Rotala Green on the Surface:

Rotala Green (Rotala rotundifolia 'Green'), also called roundleaf toothcup, is an easy-to-grow, fast-growing stem plant to assist in excess nutrient absorption in the Botanical Method Aquarium. The species is native to marshes, swamps, and shallow ponds with a wide range of water parameters from India to Japan, and grows as a weed in rice fields throughout Asia. In the Botanical Method, blackwater, and biotope aquarium, its stems provide habitat and refuge for shrimp, betta fish, rasboras, and small tetras.

Essential Details

• Care Level: Easy
• Growth Habit: Fast, upright stem growth, can grow emergent out of the aquarium
• Light: Low to High
• CO2: Not Necessary
• Propagation: Trim tops and replant cuttings of at least 4 inches
• Tint Tolerance: Low to High
• Habitat Location: Marshes, swamps, shallow ponds, and rice fields of South and Southeast Asia, from India to Japan
• Shipping Restrictions: Not legal to ship to Louisiana
• Optimal For: Betta fish, shrimp, rasboras, and small tetras in blackwater and biotope aquariums
• Use with Caution: Rinse before introducing; may carry beneficial hitchhiking snails, snail eggs, or duckweed
• Size Range: Stems grow to many heights, optimal light ensures bushy growth from the substrate to the tip.
• Quantities: Sold as a bunch of 5-6 stems

Rotala Green for Planted Aquariums & Blackwater Biotopes

Rotala Green's paired leaves and closely spaced stems provide surface area for biofilm to form, providing a grazing resource for shrimp. A group of stems planted together can help fill in the water column, providing vertical hiding places and foraging opportunities within the aquarium. Betta fish, rasboras, and small tetras use this cover to rest and shelter.

The amount of tint in your aquarium will dictate how much light reaches the stems, and light intensity is important for influencing how fast Rotala Green grows. The plant tolerates low to high tint, with growth slowing as deeper tint filters more light from the water column. In a heavily tinted Botanical Method Aquarium, we like to plant it where the light is strongest and trim the tops regularly so light reaches the lower leaves.

Each trimmed top can be replanted as a new stem, rooting and branching from its nodes. In inert sand, root tabs placed beneath the stems provide the nutrients its roots take up. Thin the stand as it grows, compost the surplus trimmings, and never release aquarium plants into local waterways.

Beneath the Leaves: Rotala rotundifolia in the Wild

Rotala rotundifolia is native to South and Southeast Asia, from India to Japan, where it grows in marshes, swamps, and shallow ponds and as a weed of rice fields. Its leaves change shape with the water around it. Submersed stems carry narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Stems that reach above the surface carry small, round leaves and clusters of pink flowers.

Outside its native range, the plant spreads by seed and by floating stem fragments, and it has naturalized in South Florida drainage ditches. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rates it a high-risk species based on its effects on Florida waterways and flood control canals. Louisiana regulates the species, and we are unable to ship it to that state as a result.

Where a botanical contributes as it breaks down, an aquatic plant is living and contributes as it grows. So let them grow. Mother Nature leads the way.

Sustainability Note:

Please select a heat/cold pack if necessary. Check your local weather before ordering to avoid any shipment holds or cancellations. Rotala rotundifolia cannot legally be shipped to Louisiana; if included in an order to that state, it will be removed before shipment. All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our aquariums for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided in cooperation with PNW Bettas in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical, wood & merch orders.