Pest identification
What's eating my rotala 'h'ra'?
Algae (black beard algae, hair algae)
Signs: Dark tufts on older leaves and stem nodes dull colour and weaken growth
Control: Stabilise CO2 above 20 ppm, shorten photoperiod if hair algae appears, spot-dose Excel on BBA, use Amano shrimp
Pest snails (bladder snails, ramshorn snails)
Signs: Holes and ragged edges in soft leaf tissue, particularly on young stems
Control: Add assassin snails or loaches, trap with blanched vegetables, and reduce overfeeding that sustains snail populations
Herbivorous fish (silver dollars, goldfish, Buenos Aires tetras)
Signs: Leaves and stems grazed; red colouration makes it visually attractive to browsing fish
Control: Pair only with plant-safe nano fish such as small rasboras or tetras
Aphids (emersed growth only)
Signs: Colonies on emersed stem tips cause distorted growth and sticky honeydew residue
Control: Submerge plant briefly or spray emersed portions with neem oil solution; rinse before re-submerging
Keep rotala 'h'ra' pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Rotala 'H'ra' pests — FAQ
What is eating my rotala 'h'ra'?
Rotala 'H'ra' is a colour-sensitive aquarium stem plant — its vivid red-orange hue only develops under high light and iron. The biggest threats are algae when conditions slip, pest snails rasping soft leaves, and herbivorous fish. Emersed tips may attract aphids. Dialling in CO2 and iron keeps the plant vigorous and less susceptible to algae colonisation.
How do I get rid of algae (black beard algae, hair algae) on rotala 'h'ra'?
Dark tufts on older leaves and stem nodes dull colour and weaken growth Stabilise CO2 above 20 ppm, shorten photoperiod if hair algae appears, spot-dose Excel on BBA, use Amano shrimp
How do I get rid of pest snails (bladder snails, ramshorn snails) on rotala 'h'ra'?
Holes and ragged edges in soft leaf tissue, particularly on young stems Add assassin snails or loaches, trap with blanched vegetables, and reduce overfeeding that sustains snail populations
How do I get rid of herbivorous fish (silver dollars, goldfish, buenos aires tetras) on rotala 'h'ra'?
Leaves and stems grazed; red colouration makes it visually attractive to browsing fish Pair only with plant-safe nano fish such as small rasboras or tetras
How do I get rid of aphids (emersed growth only) on rotala 'h'ra'?
Colonies on emersed stem tips cause distorted growth and sticky honeydew residue Submerge plant briefly or spray emersed portions with neem oil solution; rinse before re-submerging