Anubias on Driftwood

Anubias on Driftwood (Anubias barteri) is the finished version of the job most people put off. The rhizome is already attached to a natural piece of driftwood, rooted in and growing, so there is no glue, no thread, and no waiting to see whether it took. Set it in the tank and you have an instant hardscape feature that needs low light, no CO2, and no substrate. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to build out the tank.

Care Guide

• Nothing to plant. The rhizome is already fixed to the wood and must stay that way, above the substrate and in open water. Do not bury the wood or press the rhizome into gravel.
• Light: Low to moderate. Anubias is a shade plant, and leaves that sit on the tank for months will collect algae under strong light.
• CO2 and fertilizer: Neither is required. It feeds from the water column, so an occasional dose of Seachem Flourish is plenty. Root tabs do nothing for it.
• Water: 72 to 82F, pH 6.0 to 8.0, soft or hard. It adapts to almost anything as long as conditions stay stable.
• New tanks: Fresh driftwood can leach tannins and tint the water a light tea color for the first few weeks. It is harmless, and water changes or activated carbon clear it if you would rather not have it.
• Growth: Slow, roughly a leaf a month. The plant will keep spreading along the wood on its own over time.

Specifications

Driftwood is a natural material, so the exact shape, size, and leaf count of the piece you take home will differ from the photo.

Placement and Companions

Drop it in the midground where the wood can be seen and the leaves have open water above them. Because the whole piece is portable, it is an easy way to add height and cover to a bare tank, and it can be lifted straight out at cleaning time without disturbing anything else. It is completely shrimp safe, a favorite resting spot for bettas, and tough enough to survive goldfish, large cichlids, and turtles.

For the same idea on stone, see Anubias on Lava Rock or Java Fern on Lava Rock. If you would rather attach your own, the potted plants are Anubias Nana and Anubias Barteri, and we stock bare Malaysian Driftwood to mount them on. Java Moss on the lower part of the same branch gives you a second texture at the same light level.

Recommended Supplies

• Seachem Flourish, the water-column fertilizer this plant actually uses.
• Batman Nerite Snail to keep algae off the slow-growing leaves.
• Seachem Flourish Glue for adding more plants to the same piece of wood.
• Malaysian Driftwood to extend the scape around it.

FAQ

Does the wood need to be soaked or boiled first?
No. The plant is already growing on it and the piece has been submerged in our system. Boiling it now would kill the Anubias.

Will it float?
Waterlogged driftwood normally sinks on its own. If a piece is still buoyant when you get it home, wedge it under a rock for a few days until it takes on enough water to stay down.

Can I move the plant off the wood?
You can cut the rhizome free, but there is rarely a reason to. The roots grip the wood hard once established, and pulling them loose does more damage than leaving it alone.

Why is it growing so slowly?
That is normal for Anubias. A leaf a month is healthy. In exchange you get a plant that never needs trimming, never melts, and tolerates almost any water.

Is it safe with fish and shrimp?
Yes, completely. The leaves make excellent grazing surface for shrimp and resting pads for bettas, and the wood itself gives plecos and shrimp a surface to graze biofilm from.