Rotala Singapore
Rotala sp. 'Singapore'
A fine-leaved bushy rotala with soft pink-orange tips.
| Care Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Lighting | Medium to High |
| CO2 Requirement | Recommended |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Placement | Background |
Overview
Rotala 'Singapore', sold across Australia as Singaporean Rotala, Rotala Pink or Rotala sp. 'Pink', is a stem plant grown for the soft pink to salmon colouration of its upper leaves. It is a cultivated form associated with Rotala rotundifolia, and the naming confusion around it is worth addressing directly, because it is the reason most people arrive at a page like this one.
Rotala naming: what you are actually buying
Several visually similar rotalas circulate under overlapping names, and Australian retailers are not consistent:
| Trade name | Likely identity | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|
| Rotala Singapore / Singaporean Rotala Pink | Rotala rotundifolia cultivar | Soft pink to salmon new growth, narrower leaves than standard rotundifolia |
| Rotala H'ra | Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra' | Orange-red tips, narrower leaf, more compact under high light |
| Rotala Blood Red | Rotala rotundifolia 'Blood Red' | Deep red throughout the stem, not just the tips; the most demanding of the group |
| Rotala Sunset | Rotala rotundifolia cultivar | Yellow-orange tones rather than pink or red |
| Rotala Green | Rotala rotundifolia standard form | Stays green; the most forgiving of the group |
All share essentially the same care requirements. What separates them is how much light, CO2 and nitrate limitation each needs to express its colour. If you buy 'Singapore' and grow it in low light without CO2, you will get a perfectly healthy green plant and wonder what you paid for.
Lighting
Medium to high. Colour in this plant is a stress response to intense light, so pink tones only appear when the tops are receiving strong illumination. Under low light it grows tall, leggy and green. Expect to need a decent planted-tank fixture rather than a general aquarium light, and expect the colour to concentrate in the top few centimetres nearest the surface.
CO2 and fertilisation
CO2 injection is not strictly required but makes a substantial difference to both growth form and colour. Without it, growth is slower and the plant tends towards green with only a hint of pink at the tips.
Counter-intuitively, limiting nitrate intensifies the pink. Keeping nitrate around 5-10 ppm while maintaining adequate iron and micronutrients produces the strongest colour. Push nitrate to 20-30 ppm and the plant grows faster and greener. Dose iron regularly - it is the micronutrient most closely tied to colour expression in this group.
Planting and trimming
Plant individual stems 2-3 cm apart rather than in the retail bunch, which rots at the base if left banded. Remove any lead weight and rubber band before planting.
Trim frequently. Cutting the tops and replanting them produces a denser, more compact stand than allowing stems to grow tall, and repeated trimming is how the classic dense pink bush is achieved. Each cut stem branches into two or three, so a group thickens quickly over a few trim cycles. Discard the older lower sections once you have replanted the tops - they rarely regain good colour.
Placement in the aquascape
Midground to background. In a nano tank it works as a background plant; in a larger scape it suits the mid-level where its colour contrasts against green stems behind it. It responds well to being grouped in a single mass rather than scattered.
Common problems
All green, no pink. Light too low, or nitrate too high. Address light first.
Leggy stems with wide gaps between leaf nodes. Insufficient light. The plant is stretching towards the surface.
Lower leaves yellowing and dropping. Usually shading from the plant's own upper growth, sometimes a nitrogen or magnesium shortfall. Trim and replant the tops.
Melting after planting. Normal for the first two to three weeks if the plant was grown emersed. New submersed growth will look different from what you bought.
Availability in Australia
Widely sold in Australian aquascaping shops and through online plant retailers, usually as potted or bunched stems and occasionally in tissue culture. Local society auctions and plant swaps are typically the cheapest source. Quarantine and dip any bunched stems before adding them to an established tank.