Species Catalogue

Compact stem plant with dense, bushy growth. Fine-leaved with green to yellow-green coloration. Good midground choice.

Tall stem plant with whorls of four narrow leaves at each node. Creates a very distinctive layered look. Moderate difficulty.

Pogostemon Stellatus is a majestic background stem plant that produces whorls of up to eight narrow leaves per node, creating a star-burst pattern. Under intense light the leaves develop beautiful pinkish-purple tones. It grows tall and is best positioned in the background. Nutrient-hungry and demanding of CO2 but rewarding when conditions are right.

Pogostemon stellatus Octopus is a vibrant stem plant featuring distinctive reddish-purple coloration and uniquely branched, octopus-like foliage that becomes more pronounced under high light. This cultivar is prized for its ornamental appeal and relatively straightforward care requirements compared to other demanding stem plants.

Pogostemon yatabeanus is a vibrant stem plant native to Southeast Asia, prized for its distinctive narrow, lance-shaped leaves that display rich green coloration with reddish undersides under strong lighting. This plant exhibits a compact, bushy growth habit and is moderately fast-growing, making it an excellent choice for midground placement in planted aquariums.

Delicate pondweed with thin, translucent leaves that sway in current. Creates a very natural, river-like appearance. Spreads by runners.

Mermaid Weed is a unique stem plant that changes leaf shape depending on whether it is emersed or submersed — submerged leaves are deeply serrated and comb-like, while emersed leaves are broader and simple. Under high light the deeply lobed leaves turn intense shades of orange and red, making it a striking colour accent in Dutch and Nature Aquarium layouts.

Narrow-leaved Ludwigia that turns deep maroon-purple under high light. One of the most intensely coloured aquatic plants available. Slow-growing but spectacular. Requires CO2 and strong light to stay compact.

Heart-shaped floating liverwort with purple undersides. Larger than common duckweed and far easier to manage. Provides excellent shade.

Echinodorus Tenellus, the Pygmy Chain Sword, is a dwarf sword plant that forms a low, grass-like foreground carpet via prolific runners. Its narrow, strap-like leaves rarely exceed 10 cm, making it one of the few true sword plants suitable for foreground use. Under good lighting and CO2 it spreads rapidly; without CO2 growth is slower but still achievable.

Red-tinted form of the Pygmy Chain Sword. Develops reddish-brown tones under higher light. Low-maintenance carpeting plant.

Large, feathery aquatic moss with branching fronds reminiscent of tiny fern leaves. Creates a lush, jungle-like appearance on hardscape.

Ancient, grass-like plant with quill-shaped leaves growing from a corm. Creates a unique tuft-grass look. Thrives in nutrient-rich substrate.

Red Cabomba is a vibrant stem plant featuring delicate, feathery red-tinted foliage that intensifies under high light conditions. Its fine, branching leaves create an elegant, wispy appearance ideal for creating depth and visual interest in the midground to background. This plant grows moderately fast and is relatively undemanding, making it suitable for intermediate aquarists.

Hybrid sword plant with brilliant red new leaves that mature to deep green. Compact grower that doesn't get too large. Eye-catching centrepiece.

Popular floating plant with round leaves that turn red under high light. Long, red roots dangle attractively. Excellent nutrient absorber.

The red tiger lotus produces large, dramatic maroon-red leaves with speckled patterns. Without high light and CO2 it will send leaves to the surface; regular trimming of surface leaves encourages bushy underwater growth. An impressive centrepiece plant for larger tanks.

A floating liverwort made famous by Takashi Amano, who pioneered the technique of tying Riccia to rocks and driftwood using hairnets to create lush, bright green carpet-like surfaces. Left floating, it forms a thick mat at the water surface that provides excellent cover for fry and shrimp. When submerged and attached, it releases oxygen bubbles in a process called pearling, creating a spectacular visual effect. It is not a true moss but behaves similarly and is essential in the competition aquascaping world.

Beautiful foreground or midground plant with distinctive clover-like leaves. Grows in a compact mound. Prefers slightly cooler water and good flow. One of the most unique-looking aquascaping plants.

A stunning variegated cultivar of H. polysperma with white to pink venation against a light green or pinkish leaf. The coloration intensifies under bright light. Despite its exotic appearance it is just as easy as the parent species and grows quickly. Invasive in outdoor ponds in some US states.

Rare moss with fronds arranged in rosette patterns resembling tiny roses. Slow-growing and delicate but creates stunning textures.

Hybrid sword with pink-tinged new leaves that mature to deep green. Compact size compared to other swords. Popular centrepiece.

A large genus of fast-growing stem plants widely used in aquascaping for their fine, needle-like to rounded leaves and tendency to display brilliant red, pink, and orange coloration under high light and CO2 injection. Rotala species are excellent nutrient consumers that help control algae, but most species require medium to high light and CO2 supplementation to achieve their best coloration and compact growth.

Compact Rotala with thick stems and rounded leaves that blush deep red under intense light. Rarely grows tall — ideal for creating low, dense red accent patches in aquascapes.

One of the most intensely coloured Rotala varieties available, producing deep blood-red to crimson stems and leaves that stand out dramatically in any scape. Requires the highest light levels and CO₂ of any commonly kept Rotala, along with careful nutrient management. Under suboptimal conditions the colour fades to dull orange or pink. Grown well, it creates an arresting, almost unreal red that elevates competition-level scapes.

Rotala Bonsai is a compact, slow-growing stem plant prized for its miniature leaf structure and ability to form dense, tree-like formations with careful pruning. It displays green to reddish foliage depending on lighting and nutrient availability, making it ideal for aquascaping focal points in small to medium tanks.

Delicate rotala with needle-fine leaves that develop intense red colouration. Demanding but one of the finest textured stem plants available.

Unique rotala with broad, rounded leaves that alternate in a pinwheel pattern. Turns pink to red under high light. A collector's plant.

Bright pink-red rotala that's easier than most coloured stem plants. Fine leaves and compact growth under good light.

Compact rotala with small rounded leaves that turn pink-orange under intense light. Forms dense bushes ideal for midground.

Versatile rotala with green to pink stems depending on light intensity. Fast-growing and relatively undemanding for a coloured stem plant.

Rotala H'ra is a popular cultivar producing small, narrow leaves that shift from green at their bases to vivid orange-red at the tips under high light, creating a stunning gradient effect in background plantings. It is less demanding than R. macrandra but rewards CO2 injection and iron dosing with exceptional coloration. Its fine texture and warm orange tones make it one of the most sought-after rotala varieties in competitive aquascaping.

Rotala Indica is an easy-going stem plant with small, oval leaves that display a pleasing pink to light-red coloration on their undersides even under moderate light — making it one of the few rotala species that beginners can achieve colour from without high-intensity lighting. It grows upright with a delicate, feathery texture and is often used as a softer alternative to R. rotundifolia in low-tech setups.

Rotala Macrandra is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful red plants in the hobby, with broad, crinkled leaves that turn vibrant crimson under optimal conditions. It is also one of the most demanding stem plants, requiring very high light, injected CO2, intensive macro and micro nutrient dosing, and soft acidic water — any deficiency quickly manifests as yellowing or failure to colour up. Rewarding for experienced planted tank keepers.

A miniaturised form of the famously demanding Giant Red Rotala, producing smaller, narrower leaves but retaining the same intense red-pink colouration when kept in optimal conditions. Requires high light, CO₂, and balanced macro and micro nutrients — particularly iron — to achieve its best colour. Grows slower than the standard species but is equally sensitive to nutrient deficiencies, which show as pale or washed-out leaves. Best kept by experienced planted tank hobbyists.

Rotala Macrandra Mini Red is a compact, high-color variant of the popular stem plant, featuring deep red to burgundy leaves with intricate venation patterns. This cultivar grows slower and stays smaller than standard Rotala macrandra, making it ideal for mid-sized aquascapes. The vibrant red coloration intensifies under high light and with adequate CO2 supplementation.