Leaf colourgreen
Native range
- China Southeast
- East Himalaya
- Hainan
- Malaya
- Vietnam
rosette foreground carpet
A tiny grass-like carpet plant that spreads by runners. Above water its leaves are round; submerged it turns into narrow blades and looks like another plant entirely.
- Light
- medium–high
- Difficulty
- medium
- Temperature
- 20 – 28 °C
Parameters
Plant typerosette
Growth ratefast
Tolerates lightmedium – high
General hardness0 – 30 °dGH
Placementforeground, carpet
Propagationrunners
Grows emersedyes
Appearance
Underwater the leaves are narrow, bright green blades a few centimetres tall in small rosettes, joined by thin runners — close to the look of a dwarf chain sword.
Keeping
Moderate demands, all of them about the front of the tank: good light reaching the substrate, a nutritious base and carbon dioxide for a dense carpet. Growth is quick once it settles, and the runners close the gaps by themselves.
Placement
The front of the tank as a lawn. Plant small rosettes a couple of centimetres apart and let the runners work.
Propagation
By runners: young rosettes appear beside the parent and can be separated or simply left to spread.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 1004 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.
Swordtail GuppiesCobra GuppyBlood Red MollyButterflyfishRed Zebra CichlidJulii CorydorasRed-finned ParotocinclusGastromyzon monticolaEgg-shaped GoldfishFlame TetraGardner's KillifishAfrican TetraKenyi CichlidCuckoo CatfishGolden SwordtailHypsolebias picturatusCommon ZaccoLabeo BicolorGambusiaFlying barbGastromyzon scitulusAlbino Zebra DanioGeophagus BrokopondoZebra Mbuna
Will eat this plant
These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.
Bengal LoachZebra LoachBurmese Border LoachEmperor BotiaMarbled HeadstanderPellegrin's LeporinusLeporinus striatusFalse Black TetraCommon MetynnisMylossoma duriventreRed Whiptail CatfishMolly sphenopsBalloon MollyLyretail MollyMarble MollyHi-Fin PlatyHawaii PlatyBlue PlatyPintail PlatyBlack PlatyChocolate MollyMoonlight GouramiMelanotaenia parva
Will uproot it
These species dig through the substrate and pull rooted plants out.
Marble LoachPeacock EelForktail LoachGuntea LoachLong-nosed LoachHorseface LoachPearlscaleBlack Moor GoldfishShubunkinPainted PlecoFeatherfin SynodontisReddish Mystus CatfishBlue AcaraAulonocara maylandiAulonocara multicolorAulonocara OrchidGeophagus altifronsGeophagus winemilleriPearlscale CichlidPearl CichlidRedbelly CichlidRed-spotted CichlidChuco godmanniHaplochromis philanderRed ChromideJack Dempsey cichlid
Cultivars
The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.
Other varieties: Ranalisma rostratum, Ranalisma rostratum in Vitro XL, Ranalisma Rostratum