Leaf colourgreen, red, pink or purple
Native range
- Assam
- East Himalaya
- India
stem plant red accent background midground Dutch street nano tank foreground Conservation status: LC
A narrow-leaved green form of the giant red rotala: the leaves are elongated, narrower and longer than in the similar Rotala rotundifolia, and sit strictly in pairs. It grows fast and adapts easily to underwater life.
- Light
- high
- Difficulty
- difficult
- Height
- 30 – 40 cm
- Temperature
- 18 – 30 °C
Parameters
Plant typestem plant
Growth ratefast
CO₂ demandhigh
Tolerates lightmedium – high
pH4 – 7
Carbonate hardness0 – 12 °dKH
General hardness0 – 30 °dGH
Placementred accent, background +4
Propagationcuttings
Grows emersedyes
Appearance
The leaves are elongated, narrower and longer than in the similar Rotala rotundifolia, and sit strictly in pairs (in R. rotundifolia, in groups of 2–3). Above water it closely resembles Rotala rotundifolia. Under strong light the stems redden, and the leaves right at the surface turn slightly yellow. Height around 30–40 cm.
Keeping
Like all macrandras, it needs CO₂ and medium to strong light, but it generally settles in more easily than the red forms; opinions on its difficulty differ — some call it difficult, others medium. Growth fast, CO₂ 20–40 mg/l, temperature 24–28 °C.
Fish and this plant
Water conditions match
The water suits 841 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.
ButterflyfishJulii CorydorasRed-finned ParotocinclusGastromyzon monticolaEgg-shaped GoldfishFlame TetraGardner's KillifishAfrican TetraHypsolebias picturatusCommon ZaccoLabeo BicolorGambusiaFlying barbGastromyzon scitulusAlbino Zebra DanioGeophagus BrokopondoHomaloptera bilineataRed-tailed RasboraBoraras naevusLampeye KillifishSpotted Raphael CatfishCorydoras melanotaeniaFestivum cichlidPseudomugil paskai
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 CatfishMoonlight 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 AcaraGeophagus altifronsGeophagus winemilleriPearl CichlidRed-spotted CichlidHaplochromis philanderRed ChromideJack Dempsey cichlid