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Introducing Anubias
Give your fish a beautifully shaded underwater forest with this popular aquarium plant: the Anubias! Even if you’re a complete beginner, this plant is ideal for its low-level maintenance and the benefits it provides to the fish that it shelters under its broad leaves.
Naturally found in the shaded regions of African rivers and streams, the Anubias (named after the ancient Egyptian god Anubis) thrives in most lighting conditions. Very little is needed to care for it, except to simply keep the roots submerged in water.
The Anubias can usually be found at your local pet store; even better, if you know someone who already has one, you can simply divide a piece of the rhizome and introduce it to your aquarium where a whole new plant will grow from its root. The “rhizome” is simply a fancy name for the thick, horizontal plant stem that runs between the leaf shoots and the roots. When transferring, it’s important to make sure that the roots are not allowed to dry out, as this will kill the plant. The roots are best left submerged, and only taken out of water for very brief periods if needed for transportation.
Positioning the Anubias
The Anubias is a hardy plant that can survive above or below water, so long as its roots remain submerged underwater. When positioning this plant in your aquarium, there is no need to plant it in a substrate. In fact, you should be sure never to bury the rhizome in a substrate, because the plant will likely suffocate as a result. Rather, you can simply allow the plant to free-float at water level, use plant weights to keep them at the ground floor, or wedge or glue them into crevices or onto aquarium decorations such as driftwood. Wherever they are lodged, their roots will eventually grow to the point where they attach themselves permanently to the nearest object.
While the Anubias can grow in any size of tank, given that the roots are submerged, it is generally best suited for 10 gallons or larger. That way, it can be submerged if that is the preference, and it still allows plenty of swimming space for the fish.
Lighting Needs
Naturally occurring in shaded areas of Central to Western Africa, these plants do best in aquariums that have low- to medium-lighting. High lighting may cause the leaves to wither and will encourage unsightly algae growth. If you do start to notice the appearance of algae, you may find this article helpful to eliminate it.
In an aquarium with high lighting, it is best to keep the Anubias in an already shaded area, if possible, such as underneath coral or under the shelter of larger plants. At least, in such a case, it should be resting on the substrate of the aquarium floor as far from any high light as possible.
Considering the size of your aquarium, 1-3 watts per gallon should be a general rule of thumb for the ideal lighting requirements. Generally 6-8 hours of lighting per day is sufficient to allow the plant to thrive, but without encouraging the growth of excess algae. The temperature of the water should be around 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit, or 22-27 degrees Celsius.
If you have other plants besides the Anubias, depending on the lighting needs of the other varieties, you can strategically position them so that the Anubias provides needed shade for those plants that require less light.
Fertilizing the Anubias: Is It Necessary?
Under normal conditions, the Anubias can flourish without the need to be fertilized. If you start noticing the leaves becoming discolored or developing holes, you might try adding an iron supplement or a more comprehensive fertilizer such as Seachem Flourish Freshwater Plant Supplement. This is a highly rated plant supplement that contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and other important elements. If you have shrimp or snails, you may choose to use a different product due to some reviews speculating about potentially harmful effects for these particular creatures.
If you only have Anubias in your tank, without the presence of other plants, you might choose to start with simply an iron supplement: Seachem Flourish Iron.
Types of Anubias
While there are many varieties of Anubias, here are six types to consider for your aquarium.
Anubias Barteri Broad Leaf: This variety exhibits large, broad and long leaves with a leathery texture that grow up to 16 inches tall.
Anubias Nana Petite: This is a very small version of Anubias, which might be ideal for smaller aquariums particularly.
Anubias Nana Golden: This is a bright, eye-popping plant with yellowish-green leaves.
Anubias Nana Pinto: This features an intricate color design of a cream-colored mix contrasted with the green background of the leaf, captivating the eye with an interplay of colors.
Anubias Glabra: The thick, dark green leaves of this type are very elongated, growing up to 6-10 inches in length.
Anubias Heterophylla: These long leaves vary in all different shades of green, creating a beautiful array of colors that go well in the background of an aquarium.
If you’d like to read about any of these in greater detail, or discover additional varieties, please check out https://meethepet.com/anubias/.
Conclusion
When setting up your aquarium, the Anubias is an excellent option for first-time and experienced aquarists alike. Most varieties are easy to maintain with minimal effort and can handle most water conditions. The main things to watch out for are exposing it to too much light (more than 8 hours) and high brightness of light, both of which can cause unsightly algae growth. They can be floated, placed on top of the substrate, or attached to decorations. Not only do they add an aesthetic quality to our aquascape, but they also provide our fish with shade in which to rest, hide and play. This is an underwater plant that’s practical, beautiful and fun!