Beitrag teilen:

Anubias plants in the aquarium / terrarium - species & care

Anubias have rightly earned a reputation as almost indestructible aquatic plants for the aquarium. These pretty sitters are sometimes even uncharmingly called "living plastic plant". This is only partly due to their waxy, shiny, leathery leaves; one reason for this name is probably their already mentioned robustness - and of course the fact that they grow quite slowly. Their German name is spear leaf, and indeed the mostly dark green pointed heart-shaped leaves look a bit like an archaic spearhead. Anubias can flower over and some species even water. The flower consists of a pale to white bracts and a bulb. Thanks to their amazing diversity and interesting uses, they are not only ideal plants for beginners, but also have their appeal to advanced plant aquarists and aquascapers.

Origin of Anubias

Originally, Anubias come from West Africa, where they are found in heavily shaded jungle streams. There they grow predominantly not under water, thus submersed, but emersed in splash water, often near strongly flowing areas or also at waterfalls and rapids. At high water they are then submerged, but not only that ... they are also exposed to a decidedly strong current. Rooted in soil, they would never survive this, so spear leaves have adopted a very special strategy for surviving successfully in their natural habitat: Anubias root very firmly on hard substrates such as driftwood or boulders, literally clinging to the substrate with their adhesive roots. These are therefore so-called perching plants or epiphytes.

Demands and characteristics

Anubias feel very comfortable even in deep shade of higher plants, decorative materials or floating plants, but they can also be used in more brightly lit areas without any problems. They do not need CO2 and fertilizer to a high degree due to their slow growth, usually no separate CO2 fertilization is necessary. In case of severe iron deficiency, the newly sprouting leaves will be noticeably pale and colorless, but with a good iron fertilizer this deficiency can be quickly corrected. Please always dose according to instructions!
Since Anubias belong to the Arum family, they contain bitter substances and are not touched by many herbivores. Anubias are considered to be a perch-resistant plant that can be used without hesitation even in an aquarium where other plants are nibbled by the fish.

Use in the aquarium as a percher

In the aquarium, this property can be used wonderfully - Anubias can be easily attached to wood and stones, where they grow firmly by themselves. For this reason, you can also choose a cotton thread, which decomposes by itself over time, or cyanoacrylate-based superglue, which does not release harmful substances into the water. Even if you push the Anubias with their thicker root rhizomes a little bit into crevices or gaps in the wood or stone (of course carefully, so as not to damage the plants!), they will gain a foothold there over time and grow along the wood or stone as they continue to sprout. Together with moss or with other sessile plants like Bolbitis / Congo fern or Bucephalandra you can create beautiful atmospheric pictures, which look especially great in the aquarium.

Many species and varieties of the Spearleaf are already offered ready tied up on roots or stones, for example the Mbuna jungle trees from Dennerle. All you need to do is insert them into the aquarium - very simple and uncomplicated!

Use in the aquarium at the bottom

For planting Anubias are not so well suited, it can happen that the rootstock (also called rhizome) rots and the plant dies. If you still want to cultivate the Anubias on the ground, you can either tie them on a flat stone, which is then pressed into the substrate and covered with some moss, or you plant them directly, but then carefully pull them out of the ground so far that only the thin side roots are covered and the rhizome lies above the gravel or sand.


The various species and varieties are also available ready tied up on stones - ready and waiting for use in the aquarium.

 

Anubias and other plants

Not only slow-growing plants should be used in the aquarium: They would consume far too few nutrients and give algae an easy game. For this reason, we always recommend the use of fast-growing stem plants or highly consumptive plants such as hornwort and waterweed, or various floating plants such as frogbit or shellflowers, in combination with Anubias.


Are Anubias toxic?

It is still said that the spear leaf can release toxic substances (for example oxalic acid) for shrimps and other invertebrates if it is pruned in the aquarium. Tests to this effect have not confirmed these theories in any case, so it can be assumed that this topic belongs to the realm of legend, but it still persists. If you want to be on the absolutely safe side, take the Anubias out of the aquarium before pruning. Since it is usually cultivated grown on decorative materials, this is usually not a problem at all, and since the plants really do grow extremely slowly, they do not need to be cut back often.

Anubias in the terrarium

In humid and warm terrariums with animals that do not eat plants (such as crabs of the genus Geosesarma), Anubias can be cultivated quite wonderfully emersed - very close to nature for example at a small waterfall or at the edge to the water part. Most Anubias species grow slightly larger above water than in the submerged form.

Propagation

To propagate, simply divide the rhizome, the slightly thicker root stalk from which the leaves grow, and re-tie it. At least two leaves should remain on each piece so that the rhizome will safely resprout.

Anubias: species and varieties

Anubias barteri

There are extremely many varieties and growth forms of Anubias barteri from western Africa, named after the British plant expert and collector Charles Barter, and we present the most popular ones in detail below -  alongside other species of the genus Anubias.

Anubias barteri var. barteri - Broadleaf Spear Leaf

This variety has very broad dark green leaves and grows up to 20 cm high. Thus it is rather something for the middle ground of larger aquariums or for the background in smaller tanks. It grows a little faster than the other species and varieties, especially under brighter light and with CO2 fertilization, but its growth can still be described as slow. The rhizome has now and then, depending on the light, the tendency not to grow along the substrate, but rather vertically upwards.

Anubias barteri var. angustifolia - Narrow-leaved spear leaf

The narrow-leaved spear leaf has - as the name suggests - narrow, linear to narrowly elliptical leaves. The leaf margin is not wavy, and the petioles are usually reddish to brownish.  Anubias barteri var. angustifolia grows to about 20 cm tall.

Anubias barteri var. caladiifolia - Caladium-leaved spear-leaf

This is the largest variety of Anubias barteri. The slightly lighter and softer leaves grow to 24 cm long and are ovate with a point. The stems grow to 40 cm long, and the group can reach an impressive width of up to 50 cm after a few years - definitely making this Anubias a candidate for the background.

Anubias barteri var. coffeeifolia - Coffee-leaved Spear Leaf

This beautiful dark green to light brownish variety of Anubias barteri has characteristic deeply incised leaf veins and a reddish brown shoot. It also blooms particularly frequently under water. With a height of 15-25 cm, it is a beautiful addition to the middle ground of larger aquariums.

Anubias barteri var. glabra - Bare Spear Leaf

Bare Spear Leaf has narrow elliptical to lanceolate dark green leaves and grows 10-20 cm tall. Plants of this variety are also traded under the names Anubias lanceolata or Anubias minima.

Anubias barteri var. nana - dwarf spear leaf

A smaller variety of Anubias barteri that grows only 5-15 cm tall and is very suitable for the middle ground in small to medium sized aquariums and aquascapes. In very large tanks, for example, it can also be used in the foreground.

Anubias barteri var. nana "Gold"/"Golden Heart" - Gold Anubias

This variant of Anubias barteri var. nana grows up to 10 cm high and is golden yellow when it shoots, the older leaves are yellow-green to medium green. It grows slightly slower than the dark green form and provides beautiful lighter accents in shade plantings.

Anubias barteri var. nana "Pinto" - Pied Dwarf Spear Leaf

This variegated white pied variety of Anubias barteri var. nana is a novelty and a real bright spot in shade corners in the aquarium. It remains rather small with approx. 8-10 cm and thus looks very good in the middle ground even of smaller aquascapes. It needs a little more light than the other varieties of Anubias barteri var. nana.

Anubias barteri var. nana "Pangolino" - Pangolin spear leaf

The brand new Pangolin spear leaf is the smallest variety of the dwarf spear leaf along with Anubias barteri var. nana "Bonsai". The narrow leaflets grow to a maximum length of only 2 cm, and the growth of the plant is so compact that they lie on top of each other like scales (hence the name - Pangolin is the scale animal).  All in all, this dwarf spear leaf only reaches a height of about 2-3 cm, so it fits perfectly in nano tanks.

Anubias barteri var. nana "Petite" (also called: Anubias barteri var. nana "Bonsai") - Bonsai Dwarf Spear Leaf

Bonsai dwarf spear leaf is one of the smallest varieties of Anubias barteri. The leaflets do not grow longer than 1.5-2 cm at most, and they sit on very short stems less than 1 cm long. Overall, the plant grows only about 2-4 cm tall, making it look really good and true to scale even in small nano tanks on roots or rocks.

Anubias congensis - Congo Anubias

This name is also used for Anubias afzelii. The Congo Anubias grows very large even under water with 30-40 cm height and the same width and is therefore more suitable for large aquariums.

Anubias gracilis - Ivy-leaved Spear-leaf

This species is one of the most elegant Anubias. Its 30-40 cm long stems and beautifully shaped ivy-like dark green to 10 cm long leaves look just great with their heart shape. Also more suitable for large aquariums. Above water in a terrarium, it grows much larger than in its underwater form.

Anubias hastifolia - Heart-leaved Giant Spear Leaf

The heart-leaved giant spear leaf also belongs to the very large Anubias. Its leaf stems, which can reach 60 cm in length, and its leaves, which are very large at 25 cm in length, look very beautiful in the background of large aquariums. The heart-leaved giant spear leaf is also wonderfully suitable for very large paludariums and aquaterrariums.

Anubias heterophylla - Different-leaved Spear Leaf

The Different-leaved Spear Leaf has a strikingly thick rhizome and also grows rather large at 25-60 cm. Sometimes this species is also called Anubias undulata, alluding to the wavy leaf margin.

 


The fields marked with * are required.

I have taken note of the privacy policy.


Matching articles
Shopware Agentur  six-media.de