TCulture Rotala Rotundifolia (Pot/TC Cup)

Description

Common names
Dwarf Rotala, Roundleaf toothcup

Misapplied names
Rotala indica

Complete botanical name

Rotála rotundifólia (Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb.) Koehne

Family
Lythraceae

Genus
Rotala

Difficulty
easy

Colour
dark green

Texture
feinfiedrig

Usage
Background, Midground

Aquascaping
fine-leaved, forms a grass-like lawn

Height
20 – 80cm

Width
2 – 4cm

Growth
fast

pH value
4 – 8

Temperature tolerance
4 – 32°C

Carbonate hardness
0 – 21°dKH

General hardness
2 – 30°dGH

Propagation
Cuttings

Can grow emersed?
yes

Source
Flowgrow

Growing Rotala Rotundifolia in Singapore tanks

Rotala rotundifolia is one of the most forgiving background stems we stock, which is why we point beginners toward it first. In our experience it adapts readily to Singapore’s soft, slightly acidic chloraminated tap water once dechlorinated, and it tolerates the wide pH range printed on the label without sulking. Bright light and CO2 turn the upper leaves coppery-orange; under modest light it stays a calm green, still dense enough to mask filter pipes and back-glass.

Because it grows fast in our warm 27-29C rooms, expect to top-trim every one to two weeks. Cut the stems, replant the healthier tops, and the lower portions branch out into the bushy thicket aquascapers prize. We supply this as a tissue-culture cup or potted plant, both pest-free, so it drops straight into a freshly scaped layout without quarantine for snails or algae spores hitchhiking from a shared tank.

Browse the rest of our background plants to pair it with taller species, and read our Rotala rotundifolia guide plus how to grow it bushy before your first big trim.