Rotala Florida Sunset

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Florida Sunset Rotala; Rotala ramosior 'Florida'

Synonyms

Rotala ramosior 'Florida'; Rotala Florida Sunset; Ammannia sp. 'Sulawesi'; Rotala sp. Habit

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

North America, South America (naturalised in Asia); cultivar origin uncertain

Habitat

Emersed on wetland mud flats and pond margins in the wild; grown fully submersed as an aquarium stem plant

Sourcing

Tissue culture

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Difficult

Growth form

Stem

Max height

2 – 16 in (5.1 – 41 cm)

Spread

2 in (5.1 cm)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Midground, Foreground

Water

Temperature

64 – 82 °F (18 – 28 °C)

pH

4.5 – 7.0

dKH

0 – 7 dKH

Flow

Moderate

Light

High

CO₂

Required

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich preferred

Feeds from

Both

Fertilizer needs

High

Colors

Orange, Pink, Red, Green

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Cuttings

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Care guide

Overview

Broad, rounded leaves climb straight central stems in a gradient of orange, pink, and ruby red when conditions are right. This tissue-cultured Lythraceae stem plant demands pressurized CO2, strong light, soft acidic water, and steady fertilization, growing slowly and resenting hard pruning. Best suited to an established high-tech planted tank rather than a beginner setup.

Care

This is a demanding stem plant best kept in a mature, high-tech planted tank rather than attempted as a first Rotala. It wants soft, slightly acidic water, strong light, and pressurized CO2 held steady around 25-40 mg/l, plus consistent dosing of macro and micronutrients including iron. Growth is slow even under good conditions, so patience is needed before a full group fills in, and newly introduced tissue-cultured plantlets should go into an already cycled tank rather than a fresh setup.

Planting & trimming

Plant stems individually into the substrate with a bit of spacing so light reaches lower leaves, keeping the group no taller than about 8 inches to preserve the color contrast. Because it dislikes hard cutting, let stems grow undisturbed for a while and take terminal cuttings higher up rather than shearing the whole group back. Once cut low enough to leave a vital stump, side shoots will eventually form and can be harvested for further propagation.

Fertilizing

Dose a complete liquid fertilizer regularly to supply nitrate, phosphate, potassium and trace iron, since this cultivar is a heavy user of both macro and micronutrients. Root tabs pushed into a nutrient-rich substrate give an additional boost and help newly planted stems settle in. Pale or stalled leaves usually point to a nutrient shortfall rather than disease, so check dosing before assuming a problem with the plant itself.

Propagation

Propagated exclusively by cuttings taken from healthy terminal growth and replanted directly into the substrate. Propagation rate is naturally low since the plant resents heavy pruning, so cuttings should be taken selectively and stumps left long enough to recover and throw side shoots before being cut again.

Problems

Slow growth means algae readily colonizes leaves that sit under strong light without matching nutrients and CO2, so keeping dosing and flow consistent is more important than for faster-growing stems. The plant does not tolerate hard cutting well; stumps trimmed too short often die back instead of branching. Some lower leaf loss after planting is normal while the stems adjust to submersed conditions, and dead leaves should be removed promptly to avoid fouling the substrate.

Sources

1. Rotala ramosior "Sunset" | Aquasabi - Aquascaping Shop
2. Rotala ramosior "Sunset" - Flowgrow Aquatic Plant Database
3. Rotala Sunset care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud

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