TankBud

Rotala wallichii

Also known as Whorly Rotala, Whorled Rotala, Mayaca-like Rotala

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Rotala wallichii (Rotala wallichii)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
CO₂ required
Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–6.9
Hardness
4–12 dGH
Spread
1.6 in (4 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Difficult
Family
Lythraceae
Origin
Tropical Southeast Asia (slow-moving streams, ponds and ricefields)

Overview

This is a demanding background stem that needs high light, pressurized CO2 around 25 to 30 ppm, and stable, soft, slightly acidic water to hold its feathery pink form. It punishes neglect quickly: low light, swinging CO2, or poor ferts cause the lower stem to drop its needles and rot, leaving bare legs. Keep nitrate moderate and iron and micros steady for the best colour, plant stems individually with a few millimetres between them, and propagate from healthy side shoots and tops rather than fighting failing old stems. Not a plant for a low-tech tank.

In the wild

Native to tropical Southeast Asia, where it grows in slow-moving streams, ponds, and seasonally flooded ricefields in soft, slightly acidic water. It is found both emersed on wet ground and submersed, and the submersed form produces the fine whorled needle leaves prized in the hobby. It favours warm, mineral-poor water typical of its lowland tropical range.

Good to know

A stem plant in the family Lythraceae with leaves arranged in dense whorls around the stem, giving it a feathery, bottlebrush look unlike most broad-leaved Rotala. Submersed foliage is thread-fine and flushes pink to red at the tips under strong light, while emersed growth is coarser and greener. The whorled phyllotaxy and needle leaves make it superficially resemble Mayaca, though the two are unrelated.

Did you know

Did you know its delicate pink needle-whorls are basically a stress signal made beautiful? The fine submersed leaves only develop fully underwater, and the red-pink tips appear when intense light forces the plant to build protective pigments over its chlorophyll.

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