(pack of 3 stems)
Round-leaf Rotala (Rotala rotundifolia): the chameleon of the aquarium
Round-leaf Rotala (Rotala rotundifolia) is an essential and fascinating stem plant. Its name is almost misleading: while its leaves are indeed round when it grows above water, they elongate and narrow as soon as it is submerged!
But its real asset is its color. Under medium lighting, it offers a beautiful soft green. Give it a bit more intense light, and its tips will display magnificent pink, orange, or even red hues. It’s the perfect splash of color to brighten up a natural aquascape.
Why choose Round-leaf Rotala?
- 🎨 A festival of colors: it introduces warm tones (pink, red, orange) into your aquarium without the maintenance challenges of very demanding red plants.
- 🚀 Fast growth: it’s an excellent purifier plant. Growing quickly, it absorbs a maximum of nitrates and phosphates, starving algae.
- 🦐 A protective thicket: by regularly trimming it, it forms very dense clusters, perfect for sheltering fry and providing a playground for your water lice and snails.
- 🔄 Amazing plasticity: very comfortable growing emersed in a paludarium or summer terrarium, it will form its famous small round leaves and pretty pink flower spikes there.
Planting and care tips
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Light: medium to strong. The more generous the lighting, the redder and more compact the plant will stay.
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Substrate and nutrition: a standard sand substrate is sufficient. This plant mainly feeds through its leaves in the water column.
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Maintenance: very simple, just cut the top part of the stem and replant it in the sand to create new shoots and thicken the cluster.
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Temperature: 15 to 28°C. Very tolerant, it accepts unheated tanks and outdoor stays during the warm season.
⭐ Tip: don’t plant your stems in one tight bunch. Space each stem one or two centimeters apart so light can reach the base well, preventing the lower part of the plant from losing its leaves.
Possible uses
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Low-tech aquarium: perfect in the background to hide the tank’s back and absorb excess nutrients.
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Aquascaping: it’s the queen plant for creating large colorful bushes at the back of natural aquascapes.
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Paludarium and terrarium: in summer, let it grow out of the water! Its stems will crawl on the surface, letting you enjoy its original terrestrial form.
FAQ - Round-leaf Rotala (Rotala rotundifolia)
Why does my Rotala stay green?
The pink or red color depends directly on light intensity. If your lighting is low, the plant will stay green (which is perfectly natural and healthy for it).
Is CO2 addition necessary?
No, it’s not mandatory. Without CO2 supplementation, its growth will simply be a bit less vigorous and its red colors a bit less pronounced, but it will grow very well naturally.
Why aren’t its leaves round?
As explained above, this is a natural adaptation. The "round" shape only appears when the stem grows above water (emersed). Underwater, the leaves narrow to better capture light and reduce resistance to the current.
Additional information
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Scientific name: Rotala rotundifolia
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Origin: Southeast Asia
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Plant type: fast-growing stem plant
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Light: medium to strong
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Temperature: 15 to 28°C
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Height: 20 to 50 cm (and more if not trimmed)
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Packaging: pack of 3 stems
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Guarantee: free of rock wool or any artificial substrate of any kind.
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Recommendation: as a precaution, please never release this plant into the wild. Our natural aquatic ecosystems are precious and fragile.
