# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk >  How to grow Alternanthera reineckii 'mini' to exhibit more red color?

## stream

My AR mini is only exhibiting a pinkish red(magenta) color on the underside of its leaves but the side that faces the lights is a brownish bronze color. I notice the leaves are growing. What seems to be lacking? My HC is pearling and there are fine CO2 mist circulating in my tank during photo period. My tank information is as below. Please advise. TIA.


Tank Dimension: 31x31x36cm (OF 34L)
Soil: ADA Amazonia Soil (3L)
Filter System: Internal Overflow System.
Plants: Downoi, Staurogyne Repens, Rotala species, Pogostemon erectus, Hemianthus Glomeratus, Lysimachia Nummularia 'Aurea', HC Cuba as foreground carpet.
Light Period: 10hrs.
CO2 delivery system: ANS in-tank atomizer
CO2 injection rate: 31/min -> ~ 0.5 bps
Fauna: 8xGreen Shrimps, 1 Octocinclus, 3 ruby tetra, 2 Corydorus Hastatus, 5 Furcatus.
Air Pump only turn on during lights off period.
pH Reading: 6.0
kH Reading: 3
GH Reading: 5
NH3/NH4+: 0.5 ppm (mg/L)
Nitrite: 0.003 (mg/L)
Nitrate: 10 (mg/L)

Fertilizer Dosage
Day	Seachem	Fertilizer ml	
Daily	Excel 0.7
Daily	Iron 0.7
1,6	Flourish 0.6
1,4	Nitrogen 0.4
1,4	Phosphorous 0.9
3,5	Potassium 1.1
2,4	Trace 1.7

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## Phillipians

There are supposedly 3 ways/things to look out for:

1) Decrease Nitrates in your system (aka dose less nitrates)
2) Increase Iron dosage
3) Check your lights. Are they strong enough? 

One other way:
Buy ADA ECA. Supposedly very very effective

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## stream

My light System is Green Element EVO12 (6x3W LED). I think should be sufficient. I'll try doubling my Iron dosage and see what happens.

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## Xiaozhuang

You don't need nitrate limitation to bring out the red in AR mini; good CO2, lighting, ferts. A richer substrate seems to help; I seem to see more issues with it in loose grain stuff like eco-complete etc. Good parameters for a sustained period helps as it reacts more slowly to changing parameters

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## Phillipians

I doubt a rich substrate helps. In any way, if you want a sure fire method, use ada eca

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## Xiaozhuang

Perhaps there are redder ones out there, but this is without ECA....

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## stressed

I think your light could be one limiting factor

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