Anubias in Aquariums: A Guide to Care, Planting, and Benefits

Key Takeaways

• Easy & Low-Maintenance Care: Anubias are hardy, adaptable plants that thrive in low to moderate light and a wide range of water parameters, making them ideal for both beginner and experienced tank owners.
• Versatile Planting Options: They can be anchored to driftwood, rocks, or planted in substrate, allowing flexible placement in the foreground, midground, or background of your aquarium.
• Aquarium Benefits: Anubias enhance tank aesthetics with their lush green leaves, provide oxygenation, help control algae growth, and offer shelter for fish.

Simple Anubias Care

Anubias plants, with their vibrant green leaves and hardy nature, have become a favorite among aquarium enthusiasts. Whether you're a seasoned aquarist or a beginner, incorporating Anubias into your aquatic setup can be a rewarding experience. In this blog, we'll explore what these plants are, how to create an Anubias plant aquarium care routine, where to place them in your aquarium, and the numerous benefits these aquarium plants bring to your underwater world and its inhabitants.

Follow along for essential Anubias care tips!

What are Anubias Aquarium Plants?

Anubias is a genus of aquatic plants native to tropical regions in Africa. These beautiful aquatic plants have found their way into aquariums worldwide and are prized for their adaptability and striking appearance. Anubias plants are highly sought after for their sturdy, dark green, broad leaves. 

Depending on the variant, Anubias’ leaves can be round, oval, or lanceolate in shape. There are many different variants available in our online store, including:

• Anubias Nana
• Anubias Barteri
• Anubias Congensis, and more.

Our store even offers Anubias already attached to a piece of driftwood or lava rock, making Anubias plant care and their addition to your aquarium much easier.

Anubias Care: Light, Water, How to Plant Anubias, & More

In addition to their beauty, Anubias are known for their low maintenance, which is one of the key reasons Anubias plants became a favorite among aquarium hobbyists. Check out this overview of Anubias care to ensure they thrive in your aquarium:

• Lighting

Anubias plants are known for their tolerance of low light conditions, making them ideal for low-tech aquariums and setups with varying light levels and conditions. However, Anubias can display more vibrant colors and stronger, more robust growth when provided with moderate lighting.

• Water Parameters

While Anubias care is often associated with providing slightly acidic to neutral water, these hardy plants will readily adapt to a wide range of aquarium conditions. Anubias will thrive in a pH range of 6.0 to 8.0, with water temperature maintained between 72°F and 84°F. Good water quality and regular water changes will help the plants thrive.

• Substrate

Anubias do not require a nutrient-rich substrate like some other aquatic plants. Instead, Anubias can be anchored to aquarium decor, driftwood, or rocks. When learning how to plant Anubias, the most important rule is to keep the rhizome exposed. To attach Anubias to hardscape, use dark thread or aquarium-safe super glue to secure the plant in place. Over time, the roots will naturally attach to the surface. However, Anubias can also be planted in substrate, as long as its rhizome, the thick horizontal part of the plant, is not buried.

• Fertilization

While Anubias can thrive without additional fertilization, Anubias care should include liquid fertilizers rich in essential nutrients like potassium and iron, which can enhance their growth. If planted in substrate, you can insert root tabs near their roots to provide supplemental fertilization.

• Propagation

Anubias can be propagated by dividing the rhizome. Carefully separate the plant into smaller sections, ensuring each section has a portion of the rhizome and a few leaves. Plant these sections in your desired locations within the aquarium.

• Suitable Companion Fish & Plants

Some Anubias varieties can grow tall, making them best paired with midground and foreground companion plants such as Java Ferns and Bucephalandra. You may also want to include faster-growing plants, such as Wisteria or Duckweed, to help balance the slower growth and lower nutrient consumption of Anubias.

Anubias plants do especially well with smaller fish, algae-eating snails, and shrimp. However, they can also be used in aquariums with larger fish because their thick, sturdy leaves are more resistant to the damage that bigger fish may cause to more delicate plants.

• Planting Methods

You can find Anubias in our online store already attached to driftwood or rock for simple placement into your aquarium. You can also attach Anubias to various aquascaping elements yourself using aquarium-safe super glue or cotton threads.

Attached Anubias Plant Care

Dab a small amount of aquarium-safe glue onto the Anubias rhizome, then firmly press it against the surface of your chosen decor for about 15 seconds. You can also wrap the rhizome with dark thread to secure it to rocks or driftwood. Once attached, place the decor with the attached Anubias anywhere you want in your tank.

This attachment method makes Anubias care easier because the plant can be moved as needed for cleaning, maintenance, and redecorating.

Rooted Anubias Plant Care

In this section, we will cover how to plant Anubias in substrate. You’ll need to dig a shallow hole for the plant. Place the Anubias in the hole and fill the substrate around it, ensuring the rhizome is exposed to prevent it from rotting. Nutrient-rich soil, sand, and gravel are all acceptable substrates for Anubias planting.

A key to proper Anubias care is to ensure that the rhizome is never buried.

• Placement

Anubias are versatile plants, and given their tolerance for low light conditions, can be placed just about anywhere in an aquarium. Generally, it is your aesthetic taste that will determine where they should be placed. How you plant Anubias is completely up to you!

Anubias care won’t be affected, whether you place it in the background, midground, or foreground.

Common Problems with Anubias Plants

There are a few potential problems you may encounter with this plant, but appropriate Anubias plant aquarium care can mitigate these issues.

• Melting Leaves: The melting leaf phenomenon typically occurs when plants are stressed. A few melting leaves are to be expected during transfer, and you can just trim them away. Maintain good parameters for Anubias care to prevent future incidents.

• Algae Growth: Depending on the nutrient and light levels in your tank, algae growth can be a potential problem. Keep lighting low to moderate and ensure you’re removing excess waste on a regular basis to prevent any excess from encouraging algae. You can also introduce algae-eating snails to deal with existing algae.

• Detached Plants: If your Anubias plants detach from rocks or driftwood, you can retie or reglue whenever necessary. If the same plants keep coming loose, it may be time to rethink how you plant Anubias by securing the roots in the substrate while keeping the rhizome exposed above the surface.

• Rotting: Nearly every issue with rotting Anubias begins at the rhizome. Regularly check that the rhizomes of your Anubias are not covered by substrate, moss, or other plant matter.

Anubias Plant Aquarium Care Schedule

Daily
Provide 8–10 hours of light each day.

Weekly
Trim any decaying or damaged leaves, check the water temperature, perform a 10–20% water change, and fertilize as needed.

Every 2–4 Weeks
Gently wipe algae from older leaves if needed, confirm the rhizome is not buried in substrate, and check that the plant remains securely attached to rock, driftwood, or décor.

As Needed
Prune oversized leaves, reposition the plant if it is receiving too much direct light, and divide larger clumps when you want to propagate or spread Anubias to other areas of the aquarium.

Anubias Care Tips for Different Tank Types

Anubias care may vary depending on the type of tank you have. Check out the recommended Anubias plant care for some of the more unique aquarium situations:

• Nano Tank: Nano tanks are much smaller than standard aquariums, so they require a bit more attention to detail. In smaller setups, Anubias rhizomes can be more easily covered by substrate, and some varieties may eventually grow too tall for the space. Keep lighting levels moderate to low, check regularly to make sure the rhizomes remain exposed, and trim the plant as needed to maintain the right size and shape for your nano aquarium.

• Planted Tanks: Because Anubias plants are low-maintenance, they are an excellent choice for mixing and matching with other aquarium plants. However, combining multiple plant species requires some balance to ensure water pH, temperature, lighting, and nutrient levels are suitable for everything in the tank. Consistent lighting and proper fertilization will support healthy plant growth while helping prevent excess nutrients from building up and contributing to algae.

• Driftwood Heavy: You can plant your Anubias on or around driftwood to create a beautiful, natural-looking aquascape. Avoid softwoods, which can rot in the aquarium, and properly prepare hardwoods such as Godswood, Tiger Wood, and Saba Wood by gently rinsing them under running tap water and soaking them before adding them to your aquarium. Proper Anubias care on driftwood-heavy tanks does not require any additional steps, though you may need to perform more frequent water changes at first because fresh wood can release tannins into the water.

• Rock Heavy: Some rocks, including Seiryu Rock, can gradually affect aquarium pH over time, but this is usually only a concern when they are used in large quantities. In most aquariums, natural biological processes, such as the breakdown of fish food and fish waste, can lower pH and help balance out any potential effect the rocks may have. Regular water changes also help reduce this risk. For these reasons, Anubias plant care is generally not impacted by your choice of rocks, so you can choose the look you like best, including inert options like Lava Rock or Rainbow Slate.

Benefits of Anubias in Aquariums

Incorporating Anubias, like any other live aquarium plant, into your aquarium offers several advantages.

• Aesthetic Appeal

Anubias' lush, dark-green leaves add an attractive, natural look to your aquatic environment. Their sturdy texture and vibrant green color can provide interesting visual contrast when planted among or next to other aquatic plants, including stem plants with leaves in various shapes and colors.

• Oxygenation

Like all aquatic plants, Anubias plants oxygenate the water during photosynthesis, removing CO2 from the water and releasing oxygen, creating a healthier environment for your fish.

• Algae Control

Anubias can help combat algae growth by competing for nutrients and shading the aquarium substrate. This can lead to a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing tank. However, since Anubias are slow-growing plants, it is advisable to incorporate other fast-growing plants, like Wisteria, Red Root Floater, or Duckweed, as they will be much more efficient in absorbing excess nutrients from the water column.

Anubias plant care should incorporate algae-eating snails to control algae growth on their leaves as well.

• Fish Habitat

Anubias' sturdy leaves provide shelter for small fish and fry, offering them a safe refuge from larger tankmates. They can also provide a surface for fish to lay their eggs on. Angelfish and Discus fish are known to spawn on the Anubias' broad and sturdy leaves. As long as you maintain proper Anubias care, these plants will benefit all tank inhabitants.

• Natural Behavior

Fish often graze on the microorganisms and algae that develop on Anubias leaves, encouraging natural foraging behavior in the aquarium. Few things are more rewarding than watching fish interact naturally with their environment, and fish that are comfortable enough to display natural behaviors are often healthier, less stressed, and more likely to thrive.

You may also find that Anubias plant aquarium care becomes a little easier when fish help keep the leaves cleaner through regular grazing!

Start An Anubias Care Routine

Now that you know how to plant Anubias and how to create an essential Anubias plant care routine, you can confidently add this beautiful, versatile plant to your aquarium. Its ease of care, adaptability, and natural visual appeal make Anubias a popular choice among aquarists. Choose Anubias to enhance the health and beauty of your underwater world.