Want serious red in the foreground without a plant that shoots up and blocks your layout? Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' is the answer. Unlike the standard form, AR Mini stays low and bushy, holding deep violet and burgundy right at the front of the tank where red does the most work.
What You’ll Receive
Sold as loose bare-root plants, bunched plants, or potted plants:
- Bare-Root Plants: 1–2 small, loose, bare-root plants
- Bunched Plants: 1–2 plants with root bundled with foam and a plant weight
- Potted Plants: 1–2 plants rooted in rockwool and net pot
This listing features young plants grown in a controlled laboratory environment (ex-vitro), offering a clean, pest-free start.
Plant Profile
- Common name — Mini Scarlet Temple, ARM, Telanthera Rosefolia Mini
- Scientific name — Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'
- Origin — Cultivated dwarf form; the species is South American
- Placement — Foreground, and the only red that truly works there
- Shipped size — 1-2 small plants, roughly 1-3 in
- Mature height — 3–5 in
- Suits — 5 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Medium
Care
- Difficulty — Intermediate
- Light — Medium to high. Strong light is what keeps it compact rather than leggy
- CO₂ — Recommended, not essential. It will grow without, just slower and greener
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Substrate — Required. Root and water column feeder; iron is what deepens the red
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Cuttings — trim and replant stem tops
Grower’s Notes
- Iron is the color lever, not light alone. If it is growing well but running bronze instead of burgundy, dose iron before you touch anything else.
- Trim it early and often. Every cut triggers side shoots, and a bushy AR Mini comes from pruning rather than waiting — an untrimmed plant goes leggy and thin.
- Lean nitrate pushes red, heavy nitrate pushes green. A heavily fed tank will give you a large healthy plant in the wrong color.
- Expect melt on arrival. AR Mini is sensitive to parameter changes and often drops its first leaves. The stems stay alive — keep conditions stable and new growth comes back redder.
- Want the background version? Standard Alternanthera reineckii reaches 8-16 inches with the same color and care.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Alternanthera Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference; color intensity and leaf size vary considerably with lighting, CO₂ and iron availability.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
At a glance
- Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
- Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
- Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
- USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
- UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
- Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
- We ship within the United States only.
Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.
The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.
How it works
- Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
- Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
- We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.
Good to know
- Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
- Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
- Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.
The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
Customers praised this vibrant red aquarium plant for arriving in "great condition" with stunning color. Most reported healthy growth with minimal melt, though some noted small size and planting challenges. "Deep red tones add great contrast" under good lighting and CO₂. A few received smaller-than-expected portions or damaged specimens.
- These guys are the star of the show. Holy cow they are red and gorgeous
- Deep red tones that add great contrast to green plants
- Very nice plant with great root system. Not just a stem clipping.
A
Got 4 different types of plants. A little meltage in the first few weeks as expected. Otherwise doing good. All of them are happily growing and there were no pests! (My betta and my ember tetras get along for anyone stressed)
A
The plants I ordered got here earlier than expected, were all in great shape, and are doing fine in my tank that I'm dry starting
w
Even though USPS took 3 days to deliver, I expected more, the plants were perfect. I will continue buying.
B
Spot on quality! Tissue culture came in pristine and red. It's also being VERY forgiving for a beginner (me) with red plants. There's been melting as of 2 weeks into them being planted in my tank, however I expected that given they were possibly grown emersed or due to effects from my lack of experience with this plant.
Highly recommend CO2 and a planted LED, as they have definitely grown and, possibly(?), started growing runners (see pics) faster than I otherwise would have expected based on various descriptions of Alternanthera reineckii mini I've read. All-in-all I am happy with this purchase!
A
Nice healthy plants.
Arrived quickly and very well packaged. Healthy and colorful, so far, so good. Hopefully they will do well and thrive in my clawed frog's tank. Happy with purchase
P
Shipping was fast and the plants arrived in great condition-no melt. They were smaller than I thought - but then you really can't judge what a plant looks like in someone else's tank when you don't know the tank size! I wanted to add a little pop of color to my tank and this plant is sure to shine. Nice bright red color. Planted them right away. Very happy for the 'buy2get1free'. I'm looking forward to these plants flourishing in my tank. Would definitely recommend Aquarium Plants Factory.
R
They were on the small side but very healthy. Can’t wait for them to grow. They will be beautiful!
D
This plant bring beautiful color to my aquarium! It arrived quickly and in great condition! Will only buy my plants here now!
S
These plants added the perfect amount of color to my tank! They arrived quickly and in great health!
A
I was a little nervous to order plants off-line since I had never done that before and with Thanksgiving it delayed their shipping and they still arrived mostly pink. I think it will take them a few days to brighten all the way back up.
H
So cute and healthy! Several days in the aquarium and absolutely NO sign of melt. Simply gorgeous and clean! They've been in my aquarium for several days, absolutely ZERO melt! Would recommend APF to ANYONE looking for a good deal on WONDERFUL quality plants.
j
always awesome service, arrived looking great
M
Beautiful plant. Very vibrant. I planted it in some sand with some red iron clay underneath. We’ll see how it does!
A
beautiful plant was bigger than i thought too, was able to plant in 3 places in my tank.
J
These guys are the star of the show. Holy cow they are red and gorgeous
L
The Alternanthera Reineckii Mini arrived healthy and well packaged. After planting it in my aquarium, it adapted well and started growing new leaves fairly quickly.
The color is very nice under good lighting and CO₂, showing deep red tones that add great contrast to green plants. It stays compact compared to the regular Alternanthera, which makes it perfect for the midground of a planted tank.
Overall, I’m very happy with this plant and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to add red color to their aquascape.
J
Alternanthera Reineckii Mini
K
The plants arrived in great condition plus the colors are just amazing . I'll be buying more 100%
J
Plants arrived in great condition, more of them than I expected.
B
Very nice plant with great root system. Not just a stem clipping. Would definitely trust this seller with a larger order in the future.
K
These are very pretty and great color. I DO wish now that I had gotten them bunched or potted. Fortunately I had materials here that I could make them into three nice bunches and they seem to be doing just fine.
G
Average quality on the minis. But still content. Happy it made it all the way from Cali to Fl
J
Yes, I read the disclaimer L O L just saying, they were still beautiful and almost an unworldly red color when I receive them. If you can keep them in this beautiful condition in your tank, consider yourself lucky but I do not believe they’re gonna stay as vibrant in mine lol. But you’ll never know until you try.
R
I think good but to small for 10 dollars maybe little bigger l would buying again. It's ok
R
it actually came in early. very vivid color.
V
Alternanthera Reineckii Mini
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