Plant · Stem

Rotala rotundifolia

Rotala rotundifolia · Southeast Asia · also Dwarf rotala, Roundleaf toothcup, Rotala indica (trade name)

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Plant stems in a group and trim the tops often so it stays bushy; the lower leaves drop if they get no light. It stays green in low light but needs brighter light, and CO2 helps, to turn pink or red.

At a glance

Light

Medium light

CO₂

CO₂ helps

Growth

Steady growth

Where it goes

Back

Temperature

22–28°C

5–8

Height in a tank

15–30 cm 6–12 in

Difficulty

Easy

What it does for your tank

A soft, bushy background that small fish and shrimp love to weave through.

Fish that eat or uproot it

Goldfish, silver dollars and plant-eating cichlids will mow it down; most community fish leave it alone.

Growing more

Cut off the top few centimetres of a stem and plant it; the old stem branches too.

Rotala rotundifolia

Plant · StemEasy

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Steady growth
Back
22–28°C

A soft, bushy background that small fish and shrimp love to weave through.

Rotala rotundifolia

Southeast Asia

Temperature: 22–28°C
pH: 5–8
Height: 6–12 in · 15–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Medium
Goes: Back
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Cut off the top few centimetres of a stem and plant it; the old stem branches too.

Goldfish, silver dollars and plant-eating cichlids will mow it down; most community fish leave it alone.

Full care guide

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sources

The care values on this page come from these sources.

Grows well with

Same light and temperature, but a different spot in the tank, so they fill it out together.

African water fern

Plant · RhizomeSome care

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
On wood, rock
22–26°C

Dark, see-through fronds give cover and suit river-style tanks.

African water fern

Bolbitis heudelotii

Tropical Africa

Temperature: 22–26°C
pH: 6–7
Height: 6–16 in · 15–40 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Some care

More plants. Split the creeping rhizome.

Almost nothing eats its tough fronds; plecos and cichlids usually leave it alone.

Full care guide

Photo: Tsunamicarlos, Public domain

Bacopa caroliniana

Plant · StemEasy

Medium light
No CO₂
Slow growth
Middle
20–26°C

A tidy, upright plant that rarely needs trimming and gives mid-water fish cover.

Bacopa caroliniana

Southeastern United States

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 5–7.5
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Slow
Goes: Middle
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Cut a side shoot or the top of a stem and plant it.

Goldfish and plant-eating cichlids may nibble it; most fish leave its thick leaves alone.

Full care guide

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Banana plant

Plant · LilyEasy

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
Front
20–26°C

An unusual, eye-catching plant that gives some shade under its round leaves.

Banana plant

Nymphoides aquatica

Southeastern United States

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 6.5–7.2
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: Front
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Grows new plants from runners, or split the root cluster.

Goldfish, silver dollars and snails may eat the leaves and the bananas.

Full care guide

Photo: Show_ryu, Public domain

Christmas moss

Plant · MossSome care

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
On wood, rock
20–28°C

A neat, tree-shaped moss that fry and shrimp hide and graze in.

Christmas moss

Vesicularia montagnei

Asia and Australia

Temperature: 20–28°C
pH: 5–7
Height: 0.4–1.2 in · 1–3 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Some care

More plants. Cut off a piece and tie it onto wood or rock.

Rarely eaten, though goldfish and big fish may pick at it.

Full care guide

Photo: Storm from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0

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