Anubias Barteri - Potted

Anubias Barteri is the plant we hand to people who say they kill plants. Thick, broad, deep-green leaves on a creeping rhizome, happy in almost no light, indifferent to water chemistry, and tough enough that goldfish and cichlids leave it alone. It grows slowly and lives practically forever, making it the backbone plant for low-tech tanks, betta setups, and hardscape-heavy aquascapes. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to round out the tank.

Care Guide

• The one rule: never bury the rhizome. The thick horizontal stem the leaves grow from must stay exposed, or it rots. Attach it to rock or driftwood with super glue gel or thread, or wedge it into hardscape gaps. Roots in the water are fine.
• Light: low to moderate. It is one of the few plants that genuinely thrives in dim tanks; strong light mostly grows algae on its slow-growing leaves.
• Water parameters: 72 to 82°F, pH 6.0 to 8.0, soft or hard. It adapts to nearly anything stable.
• Fertilizer: a water-column feeder. Occasional dosing with Seachem Flourish keeps new leaves coming; no substrate or root tabs needed.
• Growth and propagation: slow, a leaf or two a month. When the rhizome gets long, cut it into pieces with a few leaves each and every piece becomes a new plant.
• Algae on leaves: the price of slow growth. Keep light modest and let nerite snails polish the leaves.

Specifications

Placement & Companions

Glue it to driftwood at mid-height, tuck it into rock crevices, or line cave entrances; anywhere too shaded for other plants is exactly where Anubias shines. It is the classic betta plant (the broad leaves double as resting pads), completely shrimp safe, and one of the only plants that survives goldfish, large cichlids, and turtles. For a smaller-leaved version of the same look, see Anubias Nana Gold, and ask in store about our other anubias varieties, we usually have several on hand.

Recommended Supplies

• Seachem Flourish water-column fertilizer
• Batman Nerite Snail leaf-polishing crew

FAQ

Can I plant it in gravel or sand?
Only if the rhizome sits on top of the substrate with just the thin roots buried. Bury the rhizome itself and the plant slowly rots. Attaching to hardscape is safer and looks better.

Why is it growing so slowly?
That is Anubias. A leaf or two per month is healthy. The trade-off is a plant that never needs trimming, never melts, and never demands anything.

Will my goldfish or cichlids eat it?
Almost never. The leaves are thick and bitter, which is why Anubias is the go-to plant for tanks that destroy everything else.

My anubias flowered underwater. Is that normal?
Yes, and it is a good sign. Healthy Anubias regularly produce a white, peace-lily-like flower fully submerged.