About the species

Rotala 'H'ra' has unusually narrow leaves and an overhanging, almost creeping habit. It is probably a form of Rotala rotundifolia and closely resembles the variety 'Green', but the colour is another matter: with strong light, good fertilisation and CO₂ it turns a warm, saturated orange. Under those conditions it creeps almost entirely along the substrate.

Facts

• Latin name: Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra'
• Plant type: Stem plant
• Origin: Asia
• Height: 3–20 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Midground

Light requirement

Medium light requirement. Reckon on around 0.5 W per litre or a modern mid-range LED unit. Too little light gives sparse, stretched shoots and pale leaves, while the right amount keeps the plant compact and richly coloured.

CO₂ & nutrition

Added CO₂ is recommended — Tropica reckons 6–14 mg/l as a medium requirement. The plant can be grown without, but then grows more slowly and loses some of its colour. Supplement with liquid fertiliser weekly and keep iron and potassium levels up.

Planting

Split the bunch and set the stems one by one, about two centimetres into the substrate and two to three centimetres apart. Removing the lowest leaves first stops them rotting in the substrate. A group of five to ten stems looks far better straight away than single plants.

Rinse all the gel off in lukewarm water before planting, otherwise it can cause bacterial cloudiness. The cup holds many small plants — divide them up and plant them in several portions.

Care & propagation

Top the plant when it reaches the height you want and replant the cuttings — that propagates it and gives a denser group at the same time. Trim regularly so light reaches the lower leaves, and discard the old lower sections once they start thinning out.

Position in the aquarium

Its height makes it a classic midground plant. It works nicely as the transition between low foreground plants and tall background plants, and looks best in a group or around a piece of wood.

Difficulty level

🟡 Moderate — wants stable lighting and regular fertilisation to look its best.

Delivery format

Delivered as 1-2-Grow! — a laboratory-grown cup holding many small plants in nutrient gel. Because the plant is cultivated in vitro it is completely free of snails, algae, planaria and pesticides, which makes it the safest choice for a shrimp aquarium.

Recommendation

That unusual orange tone makes it an aquascaper's favourite, either as a low cushion in the midground or as an orange carpet at the very front. If you want it creeping you need strong light — otherwise it grows upright like any other stem plant.