Anubias Nana

Anubias Nana (Anubias barteri var. nana) is a compact, slow-growing freshwater aquarium plant known for its thick, dark-green leaves and low-maintenance nature. It is particularly suitable for beginner aquariums, low-tech planted tanks, nano aquariums, shrimp tanks and community aquascapes.

Quick Anubias Nana care specifications:

• Plant type: Rhizome aquarium plant
• Growth: Slow
• Lighting: Low to medium
• CO₂: Not essential
• Temperature: 22–28°C
• pH: Approximately 6.0–7.5
• Placement: Foreground to midground
• Best attachment: Driftwood and aquarium rocks

Its ability to grow without demanding lighting or injected CO₂ makes Anubias Nana a practical choice for beginner and low-tech aquascapes.

No, Anubias Nana does not require injected CO₂ or nutrient-rich aquarium soil to grow successfully. It can thrive in low-tech aquariums when provided with stable water conditions and suitable low-to-medium lighting.

As a rhizome plant, Anubias Nana is normally attached to driftwood, rocks or other aquarium hardscape. The rhizome should remain above the substrate rather than being completely buried. Its roots can grow around the substrate or hardscape while the exposed rhizome continues to produce new leaves.

This makes Anubias Nana particularly useful for low-tech planted tanks, aquariums without CO₂ systems and beginner aquascapes.

Yellowing, blackening or deteriorating Anubias Nana leaves can have several causes, including acclimation stress, old leaves, poor water quality, excessive light or algae growth. A newly introduced plant may also lose some older foliage while adapting to different aquarium conditions.

Check these factors first:

• Yellow leaves: Remove severely damaged leaves and check water stability and nutrient availability.
• Black or dark coating: This may be algae rather than the leaf itself dying; excessive light can contribute to algae on slow-growing Anubias.
• Melting leaves: Trim leaves that are fully deteriorated and check that the rhizome is not buried.
• Soft or rotting rhizome: Remove affected portions immediately and keep the remaining healthy rhizome exposed.
• Sudden deterioration after purchase: Allow the plant time to acclimate rather than immediately changing multiple aquarium parameters.

Because Anubias Nana grows slowly, stable conditions and controlled lighting are generally more useful than frequent interventions.

Anubias Nana is naturally a slow-growing aquarium plant, so long periods between new leaves can be normal. Growth can become particularly slow under very low light, inadequate nutrients, unstable water conditions or when the plant is newly introduced and acclimating.

For healthier growth, maintain approximately 22–28°C, pH 6.0–7.5 and low-to-medium lighting, keep the rhizome exposed, and provide a consistent source of nutrients through the aquarium water.

Do not increase lighting aggressively simply because growth appears slow. Stronger lighting can increase algae pressure on Anubias Nana without necessarily producing proportionally faster growth.

Anubias Nana is usually propagated by dividing its rhizome. Once the plant has developed a healthy, established rhizome with multiple leaves and growth points, carefully separate or cut the rhizome into sections, ensuring each section retains healthy roots and leaves.

After division, attach each section to driftwood or aquarium rocks and keep the rhizome exposed. New roots and leaves can develop as the divided plants establish themselves.

Rhizome propagation makes Anubias Nana useful for gradually expanding a planted aquarium without repeatedly purchasing new plants.

Anubias Nana works well in both shrimp tanks and freshwater community aquariums. Its sturdy leaves, compact growth and ability to grow on hardscape make it particularly useful in aquascapes where you want permanent greenery without demanding CO₂ or high lighting.

For nano shrimp aquariums, Anubias Nana can be attached to small pieces of wood or rock to create greenery without occupying large areas of substrate. In larger community aquariums, it can be used around rocks, driftwood and other plants as a foreground or midground feature.

Its slow growth also means it generally requires much less trimming than fast-growing stem plants.

Anubias Nana is available online from TropicalZone with Pan India delivery. For current size options, availability and pricing, check the Anubias Nana product page.

When buying live aquarium plants online, look beyond the headline price and consider plant size, health, packing quality and shipping conditions.