will send out side shoots below the cut. We place Scarlet Temple in the midground of mid-sized and larger aquariums, where the plant can provide cover for betta fish, pencilfish, small tetras, and apistogramma to use as refuge between open swimming areas. Place excess cuttings in the garbage, and never release aquarium plants into local waterways. This keeps non-native species out of your local environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Beneath the Leaves: *Alternanthera reineckii* in the Wild\"\u003eBeneath the Leaves: \u003cem\u003eAlternanthera reineckii\u003c\/em\u003e in the Wild\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAlternanthera reineckii\u003c\/em\u003e is a member of the amaranth family, a relative of the joyweeds grown in gardens. In the wild it grows as an annual in the seasonally dry tropics, rooting along the margins of marshes and slow rivers. It grows emersed above the waterline and submerged when seasonal floods cover it. Its genus name comes from the Latin for \"alternating anthers,\" since every other anther on its flowers is sterile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere a botanical contributes as it breaks down, an aquatic plant is living and contributes as it grows. So let them grow. Mother Nature leads the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Sustainability Note:\"\u003eSustainability Note:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease select a heat\/cold pack if necessary. Check your local weather before ordering to avoid any shipment holds or cancellations. \u003cem\u003eAlternanthera reineckii\u003c\/em\u003e cannot legally be shipped to Oklahoma; if included in an order to Oklahoma, it will be removed before shipment. All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our aquariums for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided in cooperation with PNW Bettas in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical, wood \u0026amp; merch orders.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PNW Bettas","offers":[{"title":"Potted","offer_id":45440815792304,"sku":"sku-44643766304947","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/7948\/9712\/files\/scarlet-temple-alternanthera-reineckii-aquatic-plant.jpg?v=1793991726","url":"https:\/\/bettabotanicals.com\/products\/scarlet-temple-alternathrta-reneckii","provider":"Betta Botanicals | Natural Aquarium Products","version":"1.0","type":"link"}