Rotala wallichii

Also sold as Walichii · Wallichii

Synonyms Whorly rotala · Rotala wallichi

Rotala wallichii is a stem plant for the background, growing to about 30 cm (11.8 in) at a fast pace. It wants 72–82°F (22–28°C), medium light and pressurised CO₂, and counts as an advanced plant to keep alive.

At a glance

Type	Stem plant
Light	MediumThe least light it survives in, not the light it looks best in.
CO₂	RequiredWhether it survives without added CO₂ — not whether CO₂ would help it grow faster.
Difficulty	Advanced
Temperature	72–82°F (22–28°C)
Max height	30 cm (11.8 in)Grown submersed, left to mature, never trimmed.
Growth rate	Fast
Placement	planted in the background
pH	5–7

Before it goes in

Rotala wallichii needs medium light. Under a low-light LED it thins out instead of filling in.
Pressurised CO₂ is required — without injection it melts away rather than settling in.
In too little light it stretches: long bare stems between leaves instead of a bushy plant.
It only colours up under strong light with CO₂; in a low-tech tank it stays green.
At about 30 cm (11.8 in) it belongs behind everything shorter — planted at the front it hides the rest of the scape and shades it.
Its leaves are medium: Goldfish, Electric Yellow Lab and Colombian Ramshorn Snail will eat it.
It counts as an advanced plant: it is not a first-tank pick.

Can it grow without CO₂?

No. Rotala wallichii needs pressurised CO₂; without it, it melts back rather than settling in.

How much light does it need?

Medium light — and that is the survival line, not the “it looks better” line. Below it, this one stretches instead of spreading. Colour is a separate question: it only turns red under strong light with CO₂.

How big does it get?

About 30 cm (11.8 in) tall when it is mature and untrimmed, growing fast, after roughly 2 weeks to root in.

Will my fish eat it?

Its leaves are medium, so some will: Goldfish, Electric Yellow Lab and Colombian Ramshorn Snail.

What it goes with

Plants that run on the same light and CO₂, so they can share a tank without one of them being the odd one out: Water Sprite, Anubias nana 'Petite', Cryptocoryne wendtii and Dwarf Hairgrass Mini.
Animals that share its temperature range and will not eat or uproot it: Betta, Cherry Shrimp, Angelfish and Bristlenose Pleco.

Often compared with

	Rotala wallichii	Rotala 'Florida Sunset'	Rotala mexicana
Light	Medium	Medium	Medium
CO₂	Required	Recommended	Required
Max height	30 cm	30 cm	30 cm
Difficulty	Advanced	Medium	Medium

More plants

Plan a tank with Rotala wallichii →

Sources (4) · checked Sep 2026