Rotala Indica
Rotala indica
Lythraceae
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About
True Rotala indica is not the plant most shops sell under that name. Since the 1960s the pink-stemmed Rotala rotundifolia has been traded as 'indica', while the genuine species circulated for years under the nursery label Ammannia sp. 'Bonsai'. The real thing is a compact, strictly upright stem plant from Asian rice paddies, with small spoon-shaped leaves packed tightly along an unbranched stem and a distinctive pale, cartilaginous leaf margin. Under strong light and injected CO2 the shoot tips flush copper-red and it forms an unusually dense midground bush.
Care
Give it strong light, injected CO2 and soft, slightly acidic water, then top the stems and replant the cuttings to keep the group dense. In dim, CO2-free tanks it survives but stretches and stays plain green.
Diet
Takes nutrients through both leaves and roots; it responds strongly to a full water-column dosing routine, and iron in particular drives the red colouring in the shoot tips.
Frequently asked questions
- What water parameters does a Rotala Indica need?
- Rotala Indica does best at 18–30 °C (64.4–86 °F), pH 5–7 and a general hardness of 0–30 °dGH.
- Where should Rotala Indica be placed in the aquarium?
- Rotala Indica works best in the midground and reaches around 30 cm.
- Is the Rotala Indica suitable for beginners?
- Rotala Indica sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.