Care specifications
| Type | Stem |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Light | Medium (35–70 µmol PAR) |
| CO2 | Beneficial, not required |
| Fertilizer demand | Medium |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Max height | 20 in |
| Spread | 3 in |
| Placement | Background, Midground |
| Attaches to hardscape | No |
| Snail & shrimp safe | Yes |
| Temperature | 64–82 °F |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
| Color | Red |
| Trimming | Frequent |
| Styles | Nature, Dutch, Iwagumi |
Get Rotala Rotundifolia
Propagation
Cut the top halves of stems and replant them; the rooted bases branch into multiple new shoots.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my Rotala to turn red?
Color follows light first: the tops only blush pink-to-red under strong light, with CO2 and lean nitrates deepening it further. In a low-tech tank it stays an attractive green — healthy, just not red.
How do I make Rotala bushy instead of stringy?
Trim early and often. Each cut stem splits into two or more shoots, so two or three rounds of topping and replanting transform a sparse bunch into a dense bush. Crowded, untrimmed stems shed their lower leaves in their own shade.
Rotala Rotundifolia appears in
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