Want something almost nobody else has? Ludwigia 'Red Skeleton' is a rare variegated mutation — red stems, red leaf undersides, and green upper leaves veined with yellow in a skeleton pattern that looks drawn on. We were the first aquatic plant nursery in the United States to release it.
What You’ll Receive
- Sold as Fresh-cut Plants, Bunched plants, or Potted plants
- Fresh-cut plants | approx. 6 stems, loose fresh-cut plants without root
- Bunched plants | approx. 6 fresh-cut plants without root, bundle with foam, and lead weight
- Potted plants | approx. 6 fresh-cut plants without root, potted with net pot and rock wool
Plant Profile
- Common name — Red Skeleton Ludwigia
- Scientific name — Ludwigia sp. 'Red Skeleton'
- Origin — A variegated mutation of Ludwigia repens 'Rubin'
- Placement — Midground to background
- Shipped size — Approx. 6 fresh-cut stems, roughly 4-8 in
- Mature height — 6–14 in
- Suits — 10 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Medium
Care
- Difficulty — Advanced
- Light — High. In low light the leaves stay green and the pattern fades
- CO₂ — Recommended, not required
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.0–7.0
- Substrate — Required. Root and water column feeder
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Cuttings — trim and replant stem tops
Grower’s Notes
- Variegated plants are harder than their plain parents. The yellow-veined tissue carries less chlorophyll, so this plant photosynthesises less efficiently than standard Rubin and is less tolerant of poor light, unstable CO₂ or neglect. Rate it Advanced regardless of how easy Ludwigia repens is.
- The mutation is stable. Offspring consistently inherit the variegated genes, so cuttings come true rather than reverting to plain Rubin.
- Colour and pattern both track light. Under high light it turns deep red with the skeleton veining pronounced; under low light it stays green and the effect largely disappears.
- Trim and replant the tops. Bare lower stems rarely refill well enough to be worth keeping on a plant this slow to build.
- Buy it as a group, not a single stem. The skeleton veining is a fine detail that only reads from a distance when several stems are planted together.
Often confused with Ludwigia sp. 'Atlantis', which is a different mutation — that one comes from Ludwigia repens rather than 'Rubin'.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Ludwigia Care Guide.
Notes
- Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Colour and variegation vary considerably with lighting and nutrients.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
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 aquatic plant for arriving healthy with "plenty of roots" and "beautiful mix of colors." Most found it "packaged beautifully" and easy to establish. One noted color initially appeared "vibrant green" rather than red. Excellent customer service addressed shipping delays promptly.
- Plants came with plenty of roots. Planted easily and took off immediately. Beautiful mix of colors
- This plant is pretty! It was packaged beautifully and I got several rooted stems.
- Received generous portions. Very nice stems with healthy roots.
K
I was nervous to purchase plants online. I researched many plants and many different sites before I finally just ordered. I’m so glad I did! This plant is pretty! It was packaged beautifully and I got several rooted stems. The plants came in a sealed bag in a lined box. Healthy and clean. I’m very excited to see these plants thrive. This is my first attempt at a planted tank and I’m so glad I found an excellent place to order plants!!
A
Looks amazing!
M
I've planted this ones a week ago and they look very healthy but no red at all, just vibrant green, which is not bad but it's not ideal. Im bummed but not dissapointed.
F
Great plant which looks really nice. I am excited to see how it turns out when fully grown.
A
The ludwigia arrived in pretty good condition with a few dead leaves. The color is more pinkish than red with roundish leaves. I’m hoping it will do well in my tank.
N
Arrived in two days and looks exactly like the picture. There is no browning and the plants are super healthy
K
As of now ( 5 days later ) they are still alive and doing well ! No sour smell or browning on arrival :) by beta is quite happy
O
Great product
R
Arrived in good shape. Growing well.
J
First time ordering from APF and I got several plants in this order. Unfortunately, the package took a detour in shipping and took about a week to arrive. One plant was completely melted and the others appeared salvageable. The Ludwigia Red Skeleton looked the best out of the bunch and did not appear too affected. I contacted customer service and was refunded that same day. Although the plants didn't arrive in ideal condition, I gave 5 stars because of the quality, selection and customer service. I understand very well that once the package is in the carrier's hands it's often out of our control.
K
Received generous portions in both orders. Very nice stems with healthy roots. Looking forward to watching it mature.
F
As described,healthy stems.i definitely recomend this seller!
M
Plants came with plenty of roots already coming from the stems. Planted easily and took off immediately. Beautiful mix of colors
l
Always excellent, healthy plants. Repeat customer
M
Beautiful healthy cuttings. Received more than I expected.
P
Very pleased, received plants in good condition. Well packaged.
D
Beautiful plant and roots grow out quickly on these.
B
Hey guys!! I had my first order from you and will definitely coming back. I have a suggestion. When looking for plants to fill certain parts of a tank it would be very helpful to have a height range for each plant. Could you add that in on each plants description?? I know that it will help your sales. I have been shopping with BUCEPLANT for a while but am happy to switch over to you guys. I only want you to succeed and I think a better description of each plant and at least an average height would help you do better!! Thank you and God Bless.
Thank you so much for the kind words and the great suggestion, Brad! We really appreciate the feedback and welcome you to the family. We'll definitely pass this along to the team as something to work on for our product descriptions.
N
Does the red skeleton hold its variegation submerged?
Yes, Ludwigia Red Skeleton generally keeps its red/pink variegated coloring underwater, especially with strong lighting, CO2, and good nutrients (particularly iron). Without high light or with excess nitrates, the coloring can fade toward green over time, so keeping light and fertilization dialed in will help it hold onto that variegation.
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