Propagating Anubias Nana - Flowering

Propagating Anubias Nana - Flowering
(Anubias Barteri v. ‘Nana’) 

By Joy Twentyman-Crock

 

I’ve grown Anubias Nana in a variety of setups over the years. It’s one of those hardy plants that will survive some of the worst growing conditions.

I’m currently growing my Anubias Nana in a 5.5 gallon standard tank. For lighting I’m using a Coralife 36 watt compact fluorescent fixture which is on for 12 hours a day, which provides very high light. I perform 50% water changes once a week using tap water treated with AmQuel. CO2 is injected into the tank using a DIY CO2 setup consisting of 2 x 1 liter bottles for CO2 generation and an Inline DIY CO2 Reactor powered by an 80 GPH water pump. With this setup the CO2 averages between 45-60ppm. I currently dose dry fertilizers based on a slightly modified EI method. Since there is Nitrates in the tap water, I skip the first dose of KNO3 after the water change and dose some extra K2SO4 to make up for the Potassium that would have been dosed with the KNO3. Exact amounts vary slightly as I work to find the best balance for dosing to obtain good plant growth and minimize algae.

I’ve had the best luck with Anubias Nana by tying it to a piece of driftwood and allowing it to attach. This avoids the problems with accidentally burying the rhizome too deep. This usually results in the rhizome rotting which kills the plant. Rocks would work well too, but I tend to prefer using driftwood in my tanks.

Under these conditions the Anubias Nana will put out an average of one new leaf per growth point per week. It puts out more leaves when I’ve recent trimmed several older leaves that have started looking tattered and more slowly when in bloom. Since it is such a slow growing plant and the leaves last for such a long time, it can be prone to algae. I find that mine usually either suffers from BBA (Black Brush Algae) or GSA (Green Spot Algae). This can be minimized by ensuring that there are other faster growing plants providing it with shade, as the shaded leaves tend to have less algae problems than the ones under direct light. I’ve also found that spot treating the leaves with Flourish Excel with kill the algae within a couple days of treatment, allowing the snails to clean them. When a leaf has become too tattered I trim it by cutting the stem as close as possible to the rhizome with a pair of sharp scissors.

In good growing conditions an Anubias Nana may decide to send out a flower. I’ve found that mine usually starts putting out flowers once the rhizome is between 4 to 6 inches long. At first the emerging flower will look like another new leaf but within a couple of days it’s readily apparent that you are looking at some different. The bud is sent up towards the surface of the water on a long thin stem. Usually the bud will open about a week after it is first spotted and resembles a tiny Calla Lilly bloom. It will remain in bloom for over a month before finally dying off. Apparently it is very difficult to get seeds from an Anubias unless it is being grown emersed and requires that two flowers must bloom 2-3 days apart to be able to be successfully pollinated. If the Anubias is being grown submersed the flowers may open once they’ve reached the surface or the may bloom under water. Either way, the blooms are very beautiful and fascinating to watch develop. So far my Anubias Nana has bloomed twice and is in the process of sending out its third bloom.

Anubias Nana is one of several plants that are excellent for beginners due to their durable nature and ability to survive in a variety of conditions including extremely low light. I would recommend anyone with an interest in aquatic plants give it a try.

Bibliography

PlantGeek.Net 2002-2006, Plant Guide [On-line] http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php, July 28^th, 2006

Tropica.Com Tropica Aquarium Plants A/S [On-line] http://www.tropica.com/default.asp, July 28, 2006

AquaticPlantCentral.Com, Anubias seeds?? [On-line] http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/new-to-aquarium-plants/10868-anubias-seeds.html, July 31, 2006