Rotala rotundifolia 'Green'
Rotala Rotundifolia 'green'
Scientific Name: Rotala sp. 'green'
Common Name: Roundleaf Toothcup, Dwarf Rotala
One of the most popular stem plants for blackwater, biotope, and botanical method aquariums. This plant displays dense lime-green leaves, preferring low to medium levels of tint in the water. Unlike its harder-to-keep red-toned varients, this variety stays green even under high light, making it ideal for creating contrast with the tinted water.
It thrives with medium to high light and benefits from CO₂ and nutrient dosing, but it's forgiving enough for low-tech setups. We recommend supplementing the substrate with root tabs if you are using inert sand and dosing the water column occasionally with a low-dose broad-spectrum fertilizer. With regular trimming, Rotala Green grows thick and compact, allowing you to shape it into beautiful, lush clusters.
Caring for Rotala Rotundifolia 'green' in Blackwater Aquariums
Care Level: Easy
Light: Low to High
CO2: Not needed, but will speed up growth
Propagation: Replanting cuttings
Growth Rate: Medium to Fast
Tint Tolerance: Low to High, but keep in mind that high tint levels slow down plant growth due to reduced light penetration in the water column
Native Habitat: Southeast Asia, with introduced populations in North America (Everglades for example).
All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our tanks for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided by H2OPlants in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical & merch orders.
Rotala rotundifolia 'Green'
contrast the tint with greenery
While the aesthetic appeal of tinted waters can be quite attractive to us, the recreation of nature—which includes both submerged and emersed plants—is the end goal. Flora helps to improve water conditions, feeding patterns, spawning displays, and territory building.
Aquatic Plant FAQs
DOA Policy
Please ensure that you add a heat pack or cold pack to your orders if temperatures in your area are above 90°F or below 40°F. Click for more info on our DOA Policy.
Are these plants duckweed and snail free?
All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs, small macroinvertebrates, and duckweed. We keep them in all of our tanks for the benefits they provide. We have experienced the presence of small snails, ostracods, daphnia, and beneficial detritus worms.
Are your plants only for tinted water conditions?
Nope! All of our plants will grow perfectly in untinted aquariums that have CO2 and aquasoils, or low-tech planted aquariums. Our selection, though, is optimized for emersed plant growth and low- to medium-tinted water environments.
What is your aquatic plant shipping schedule?
We’re a small company and ship Tuesdays & Thursdays only. Orders placed Wednesday–Sunday → Ship Tuesday. Orders placed Monday–Tuesday → Ship Thursday
Are your plants just for bettas?
Nope. Our aquatic plants are safe for almost all aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, and paludariums. Many of our plants can be grown emersed in filter compartments, vivariums, or incorporated into wabikua.
What are Tannins?
Tannins are natural compounds released by leaves, seed pods, and bark as they decompose in water. They soften water, gently lower pH, and create the characteristic tea-stained tint found in blackwater habitats. But their role goes far beyond color—tannins fuel beneficial bacteria, fungi, and biofilms, which form the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. They also offer mild antifungal benefits and help reduce stress in fish by replicating the natural conditions they’ve evolved in. At their core, tannins are plant-derived antioxidants that connect your aquarium to the same processes at work in wild flooded forests and streams.