Anubias nana
The standard small Anubias: a compact rhizome epiphyte for the midground, as forgiving as its larger relative and killed the same way.
Requirements
- Scientific name
- Anubias barteri var. nana
- Family
- Araceae
- Light
- Low
- CO₂
- Not required
- Nutrients
- low
- Growth rate
- Very slow
- Placement
- Epiphyte
- Feeding
- water column
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C
- pH
- 6–8
- Hardness
- 2–20 °dGH
- Height
- 8–15 cm
Identity
- Common name
- Anubias nana
- Scientific name
- Anubias barteri var. nana
- Family
- Araceae
- Also sold as
- dwarf anubias
How to plant it
The commonest way to kill an aquarium plant is to install it wrongly. This is the first thing to get right.
Rhizome must stay above the substrate
Nutrition reaches this plant mainly through the water column, so liquid fertiliser matters more than substrate nutrition.
Growing conditions
| Input | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Low | Match plants to the light you have rather than raising light to suit the plant — that grows algae. |
| CO₂ | Not required | Not a requirement, though growth is faster with it. |
| Nutrients | low | Dose a complete liquid fertiliser. |
| Temperature | 22–28 °C | |
| pH | 6–8 | |
| Hardness | 2–20 °dGH | |
| Growth rate | Very slow |
Propagation
Cut the rhizome into sections, each keeping several leaves and its own roots.
Emersed growth and melting
Commercially grown out of water. Expect the emersed leaves to die back after planting while new submersed-form leaves grow from the crown. This is a conversion, not a disease.
Common problems
- rhizome rot from burial
- algae on slow growing leaves
Work from the observation: melting, yellow leaves, holes in leaves and poor growth.
Fish and invertebrate compatibility
- Resists grazing
- excellent
- Resists digging
- excellent
Worth knowing
- Tough enough to survive most plant-eating and digging fish, including many cichlids.
Evidence
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Anubias barteri var. nana | Observed / measured | high confidence | Plants of the World Online |
| temperature | 22–28 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| light requirement | low | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| co2 requirement | not-required | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| growth rate | very-slow | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| placement | epiphyte | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–8 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 2–20 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| height | 8–15 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | high confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one. Light and CO2 categories are aquarium conventions rather than measurements, and are labelled as such — AquariumHQ has taken no PAR readings and does not publish figures it has not taken.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableLimited evidence — treat with caution.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted botanical name — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. This class needs 1 independent origin of at least primary-compilation authority, and 0 are held.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
light requirementAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
co2 requirementAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
growth rateAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
placementAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
heightAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.