Rotala Magenta

Common Name(s) - Giant red rotala, rotala magenta

Scientific name - Rotala macrandra (discussed is the v. "narrow leaf")

Family: Lythraceae

Geographic origin - India

Type (stem, bulb, rhizome, floating, etc.) - Stem

Max. size (height, width) - Up to 50cm, leaf length 1-2cm long, 3-5mm long, very similar to R. rotundifolia, though I have not experienced it growing to rotundifolia's height.

Lighting required - high to very high

Temperature - 25-30 degree C

Water chemistry requirements (pH, hardness) - This species is not as adaptable as R. rotundifolia and prefers softer water. Low nitrate levels will bring out deeper color.

Growth rates - medium. One of the slower growing stem plants.

Demands - Needs bright light to thrive, clean water, high nutrients. I highly recommend bright light, CO2 injection, and EI fertilization to maintain optimum growth. If these demands are met, it is a low-maintenance plant since it doesn't require the extensive pruning required by the faster-growing stem plants.

Additional info - This is a more delicate species of Rotala. The intense red color provides a lovely contrast, especially with green myriophylum and egeria najas, as I have in my tank. It grows at a much slower rate than your average stem plant and its stems tend to be very delicate. R. macrandra is propogated from cuttings. It is a great mid-ground plant that creates a very nice focal point. The bottom leaves are prone to decay from lack of light, so it is best to plant the stems individually or in very small groups, 2-3 stems maximum. It also tends to get algae on its leaves, so the tank must be very clean. Plants from mail order and online sources will arrive a bright, bright red, but unless your home aquarium lighting is extremely bright, the color will fade over time, though the color will remain quite reddish. I grow mine with 3.73 WPG, and though it did survive in my 10g at 2.8 while my 15g was undergoing a blackout, I would not recommend this plant for a low-light setup. One of my sources implied that low Nitrate levels bring out the red color, so I put that down, and my nitrate levels tend to be on the low end (despite dosing), so I am wondering if this is in fact the case with this species? My plants tend to stay pretty red, especially my newer specimens, but I am not sure if this is due to my nitrate levels or the fact that I also dose Iron. Here are a few pictures of this plant.