Description
Anubias on Driftwood | Small
Anubias on Driftwood (Small) is the definition of easy, reliable, and aquascape-friendly. Anubias species come from riverbanks and stream systems in Africa, where they naturally grow attached to wood and rock in shallow, moving water. In the aquarium, that translates into a plant that’s tough, adaptable, and unfazed by real-world tanks—low light, beginner setups, or community fish that would normally bully softer-leaved plants. The result is a clean, dark-green focal accent with sturdy oval leaves and a “finished scape” look the moment you place it in the tank.
Anubias on Driftwood Overview
Because this Anubias is already attached to driftwood, you get an instant epiphyte display without having to tie, glue, or wait for roots to grab on. It’s an ideal piece for foreground and midground zones where you want structure, shade, and a natural habitat feel—especially in tanks with fish that like to dig or rearrange substrate.
Aquarists appreciate Anubias on Driftwood for:
- True low-maintenance growth: thrives in low light and doesn’t demand heavy fertilization
- Sturdy leaves for active fish: holds up well with boisterous community fish and many cichlids
- Instant aquascape impact: a ready-made “plant + hardscape” centerpiece you can place and enjoy
- Flexible placement: wedge it between stones, set it at the base of larger wood, or use it to break up open substrate areas
The big advantage is that it looks intentional right away—like a natural root snag with vegetation already established—while staying slow-growing and tidy over time.
For aquascaping, this small driftwood piece is perfect for anchoring the front edge of a layout or creating a natural transition point between open substrate and your primary hardscape. It looks especially sharp when paired with Japanese Ohko Dragon Rock (great for rugged, natural texture), Seiryu Rock (crisp contrast against cool gray striations), Lava Rock (a more wild, porous “riverbed” feel), or Petrified Rock (darker tones that make the Anubias green pop). You can also cluster it near lighter and more branchy wood like Tiger Wood or Spider Wood to build depth and create that layered, grown-in look.
Caring for Anubias on Driftwood
Anubias is straightforward: it’s a rhizome plant, which means the thick horizontal stem (the rhizome) must stay above the substrate line. When Anubias is buried, it’s far more likely to rot. On driftwood, you’re already set up for success—just place the wood where you want it and let the roots slowly tighten their grip over time.
Anubias grows slowly, so maintenance is minimal. Keep it in low to moderate light, avoid blasting it with intense lighting for long periods (which can invite algae on slow-growing leaves), and remove any older leaves that yellow over time. If you do fertilize, a simple all-in-one liquid routine is plenty; this plant is not demanding, but consistent nutrients can support steady, clean growth.
- Light: Low
- Temperature Range: 69–86°F
- Placement: Foreground–Midground
- CO₂: Not required
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Slow
Once it’s in your tank, the best “care move” is mostly about placement strategy. Put it where it won’t be smothered by debris, where gentle flow keeps the leaves clean, and where the driftwood shape complements your rock lines and open space. Because it’s slow-growing, it won’t constantly demand trimming—so it’s perfect for aquarists who want a planted look without a weekly pruning schedule. If you ever want to expand your Anubias presence, you can simply add another small piece (or step up to the larger size) and create a cohesive wood-and-green theme across the scape.
To push the piece from “nice hardscape” into a truly natural, river-edge look, sprinkle a few botanicals around the base of the driftwood. A small scatter of Aquatic Catappa Leaves instantly creates that authentic leaf-litter zone and makes the Anubias look like it’s growing out of a real shoreline snag. If you want more texture and depth, tuck Aquatic Bael Pods or Aquatic Aguna Pods into the gaps where the wood meets the substrate and along the edges of nearby rocks—those little accents help your layout feel established and intentional, not freshly placed. For a lighter, cleaner “forest floor” effect, Aquatic Bamboo Leaves are perfect to fan out in the foreground as subtle detail without visually crowding the scape. The key is keeping it sparse and directional: a few pieces clustered where debris would naturally collect (around roots, behind stones, in gentle-flow pockets) looks far more realistic than evenly spreading botanicals everywhere.
Anubias are also available on driftwood in size large, as bare-root plants, potted, and on lava rock.
Note: Each plant/driftwood piece will have a unique look. The photo provides an idea of what it may look like and is not a representation of the exact item you will receive.
Shop with Confidence for Aquarium Plants at Modern Aquarium
When you’re buying live plants, the difference is rarely the species name—it’s the quality of the specimen, how it’s handled, and how it’s packed and shipped. At Modern Aquarium, we focus on delivering plants that arrive clean, healthy, and ready to thrive—backed by responsive support if you need a hand.
- Hand-inspected & prepared plants: Every plant is inspected and prepped before shipping so you receive healthy specimens, not a “grab-bag” pull.
- Fast, reliable shipping for live plants: We pack carefully and ship quickly by FedEx 2-Day Delivery to minimize transit stress and help plants arrive in great condition.
- Live Arrival Guarantee: Your live plant order is protected—so you can buy with confidence.
- Google Top Quality Store + real reviews: Modern Aquarium has been designated by Google as a Top Quality Store and has thousands of verified customer reviews.
- Trusted Sourcing: Our plants are sourced from the best nursery in Florida and are handled with care from the grower to your aquarium.
- What You See Is What You Get: Every image on our site is a typical representation of the plants we sell—no unrealistic stock photos. Because live plants are natural products, individual specimens will vary in size, fullness, and coloration.
- Real support when you need it: Reach us via site chat or phone for practical help with placement, algae prevention on slow growers, trimming, and compatible plant pairings.
Bottom line: Anubias on Driftwood (Small) is one of the easiest ways to add a natural, professional-looking feature to your tank—especially if you want something hardy that stays tidy and looks great in low-tech setups. Place it in the foreground or midground, frame it with your favorite aquascaping rocks (Ohko, Seiryu, Lava Rock, or Blue Petrified Rock), and you’ll get a durable, “grown-in” focal accent that your fish can’t easily destroy—and you won’t have to constantly babysit.
Reviews (28)
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It looks good, but the driftwood quickly begins to stink
Posted by ROBERT THILL on 1 Jan 2026These look very good. However, even with an army of snails, the driftwood quickly attracts a lot of algae and other material and starts to get slimy and begins to emit an unbearable putrid smell. I had to through all of these out. It even happened in a space with no fish, I found the lava versions did not have this effect.
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Beautiful Plant on Beautiful Wood
Posted by Stephanie Tomlinson on 20 Nov 2022This piece of wood immediately sank and stayed where it was placed. The Anubis is doing wonderfully and already getting bigger and spreading out. I would not hesitate to order more of these.
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Planted Driftwood
Posted by Brian Aston on 13 Sep 2022Gorgeous addition to my tank and reasonable priced
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Anubis’s on driftwood
Posted by John on 17 Feb 2022Arrived in excellent condition looks great in the tank
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Anubias on Driftwood
Posted by G Conrad on 16 Feb 2022This will be stunning when it takes off. Anubias are the best--easy to grow and beautiful. This one was healthy with well-established roots. My loaches and Cory already enjoy hanging around on the driftwood.
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Anubias on small driftwood
Posted by Deb on 1 Feb 2022Used in my Betta nano tank. Plant was well established on the driftwood. Wish I could submit a photo to show how it enhances my Betta/African Dwarf Frog nano tank.
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Just as promised
Posted by Kathleen on 31 Jan 2022Plant had a little brown leaves but has recovered perfectly and is a gorgeous addition to the tank
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Anubias on driftwood
Posted by Adria Kimmel on 7 Dec 2021This is the second plant I have ordered from Modern Aquarium and both have been great! The Anubias arrived quickly and in very good shape. It is a healthy plant and I love the look of it on the driftwood! Couldn’t be happier with my purchase.
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Anubias on driftwood
Posted by Dawn Holland on 24 Nov 2021I am super pleased with this! I’ve had it in my tank for a month and it’s growing and seems very happy, love it!
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ANUBIAS ON DRIFTWOOD (SMALL)
Posted by Gary Williams on 23 Nov 2021Was exactly like pictured. Healthy plants well rooted into the driftwood.
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Anubias on Small Driftwood
Posted by Dotti Belk on 4 Oct 2021Plant is thriving. since this was my first order from Modern Aquarium, I kept it in quarantine a few days to watch for pests. I am happy to report there were none. Driftwood was small and the perfect size for where I wanted it.
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Looks great!
Posted by Tia Ackerman on 15 Sep 2021This is just too cute! This got all of the fishes attention and their approval. The first night all they did was swim around and look at it.