The Anubias group of plants are a popular choice for the aquarist hobby from the family Araceae. The smallest of these is the variety Nana (Anubias barter var. nana), which makes an excellent choice for beginners and experienced people in the hobby too because it’s exceptionally hardy and survives some of the errors thrown at it.
Exceptionally easy to care for, this plant is sturdy, slow-growing, and is happy whether it’s fully or partially submerged in water. So far, so easy!
With attractive broad leaves, a short stature, and deep green coloring, this plant makes excellent cover for bottom dwellers while allowing for open swimming areas higher up in the tank strata.
Native to Africa, it’s easy to maintain, propagate, and will provide valuable oxygenation in your tank for your community.
These are rhizome plants, so they grow from a horizontal rhizome; roots anchor the plant and grow down, while the leaves grow upwards.
Anubias Nana Characteristics
You can find Anubias Nana with most stockists because of its popularity. Their flexible growing parameters make them highly adaptable for most environments and water conditions, so there should be something for everyone in this group.
Although there are many types of this plant in the family, the Nana is the most popular because of its slow but steady growth rate. They like to attach to rocks, logs, driftwood which is handy for designing your aquarium to suit your needs and the needs of your fish.
They get their nutrients from the water column, so they don’t absolutely need substrate, but it does help them anchor. Beware that they are not a floating plant, and they will die if you leave them to float.
They don’t even need much in the way of light, so they also happen to be great for those nocturnal fish given to hiding most of the time and who dislike bright lighting in general.
Their leaves have a waxy appearance and aren’t particularly tasty for your inhabitants, so you won’t need to worry about your plant being eaten either!
A new leaf may grow every month, so not exactly greased lighting!
Topping out at around 7.5 inches in height, these slow growers will provide ample cover for bottom dwellers looking for cover and sources of biofilm and algae.
Types Of Anubias
This vivid green plant has sturdy stems that form the base for broad, shiny, almost waxy-looking leaves, but in the range of this family, there are some visual differences to be had.
Some of the most popular types are all simple to care for and need little to no maintenance. A lot of the variation will be in size, so take that into account when considering trying other types besides Nana.
- Anubias Afzelli – one of the Anubias that need deep planting, this is a longer-leaved type that isn’t suited to latching onto your decor.
- Anubias Barteri – one of the most used and planted types of Anubias for the hobby, it’s a basic workhorse plant with smaller leaves and grows straight away underwater.
- Anubias Barteri ‘Coffefolia’ – a varietal with large, coarse, wavy leaves that stands out from the rest of the Anubias crowd. Adds interest to the look of your plantings.
- Anubias Gigantea – the biggest of the family, you can expect this type to reach up to 3 feet tall! Ideal for huge aquariums as they like to be fully submerged but won’t overgrow in your tank.
- Anubias Nangi – a hybrid that is on the larger end of the scale; this type is frequently used in large commercial tanks as opposed to home setups.
- Anubias Nana Petite – we know that Nana is one of the smallest, but the Petite shrinks a size smaller, so it makes it accessible even for nano tanks.
- Anubias Lanceolata – a version that has varying shades of green to its leaves, with ultra-light shades down to rich deeper tones.
Pro’s to Having Anubias Nana In Your Tank
Helps With Filtration
In addition to helping oxygenate your tank, it will absorb and remove fish waste, excess food, decaying matter, and sometimes metals too.
Water conditions are extremely important to have healthy fish and a healthy biome for all of your species. Anubias Nana won’t take away the need for weekly water changes, but it will mean your water is healthier overall. And who doesn’t want that for their inhabitants?
Anubias Nana Helps Keep Algae In Check
Anubias Nana functions as an algae repellent, but your inhabitants will like to hide and graze on the small films of algae that will eventually form, which will help reduce the algae growth from taking over quickly.
Your Fish Are Unlikely To Consume It
Just like the Anubias Nana surfaces are ideal for tiny things to graze the biofilm off as a food supply, their sturdy structure also means your larger things in the tank are unlikely to eat the actual plant.
Those fish who live to root around plants and substrate are unlikely to cause any damage to your Anubias Nana as it clings to the porous surfaces in your tank nice and steady.
Con’s of Anubias Nana In Your Tank
It’s fair to say that there just aren’t any cons to choosing this plant! Their hardiness and variety available mean that there really is an Anubia for every tank out there, and they are almost impossible to mismanage.
Anubias Nana Tank Requirements
The tank size you choose will be suitable for Anubias Nana. The only real thing to ensure you have is a depth of at least 12 inches of water for it to grow in.
Lighting doesn’t need to be anything special, and they can thrive in low-light setups too.
The best pH range is around 6.5 – 7.8, with no specifics for water hardness as they do well in soft or acidic water conditions.
No special filtration is required, and they don’t need special substrate or supplementation for healthy growth. In fact, if you are aiming for a fuss-free substrate, this plant is your new best friend.
This is a plant that can handle most temperatures successfully, from cooler water right up to the most tropical of conditions. But their sweet spot hovers around the 72 – 78ºF (22 – 26ºC) for maximum happiness and growth.
If you have a brackish setup, feel free to plant Anubias Nana there too! Can anything stop this plant?
Planting And Maintenance Of Anubias Nana
Not much in the way of maintenance is required for this family of plants.
Removal of dead leaves is advisable to avoid water fouling as they rot, but beyond that, not much else is needed.
Dead leaves are a natural part of the plant life cycle, so unless your entire plant starts turning brown, there isn’t anything to worry about.
Planting Anubias Nana
Pick any surface! They don’t need soil or substrate. They don’t need to be planted at all, and many like them to be partially submerged as they cling onto various surfaces. A little superglue made for aquariums is all you really need. Locate the rhizome, and lock it on outside the tank, and when you’re sure it’s dry, place into at least 12 inches of water in your tank. That’s it!
You’ll want to avoid buying the root systems completely, but by setting them on driftwood or rocks, they will build a root system below that will make its way into the substrate. Choose medium gravel and ensure it’s fertilized, which helps it grow faster than its normal pedestrian pace.
Trimming Anubias Nana
The occasional trim is all that is needed once in a while, and removing dead leaves is good practice too. Trim back perhaps half of the leaves, and don’t remove all dead leaves at one time if you’re removing those too.
Propagation
There is little difficulty with propagating more Anubias Nana for the hobbyist.
This plant will start new plantlets on its own, which can be removed easily if you don’t want additional growth, or use rhizome division to start off a new plant onto decor easily, as we mentioned above.
Compatibility Of Anubias Nana In The Tank
Almost any freshwater fish is suited to inhabiting a tank with Anubias.
You won’t need to worry about plant-eating fish decimating your Anubias Nana population either, as most won’t be tempted by their waxy, thick texture. Not even the most plant-happy Cichlid or Goldfish will make hay with these plants, so you can rest assured that your tank will have some green for good.
Just ensure that wherever you place these plants that they aren’t fully shaded, and there isn’t overcrowding.
Fish that love living alongside Anubias Nana include (but are not limited to):
Troubleshooting Anubias Nana
Yellowing Leaves Or High Algae Growth
If you notice leaves yellowing, it’s likely not in a great position in your tank. Ensure that it’s in a shaded area of the tank, or add flooring plants to provide it with some cover. Too much light will encourage algae formation on these slow-growing leaves. Make sure you have some algae eaters in your setup to help keep the leaves nice and clean too.
Whole Specimens Dying Off
Since these plants can grow fully or partially submerged depending on the supplier you acquired one from, if you’ve suddenly switched it to a planting opposite of what it had before, it can make the transition difficult for the plant to adapt to.
It will adapt eventually but may appear to be dying. New leaves should develop within several weeks.
Not Growing
If it doesn’t seem like your Anubias Nana is growing at all, you may be victim to overcrowding in the tank. They need space to grow and room for root systems to make the most of valuable nutrients. Too many plants may mean not enough nutrients to go around for proper growth, so try spreading them out.
Black Spots
Usually, this is a sign of Black Beard Algae, which is a treatable issue. There are numerous ways to do so, so research whatever will work best for your setup.
Is There Any Reason Not To Have Anubias Nana In Your Tank?
We think it’s a resounding no! With a wide range of parameters making this plant suitable for most freshwater or even brackish fish, it’s got something for everyone.
Low maintenance, easy on the eyes, and super straightforward to propagate, Anubias Nana makes a wonderful addition to the forefront and mid-section plantings in just about any freshwater tank.
They’re a no-brainer plant for anyone just getting started in the hobby but are also beloved by those will tons of experience too. Anubias just get on with the job and do their job really well.
Choose the slow-grower that’s pretty hard to beat when it comes to success in the tank.
