TankBud

Rotala pusilla

Rotala mexicana

Also known as Rotala mexicana 'Goias', Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia', Rotala sp. 'Goias', Mexican Rotala

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Rotala pusilla (Rotala mexicana)
Nativeplants garden · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Midground
Type
Stem
pH
4.5–7.0
Hardness
0–7 dGH
Spread
1.2 in (3 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Pantropical (South America, West Africa, Australia, Japan)

Overview

Rotala pusilla is a small red stem plant with fine, needle-like leaves. It is a difficult, all-or-nothing plant.

Did you know

Rotala pusilla trades under several names, including pusilla, mexicana and the 'Araguaia' and 'Goias' forms. They are all one botanical species, so the same tank of plants could honestly carry any of those labels.

Caring for Rotala pusilla

Plant Rotala pusilla in dense groups in the midground, or use it in a nano tank. It is not a plant for a low-tech tank.

It needs strong light, steady injected CO2 and full nutrient dosing in soft, acidic water. Root tabs and a liquid fertilizer cover both its roots and its leaves. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 4.5 to 7.

With all of that in place it grows fast and reddens. Any shortfall shows up as blackening and stunting. Trim it and replant the tops to spread it.

Good to know

Rotala pusilla Tul. is treated as a synonym of Rotala mexicana Cham. & Schltdl. by Kew POWO, World Flora Online and aquarium databases. It belongs to the family Lythraceae. Its very wide natural range has led to it being described again and again under different names.

In the wild

Rotala pusilla is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical South America, western Africa, Australia and Japan. It grows on seasonally wet ground, in paddies and along pond margins. It is a small annual marsh herb that grows both emersed and submersed.

Common questions

Does Rotala pusilla need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.

Does Rotala pusilla need CO2?

Yes. Rotala pusilla needs injected CO2 to grow well, and it usually struggles without it.

How much light does Rotala pusilla need?

Rotala pusilla needs high light from a strong planted-tank LED. In weaker light its stems stretch and drop their lower leaves.

Does Rotala pusilla need root tabs?

They help. Rotala pusilla takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Rotala pusilla?

Rotala pusilla propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.

How tall does Rotala pusilla grow?

Rotala pusilla grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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