Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia' - should I?

[Brian_Nano12g]

Paid a little visit to the LFS today and they got some Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia' and labeled it "rare." Interesting rotala species with red stems and green pointed leaves. Not sure if i should buy a stem for 5 bucks and propagate it?

Is this plant that cool or am i getting sucked in by the "rare" label here? Haha

 

[Rivercats]

I've actually never seen it for sale but you know me, I'm a sucker for something new and different. I say go for it!

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Thanks Janis for the input.. It used to be called Rotala pusilla if that rings a bell?

On a separate note, do you have Rotala mini butterfly red by any chance?

 

[aqua_chem]

It would only be considered "rare" to someone that doesn't use the internet to find and buy plants.

 

[Rivercats]

Thanks Janis for the input.. It used to be called Rotala pusilla if that rings a bell?

On a separate note, do you have Rotala mini butterfly red by any chance?

Nope sorry! I was thinking about trying to track down a few plants but honestly I'm not sure where I'd put them. I might start looking come fall after all the new plants have filled in and I see what I might want to tweek or switch out. I do have plenty of Didiplis diandra as it's really taken off. The tops have gone from green (how it came) to yellow and is now beginning to get an orange (not red) hue starting the closer it gets to the lights and it's only about 6-7 inches tall! Let me know if you want me to throw in a couple stems if you want to try them. I'll have to look up the name of the one plant that has me quite intriqued tho and post it for you to check out. Rotala pusilla does ring a bell tho. We had a great fish shop in the 90's and early 2000's that had a great plant section because they actually had plant nusery/facility set up in another building. Could have cried when they closed up.

 

[awmused]

It would only be considered "rare" to someone that doesn't use the internet to find and buy plants.

hmm... IMO, I think it would be considered "rare" to someone who happens to live somewhere where the item is uncommon or infrequently found. Just because I can search for it and purchase it online, it doesn't mean that the product could not be considered "rare." A few aquascaping stones that are popular in the Iwagumi styled tanks (i.e. those only naturally found in Japan) can be easily searched for and purchased online, but it doesn't make the stones any less "rare." Just my 2 cents.

 

[MyanRan]

I'd definitely just go for it! It's gotta be good!

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Thanks Janis for the info and the offer of those stems.. might just have to take you up on that!

Thanks awmused for the 2 cents!

@AC - As for the rarity or lack-there-of of Rotala Mexicana 'Araguaia', I did just google it and look through AquaBid to no avail. It seems like a rather new plant to the hobby so I guess there is some validation to labeling this plant "rare" at the LFS.

I did find one guy on TPT selling it. I'm going to PM him and see if its available since I'm considering getting some other plants he has listed. I'll wait to hear back because I know he doesn't update his long list of flora that often (I've dealt with him in the past).

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Okay so I got a message from the guy who had sold R. Mexicana in the past...

He said:

Mexicans is flicky not that rare just sensitive that's why I don't have much left.

At $5 a stem is a rip off to be honest with you.
Big stick on here sell it every month but he just sold out. I would just wait it out me or him will have more next month.​

So this makes me a little apprehensive about this plant... I think it's a touchy plant and if conditions in the tank aren't dialed in right (light/co2/ferts), this plant sounds like it can go bust! I also figured $5 a stem is a lot, but when you factor shipping if you're not buying a lot of plants, it makes sense... I'll probably pass for now but keep an eye on it. LOL

 

[aqua_chem]

If it's sensitive, then you know it's going to deep fry in a LFS's tank too. The price probably also reflects this.

 

[jetajockey]

hmm... IMO, I think it would be considered "rare" to someone who happens to live somewhere where the item is uncommon or infrequently found. Just because I can search for it and purchase it online, it doesn't mean that the product could not be considered "rare." A few aquascaping stones that are popular in the Iwagumi styled tanks (i.e. those only naturally found in Japan) can be easily searched for and purchased online, but it doesn't make the stones any less "rare." Just my 2 cents.

In that case hundreds of plants commonly found in the hobby are rare to most people because the big box and most mom and pops don't carry more than about 10-20 species of plants, and they all carry just about the same ones.

To me, rarity is highly dependent on how much of the plant is available in the hobby. If there's only a single cultivator or two, then it's likely to be rare for a few years. This has been seen with florida aquatic nurseries cultivation of different crypt and hygro strains.