Quick answer: Anubias is one of the toughest, most beginner-friendly aquarium plants there is, so hardy it is named after the Egyptian god of the dead and often called almost impossible to kill. But there is exactly one way people do kill it: burying the rhizome. Anubias grows from a thick horizontal stem called a rhizome, and if you bury that rhizome in the substrate, it rots and the plant dies. So you attach anubias to rock or driftwood, or rest it so the rhizome sits above the substrate, and only its roots go into the gravel. Do that, give it low to moderate light (high light just grows algae on its slow leaves), and it thrives for years with almost no effort.
Anubias at a glance
| Detail | Anubias |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Anubias sp. (barteri, nana, and more) |
| Type | Rhizome plant, attached to hardscape |
| Light | Low to moderate, not high |
| CO2 | Not needed |
| Temperature | 72 to 82 F (22 to 28 C) |
| pH | 6.0 to 7.5, very adaptable |
| Growth rate | Very slow |
| Placement | Attached to wood or rock, rhizome above the substrate |
| Care level | Very easy, great for beginners |
The one rule: never bury the rhizome
If you remember one thing about anubias, make it this. Look at your plant and you will see the leaves growing from a thick, horizontal green stem. That is the rhizome, and it is the life force of the plant, storing energy and sprouting new leaves and roots. It must stay above the substrate. Bury it, and it suffocates, rots, and takes the whole plant with it. This is by far the most common way people kill an otherwise unkillable plant.
The wiry roots that grow down from the rhizome are a different story. Those you can push into gravel or sand to anchor the plant. It is only the thick green rhizome that must never be covered.
You have two good ways to place anubias:
- Attach it to hardscape. This is the best method. Tie or glue the rhizome to a rock, a piece of driftwood, or decor using dark cotton thread or a dab of aquarium-safe super glue gel. Over time the roots grip the surface on their own and you can remove the thread. Our fish tank decorations guide covers safe wood and rock.
- Anchor it at substrate level. If you want it to look planted in the foreground, attach it to a small stone first and set that stone on the sand, or rest the rhizome on top of the substrate with the roots reaching down. Just keep the rhizome itself visible.
Anubias rot: what happens if you get it wrong
If your anubias looks like it is falling apart at the base and the rhizome feels soft, mushy, or translucent, that is rhizome rot, often called anubias rot. It is almost always caused by the rhizome being buried or damaged, or by very unstable water conditions.
The fix is to act fast. Take the plant out, and with a clean, sharp blade cut away every soft, brown, or mushy part until you are left with only firm, healthy green tissue, then re-attach the healthy piece to your hardscape. Because rot can spread along the rhizome, do not leave any mushy sections attached. We go through this in detail, including what to do when it has already set in, in our guide to Anubias rot.
Anubias and algae: keep it in lower light
Here is the honest catch with anubias. Because it grows so slowly and its leaves are tough and long-lasting, those leaves are magnets for algae, especially black beard algae. And counterintuitively, strong light makes this worse, not better. The plant does not grow fast enough to use up all that light, so the excess just feeds algae on its old leaves.
So the trick is to keep anubias in low to moderate light, and ideally in a shaded spot, under floating plants or on the lower parts of driftwood. Keep the water clean and moving gently past it, and wipe algae off the older leaves when you do maintenance. If your tank has high light, pair anubias with fast-growing plants that soak up the excess nutrients. If black beard algae has already taken hold on the leaves, our black beard algae guide covers how to deal with it.
Anubias care requirements
Once the rhizome and lighting are sorted, anubias is genuinely low-effort.
- Light: low to moderate. It is one of the best plants for dim, low-tech tanks and belongs in our low light aquarium plants guide. Remember, high light mostly means algae here.
- CO2: not needed. Anubias grows fine with no CO2 injection, though it will grow a little faster with it.
- Fertilizer: optional. Anubias feeds mostly from the water column and is not a heavy feeder, so it does not need a nutrient-rich substrate. A little liquid fertilizer, or a root tab if it is anchored in gravel, keeps it healthy. Our DIY root tabs guide is handy if you want to make your own.
- Water: very adaptable. It handles soft or hard water, a wide pH range, and tropical temperatures, so stable, clean water matters more than exact numbers.
It is a slow grower, and that is normal
Anubias is famously slow. Producing one new leaf every two to three weeks is completely normal, so do not mistake slow growth for a problem. If you see no new growth at all for months, that is your cue to check the basics: make sure the rhizome is not buried, that it has at least minimal light, and add a little fertilizer. Otherwise, patience is simply part of keeping anubias.
New plants also often shed a few leaves when you first add them. Most anubias is grown emersed (above water) at the nursery, so when it goes fully underwater some of the old leaves melt while the plant grows new, submersed ones. That is normal, so leave the rhizome in place and wait for the fresh growth.
Anubias varieties
Anubias comes in a range of sizes, so you can pick one to fit your tank.
| Variety | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Anubias nana petite | Tiny, 1 to 2 in | Perfect for nano tanks and foregrounds |
| Anubias nana | Small | The classic, easy all-rounder |
| Anubias barteri | Medium to large | A common, robust midground plant |
| Anubias coffeefolia | Medium | Textured leaves with coffee-colored new growth |
| Anubias congensis | Large | Tall, narrow leaves for the background |
| Anubias hastifolia | Large | Arrow-shaped leaves for bigger tanks |
How to attach and propagate anubias
Attaching is simple: hold the rhizome against a rock or piece of wood and secure it with dark thread or a dab of super glue gel, and the plant does the rest as its roots grip on.
Propagating is just as easy and is one of the best things about anubias. Once the rhizome is a few inches long with plenty of leaves, take the plant out, and with a clean blade cut the rhizome into pieces, leaving at least three or four healthy leaves and some roots on each section. Re-attach the pieces to new spots, keeping the rhizome exposed, and you have free plants. Anubias is also semi-aquatic, so it grows happily emersed in a paludarium, where it may even flower.
Best tanks and uses for anubias
Anubias is a genuine all-rounder. Its hardiness and tough, leathery leaves make it ideal for beginner and low-tech tanks, nano and shrimp tanks, betta setups, and even tanks with goldfish and cichlids that would shred softer plants, since most fish leave anubias alone. It is perfect for adding green to driftwood and rock, and for shaded spots where fussier plants would struggle.
Common anubias problems
- A mushy, rotting base. The rhizome is buried or damaged. Cut back to firm green tissue and keep the rhizome exposed.
- Algae covering the leaves. Too much light for such a slow grower. Move it to shade, lower the light, and improve flow.
- No new growth for a long time. Check that the rhizome is not buried, give it some light, and add fertilizer. Then be patient, since it is naturally slow.
- Leaves melting on a new plant. Normal as it switches from emersed to submersed growth. Leave the rhizome in and wait for new leaves.
FAQ
Can you bury anubias in the substrate?
Not the rhizome. You can push the thin roots into gravel or sand to anchor the plant, but the thick green rhizome must stay above the substrate, or it will rot and the plant will die. It is best attached to rock or driftwood.
Why is my anubias melting or rotting?
Rhizome rot is almost always caused by burying or damaging the rhizome, or by very unstable water. Cut away all the soft, mushy tissue back to firm green, and re-attach the healthy part with the rhizome exposed. A few melting leaves on a brand new plant, though, is just the normal switch from emersed to submersed growth.
Does anubias need CO2 or fertilizer?
No. Anubias grows fine with no CO2 and no special substrate, since it feeds mostly from the water. A little liquid fertilizer or a root tab helps, but neither is required.
Why is my anubias getting algae or black beard algae?
Because it grows slowly, its tough leaves collect algae easily, and strong light makes it worse rather than growing the plant faster. Keep anubias in low to moderate light and shade, keep the water clean, and wipe the older leaves.
How fast does anubias grow?
Very slowly. One new leaf every two to three weeks is normal. If it produces nothing for months, check the rhizome is not buried, give it light, and add fertilizer.
Is anubias good for beginners?
Yes, it is one of the best beginner plants: hardy, low light, no CO2 needed, and tolerant of almost any water. The only real rule is to never bury the rhizome.
