# Luck with rotala in low light?



## Tiff (Dec 1, 2009)

Hi! Looking for tall background plants for my 29g tall that has 36"w of T5NO lighting. I already have crypt balansae and retrospiralis..thing of some type of hygro or rotala? Just not sure how rotala round. would work in that lighting. Thanks!


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## Superluminal (May 28, 2010)

Tiff said:


> Hi! Looking for tall background plants for my 29g tall that has 36"w of T5NO lighting. I already have crypt balansae and retrospiralis..thing of some type of hygro or rotala? Just not sure how rotala round. would work in that lighting. Thanks!


Rotala is a quirky plant. I've had it in my 29G with 35W T5 HO strips. From my experience, if you get the plant when it's already about half tank, it will do well. However, if it's in the lower part of the water column, the light is diluted enough where it can do poorly even if supplemented with nutrients. 

When I removed my Rotala, trimmed it down, and dropped it in my 10G with only 20W of 6700K light coming out of a desk lamp stand, it went nuts with no CO2. It grew lush and changed pigment to pink/red towards the top.

In conclusion, from my experience, Rotala loves the light. The more you have of it the better the plant will do. In a shorter tank; however, you will need to trim the plant at the roots every couple weeks.

Here is the Rotala when I first planted it in my 10G from the 29G after disappointing growth:










After less than a month:










You can see how red the plant has turned it had reached the water's surface a few days prior.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

36 watts of T5 means 2 T5NO bulbs, right? If so, you don't have low light, you probably have high medium light. If you have good CO2 and non limiting nutrients rotala should grow very well.


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## Tiff (Dec 1, 2009)

Thank you for the responses everyone! Yes, my bulbs are 38w of T5NO...I've actually always wondered what that would be considered?  I've always assumed low-medium"ish".

I really like the look of them! I've done so much trial n error with plants that I was hoping to get it right for the last time 

Thanks again!


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## gordonrichards (Jun 20, 2009)

It will grow fine, the worst thing that will happen, is that 50-60% of the stem will be green, and only the top half will turn tan/red


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## ridewake210 (Jan 12, 2007)

I grew it successfully in a 55g with 2 over driven T12 grow bulbs from wal-mart


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