Pearl Rotala

Pearl Rotala is a compact stem plant sold under the trade name Rotala sp. 'Pearl'. Next to ordinary macrandra the plant is compact, staying near 15 cm, which is why it is used in the midground and in nano tanks rather than as a background stem.

Provide strong light and added carbon dioxide at 20 to 40 mg/l. Care is rated medium in difficulty. The optimum is 24 to 28 °C within a tolerance of 18 to 30, pH runs from 4.5 to 7, and carbonate hardness from 0 to 12 dKH, so soft, acidic water suits it and hard alkaline water does not.

Cuttings are the way to increase it. Trim the tops, replant them, and the remaining stems branch below the cut, which is also how the dense low bush the plant is grown for is built. It grows emersed as well, and nursery plants often arrive in that form.