Ludwigia repens: How I Keep This Red Stem Plant Happy in a Shrimp Tank

When I first started building a more colorful aquascape, I wanted a red plant that was still forgiving.

Ludwigia repens became one of those plants that quietly settled in, adapted to my water, and added a warm red tone behind the shrimp.

This is how I care for it in a low-tech, shrimp-friendly setup.

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Quick Profile

• Type: Stem plant, background / mid-ground

• Color: Green to reddish, more red under better light

• Difficulty: Easy–moderate

• Placement: Back corners or along the sides

• Good for shrimp? Yes, great as a hiding place and surface for biofilm

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Where I Put Ludwigia in the Layout

I like Ludwigia repens best:

• As a background group behind driftwood or rocks

• In a corner to soften the tank edges

• Mixed with green stems or tall grasses, so the red stands out gently instead of dominating the whole tank

It grows straight up at first, then the top starts to bush out. After some trimming, it creates a dense area where shrimp can graze and hide.

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Water Conditions It Tolerates

In a typical Indonesian/Malaysian tap-water setup (no RO):

• Temperature: 24–28°C

• pH: around 6.5–7.5

• GH / KH: Moderate is fine (the same range where Neocaridina shrimp are comfortable)

• Flow: Gentle flow is enough; it doesn’t need strong current

As long as the water is stable and not swinging too much, Ludwigia repens is usually okay. I focus more on consistency than chasing “perfect” numbers.

(You can gently link to your GH/KH/TDS article here later.)

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Light and Color: How Red Does It Get?

Ludwigia repens will survive in low light, but it often stays more green and grows longer, thinner stems.

To bring out better color without going “high tech”:

• Use a decent LED that reaches the substrate, not a very dim one

• Aim for around 8 hours of light per day

• Place Ludwigia closer to the middle or upper area of the light spread, not hidden under floating plants

If you keep floating plants like Phyllanthus fluitans, just make sure they don’t completely block the light above the Ludwigia patch.

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Planting and Rooting

1. Preparing the stems

When you buy Ludwigia, you’ll usually get several stems:

• Remove any damaged or melting leaves from the bottom part

• Keep at least 3–4 healthy nodes (leaf pairs) on each stem

• Trim the bottom so you have a clean cut

2. Planting into the substrate

You can plant it into:

• Nutrient-rich aquasoil, or

• A natural soil base with sand/gravel cap

To plant:

1. Use tweezers to grab the bottom 2–3 cm of the stem.

2. Push it gently into the substrate, then let the sand/soil close around it.

3. Plant groups of 3–5 stems together, with a small gap between each stem.

Shrimp might climb over new stems right away, so sometimes I re-push a few stems back into the soil during the first days.

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Fertilizing: How I Feed Ludwigia Without Hurting Shrimp

Ludwigia repens appreciates some nutrients, but it doesn’t demand extreme dosing.

In my shrimp-friendly style:

• I rely on a nutritious substrate or soil base

• Then I add small, gentle doses of liquid fertilizer that include:

  • Potassium (K)

  • A bit of iron (Fe) for color

Instead of heavy daily dosing, I’d rather:

• Dose a small amount once or twice a week

• Watch the plant reaction and algae level

• Adjust slowly

If you already have your Fe & K article, this is a nice spot to link to it.

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Trimming and Propagation

Ludwigia repens is very easy to propagate:

1. Let the stems grow until they reach near the water surface.

2. Trim off the top part (5–10 cm).

3. Replant the tops as new stems.

4. The bottom part will usually sprout new side shoots.

Over time, this creates a thick bush. I try not to let it completely block flow or light, so:

• I trim only a few stems at a time

• I keep some open spaces between groups

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Common Problems and How I Handle Them

1. Stems look thin and pale

Possible causes:

• Light too weak

• Not enough nutrients (especially nitrogen, potassium, and micronutrients)

What I do:

• Improve light if it’s really dim

• Add a small, careful dose of liquid fertilizer

• Make sure I’m not doing huge water changes that strip nutrients immediately

2. Lower leaves melting or falling off

This is quite common when:

• The plant is new and still adapting

• The bottom is getting shaded by the top leaves

What I do:

• Remove melting leaves so they don’t rot in the tank

• Trim tops and replant to keep the bush tidy and light reaching down

3. Algae on leaves

Red plants can attract algae if:

• Too much light

• Not enough CO₂ or nutrients balance

In a low-tech shrimp tank, I respond by:

• Slightly reducing light duration (for example from 8 hours to 7)

• Avoiding heavy fertilizer increases

• Letting shrimp and snails clean the leaves gradually

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How Ludwigia Repens Helps the Shrimp

I like Ludwigia repens in shrimp aquariums because:

• Dense stems give shrimplets hiding places from curious fish

• The leaves collect a bit of biofilm and micro-life, which shrimp love to pick at

• The plant takes up extra nutrients and can help stabilize the tank over time

It turns into a quiet background worker that also happens to be pretty.

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Final Thoughts

Ludwigia repens is a good “first red plant” if you’re building a natural-style shrimp tank with normal tap water and moderate lighting.
It doesn’t need perfect parameters, strong CO₂, or complicated dosing, as long as you give it:

• Stable water,

• Reasonable light,

• And a gentle, regular nutrient supply.

Over time, trimming and replanting the tops becomes part of the calm routine of caring for the tank.