Rotala rotundifolia: How I Keep This Stem Plant Bushy and Healthy

Rotala is one of those plants that quietly transforms a tank.

It can be soft green, blushing orange, or deep red depending on light and nutrients. It fills the background, hides equipment, and gives shrimp and small fish a safe forest to explore.

In this post, I’ll share how I personally keep Rotala rotundifolia bushy and healthy in a simple, practical way – using normal tap water and equipment that most hobbyists in Indonesia/Malaysia can get from Tokopedia, Shopee, or local shops.

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Meet Rotala rotundifolia

There are many Rotala species, but Rotala rotundifolia is one of the most forgiving for everyday aquariums:

• Type: Fast-growing stem plant

• Placement: Midground to background, usually as a bush or “hedge”

• Color: Green under low–medium light, pink to red under stronger light and good nutrients

• Speed: Medium to fast growth when settled

• Difficulty: Easy–medium

What I like most: it’s flexible.
You can grow it in a “normal” community tank with shrimp and beginner fish, and it still looks nice even if it doesn’t become bright red.

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Basic Requirements (In My Usual Tap Water)

You don’t need RO water to grow Rotala. My own setup uses regular tap water that’s treated with conditioner.

Tank size & placement

• Works from around 40–60 cm length and above.

• Best placed at the back or sides of the tank so it can grow tall without blocking the front view.

Water parameters (approximate range)

These are ranges that usually work well:

• Temperature: 23–28°C

• pH: 6.2–7.4 (a slightly acidic to neutral range is ideal)

• GH (general hardness): around 4–10 dGH

• KH (carbonate hardness): around 2–6 dKH

If your tap water is somewhere in these ranges, Rotala normally adapts well after the first few weeks.

Most of my planted tanks still rely on treated tap water; I just adjust it gently instead of chasing perfect numbers. I explained how I soften and balance tap water using leaves and humic substances in this guide.

Lighting

Rotala can survive in lower light, but it shows its real beauty with good lighting:

• Low–medium light: mostly green, slower growth, softer look.

• Medium–high light: faster growth, more compact, tips can turn orange or red.

I try to aim for stable lighting duration (for example, 7–8 hours per day) instead of constantly changing the timer. Stability matters more than chasing maximum brightness.

CO₂ and fertilizer

• Rotala can grow without pressurized CO₂, but:

  • Growth will be slower.

  • Colors usually stay more green.

• With CO₂ injection, stems can be:

  • More compact

  • More colorful

  • Easier to shape into a dense bush

For nutrients, I keep it simple:

• Rooted in substrate (aquasoil or nutrient-rich soil)

• Gentle liquid fertilizer 1–2 times per week (especially potassium and trace elements)

• Always watching livestock (especially shrimp) for stress – if they react badly, I reduce dosing.

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How I Prepare and Plant Rotala

When I buy Rotala from a shop, it usually comes either in pots with rockwool or bundled stems.

1. Cleaning and trimming

• Remove all rockwool carefully from the roots.

• Trim the bottom part of the stem a little to get a fresh cut.

• Remove any damaged or melting leaves, especially at the bottom.

Sometimes the Rotala comes from emersed form (grown above water). The leaves may look slightly different from underwater form. It’s normal if some of those old leaves melt later – new submerged leaves will grow.

2. Planting in small groups

I don’t plant one big thick bunch. Instead, I:

• Take 2–3 stems and treat them as one small group.

• Use tweezers to plant each group into the substrate.

• Leave a bit of space between each group – around 2–3 cm.

If you use a deep substrate layout, Rotala works nicely in the middle or back row, creating a soft background behind heavier root feeders and hardscape.

That small spacing helps:

• Light reach the lower parts

• Water flow move between stems

• The whole group become bushy instead of one tangled clump

3. Letting it settle

The first 1–2 weeks are mostly about adaptation:

• I try not to trim too aggressively.

• I focus on stable light, stable water change routine, and not changing too many things at once.

Once I see new growth on the tips and small side shoots forming, I know the plant has accepted my tank conditions.

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How I Keep Rotala Bushy (Trimming Routine)

Rotala is a stem plant, so trimming is key.

If you never trim it, you’ll get:

• Tall, thin stems

• Bare bottoms with leaves only at the top

• A “leggy” look that doesn’t feel full

Here’s what I usually do.

1. Topping the stems

When the stems reach near the water surface or the height I want:

• I cut the top part off with scissors.

• The cut is usually at the height where I want the bush to stay.

From that cut point, side shoots will appear, making the plant look fuller and more rounded over time.

2. Replanting the tops (optional)

If I want a denser group:

• I keep the healthy tops I just cut.

• I remove a few low leaves near the cut side.

• I replant the tops in the gaps between existing stems.

Over a few rounds of trimming and replanting, a few original stems can turn into a thick, soft-looking bush.

3. Trimming frequency

How often I trim depends on light and CO₂:

• No CO₂, medium light → maybe every 2–4 weeks.

• With CO₂ and stronger light → sometimes every 1–2 weeks.

I prefer to trim a little but regularly, instead of letting it overgrow and then doing one “massive” haircut that shocks the tank.

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Color and Growth Tips (Without Stressing Shrimp)

Many people want Rotala to be red, but pushing too hard for color can stress shrimp and fish.

This is how I balance things.

If you don’t use CO₂

• Accept that the plant will be mostly green with maybe a light orange tint at the tops.

• Focus on:

  • Stable light (no frequent changes in brightness or duration).

  • Regular water changes.

  • A gentle liquid fertilizer dose once or twice a week.

I like to ensure the plant gets:

• Enough potassium (K) to avoid pinholes in leaves.

• A small amount of iron (Fe) and trace elements to support healthy color and new growth.

For nutrients, I follow the same gentle style I use in my iron (Fe) and potassium (K) guide for shrimp aquascapes: small doses, slow changes, and always watching the animals first. That way Rotala can color up without turning the tank into a chemistry experiment.

If you use CO₂

• Aim for consistent CO₂ during the light period, not “sometimes on, sometimes off”.

• Combine:

  • Medium–high light

  • CO₂

  • Balanced macro + micro fertilizer

This can bring:

• More compact nodes (shorter distance between leaves)

• More intense color on the upper parts of the plant

But I still avoid chasing extreme red. For me, a stable tank with soft orange–red tones is better than a stressed tank with very red but unhealthy plants and livestock.

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Common Problems I Watch For

1. Pale, thin stems

Possible causes:

• Not enough light

• Lack of nutrients (especially nitrogen, potassium, or trace elements)

What I do:

• Check if the light is strong enough for the tank size.

• Slowly increase fertilizer dose – very gradually, while watching shrimp and fish.

• Make sure I’m not skipping water changes for too long.

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2. Leaves melting after planting

This often happens when Rotala is changing from emersed to submerged.

Signs:

• Old leaves turn transparent or fall off

• New growth looks different (smaller, more compact)

What I do:

• Remove the worst leaves so they don’t rot in the tank.

• Leave the stems if they still have green tips.

• Give it time – as long as the tip is alive, the plant usually recovers.

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3. Algae on the tips

Possible causes:

• Too much light for the current nutrient/CO₂ level

• Unstable CO₂

• Irregular maintenance

What I do:

• Shorten the light duration a little (for example, from 8 hours to 7).

• Improve consistency: same CO₂ timing, regular water changes.

• Manually trim the worst affected tips.

I’d rather slightly under-light the tank than over-light it and fight algae nonstop.

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4. Bare bottoms, leaves only at the top

This is very common with stem plants.

Why it happens:

• The top part shades the lower parts.

• Old leaves near the substrate receive less light and slowly drop.

What I do:

• Trim the stems shorter and allow side shoots to form.

• Replant some tops to fill the empty spaces.

• Avoid letting Rotala hit the water surface and bend too long before trimming.

Over time, regular topping and replanting naturally solves the “bare bottom” problem.

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Is Rotala a Good Fit for Your Tank?

Rotala rotundifolia is a nice choice if:

• You want a soft, bushy background that can be shaped.

• You keep shrimp and peaceful fish – they love hiding in the stems.

• You’re okay with some trimming every few weeks.

Dense Rotala stems also collect a lot of natural biofilm, which shrimp love to graze on. I wrote more about how biofilm forms and why it matters for shrimp in a separate post.

It might not be ideal if:

• You want a tank that you almost never touch (Rotala does need trimming).

• Your lighting is extremely weak and you don’t plan to adjust it at all.

But for most planted tank setups – especially small to medium community tanks – Rotala is a friendly, flexible stem plant that teaches you a lot about trimming, shaping, and balance.

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Quick Care Summary

• Placement: Background or sides

• Light: Medium for green, higher for orange/red

• CO₂: Optional but helpful

• Water: Tap water is fine if parameters are reasonable and stable

• Fertilizer: Gentle, regular dosing (especially K and traces)

• Trimming: Top regularly, replant tops for a dense bush

• Watch out for: Bare bottoms, algae on tips, melting during adaptation

With patience and a bit of scissors work, Rotala can become one of the main “textures” in your aquascape – soft, flowing, and full of life.