How to AquaScape With Anubias

[BiGBlak]

Im stumped on how to aquascape with anubias. I see all these nice tanks usisng anubias and making bushes and stuff but how do they do that any ideas ? I have a bunch of anubias and i cant figure out how to even start making it look nice together and natural. Anyone ? Im pretty tired of my anubias just floating or sunk to the bottom not looking nice at all ...

[MCHRKiller]

Post a pic of the tank as it is now and I am sure that people will be willing to give you some ideas to improve your scape. There are many different types of anubias, you can use tall species for the backdrop and smaller shorter forms attached to items and planted(rhizome exposed of course).

[BiGBlak]

Here is one of the full tank not recent but basically what it looks like. I took a few out and put them in my 55g and those are also floating. HELP LOL.
http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy190/BiGBlakSter/150.jpg

[BiGBlak]

Im going for a all anubias tank but taking ideas as well. I seen a nice all anubias tank on youtube tht inspired me but mine isnt going to come out anywhere close to that because all my plants are short.
Heres and idea of how i want my tank to be minus my driftwood.
Something simular in my own way .
5EQk9SPL_vM

[nmb7895]

Anubias take FOREVER to grow

I've had mine for 6+ months and I have yet to see any new growth or anything. It just sits there... existing

A tank with that sort of style (as the video) could probably be accomplished much faster (and easier) with a few Amazon swords. For me, those things have grown gigantic under absolutely dreadful lighting conditions, and incredibly fast. I started with a tiny little Petco "tube plant" Amazon sword (started at maybe 3 inches high) which now takes up half of my 25 gallon aquarium with only 4 months time and bare minimum light (now it's 20 inches tall almost growing out of the top of the tank!).

[Brhino]

I don't think any aquascape looks fantastic until the plants have had a chance to grow into their surroundings, and anubis are indeed slow growers. I think what you've got started will look nice and full once they grow in, but that will take months. You may want some faster growing plants to help fill things out in the mean time.

[Lady Hobbs]

There are different kinds of anubius, as well. Some remain small and some grow taller, like the anubius congensis.

You tank looks fine other than all those ties showing. Take the rest of what you have and add to the wood too and make it look nice and full. You have lots of space to add even more. And while it is attached with those ties, get some black polyester coarse thread OR some fishing line and tie it down and then remove those ties.

Don't tell me you can not do this! LOL

Mine is finally doing something after 3 years! It needed more light than I had thought.

[Lady Hobbs]

BTW.....I use a stapler gun but I think I mentioned that previously? Not a paper stapler but a household staple gun. And I adjust the settings so the staple does not go in tight. You will not hurt the rhizomes that way.

When the plant attaches, I just pop out the staples. Only takes one staple for each.

[BiGBlak]

Your anubias looks great in your tank LH, I may go out and buy a stapler gun if i can find one cheap or see if my grandpa has one i remeber him having one. About the ties they are about ready to come off i believe i had them on for about 2 almost 3 weeks already anubias should have attached by now. I have 3 types of anubias in my tank Nana,Bateri,and Broad Leaf. I have been seeing new grow as they have been floating in the tank forever and roots have gotton alot longer but i know they are extremely slow growers. Does anyone know if they seel XL anubias anywhere ? I think i saw some at one of my LFS but it was all chewed up and they wanted $18 each not sure what kind it was tho. I would do amazon swords in that tank but would my cichlids uproot ( i just did the swap) them ? i dont have much of a depth in subtrate in that tank maybe a inch and a half if that will amazons roots do well ? Thanks for the replies im going to try everything thats put on here . By the way i would see in some tanks but not with detail that the rhizome seems to be weighed dwn some how and the plants are kind of stacked on each other if anyone knows how to do that that would be great in starting like a bush or something in my tank.

[MCHRKiller]

aquariumplants.com has some great anubias...and a quite a few different types. I also think it must be mentioned that anubias are low light "tollerant" doesnt mean they specifically thrive in poor lighting. They actually do their best growth in medium spectrum lighting.

My 100G used to have a wall of A.congensis, along the back they actually make excellent background plants.

[BiGBlak]

aquariumplants.com has some great anubias...and a quite a few different types. I also think it must be mentioned that anubias are low light "tollerant" doesnt mean they specifically thrive in poor lighting. They actually do their best growth in medium spectrum lighting.

My 100G used to have a wall of A.congensis, along the back they actually make excellent background plants.
Their sold out =[ I will keep checking tho unless another idea comes up for a background plant.

[MCHRKiller]

There are other tall anubias other than just A.congensis, here are some links

A.frazeri grows to around 10" tall in most cases
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Frazeri_Anubias_Frazeri_p/an370.htm
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Anubias_minima_p/an-1123.htm
A.minima grows to around 10-12" as well
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Anubias_Congensis_Anubias_Congensis_p/po198.htm
A.congensis is a bit smaller than the XXL one
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Lanceolota_Anubias_lanceolota_p/an604.htm
A.lanceolota is another very tall anubias
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Gigantea_Anubias_gigantea_p/an050.htm
A.gigantea...my fav of the tall anubias this sucker will get huge in time


The XXL plants are huge, but not worth their cost as many are grown emersed. I have never received a small anubias from aquariuplants, even these regular sized ones will be 8-10" tall when you receive it.

[Alasse]

Love anubias! I have it in low light and medium light. I personally think the low/ambient light ones look nicer

[BiGBlak]

Whats a better background plant ? Anubias Lanceolata Or Anubias Congenisis? My plan is to put them in each corner of my 55g decisions decisions . . .

[MCHRKiller]

Both are very tall growing, lanceolata has longer thinner leaves while congensis developes more of a large wide leaf on a long stem.

[BiGBlak]

Both are very tall growing, lanceolata has longer thinner leaves while congensis developes more of a large wide leaf on a long stem.
im in between getting those or putting val in the back corners im not sure tho which do you think will look better ? i tied anubias to my driftwood and thats all right now still plan to add dwarf sag to fill up the ground. so basically anubias sag and val or just another type of anubias .

[MCHRKiller]

If it is for your 55G with better lighting and substrate I would go for the Vals personally.

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

As MCHRKiller said, if you give them good light, decent ferts in the water column and Co2 they grow pretty quickly. Not stem plant quick but quick enough. Here is one that started off as a 3 leaf cutting from one of my other plants that I just jammed into a crack on this chunk of driftwood. I just recently sold it to a fellow hobbyist with a bigger tank since it was getting way too big for my tank footprint. It essentially cut the tank in half. I have a whole bunch of anubias in my tank and have split off probably about 10-15 separate plants with 3-4 inch rhizomes over the summer from 2 other anubias and am about to chop off another couple very soon.

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/CGY_Betta_Guy/Misc%20Aquarium/IMG_0831.jpg
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/CGY_Betta_Guy/Misc%20Aquarium/IMG_0833.jpg
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/CGY_Betta_Guy/Misc%20Aquarium/IMG_0835.jpg

[frefal13]

Have you considered Hygrophila difformis(Wisteria)? I have some in my 10 gallon and it grows very fast and would make a nice background. I really like the way it looks too.

[BiGBlak]

As MCHRKiller said, if you give them good light, decent ferts in the water column and Co2 they grow pretty quickly. Not stem plant quick but quick enough. Here is one that started off as a 3 leaf cutting from one of my other plants that I just jammed into a crack on this chunk of driftwood. I just recently sold it to a fellow hobbyist with a bigger tank since it was getting way too big for my tank footprint. It essentially cut the tank in half. I have a whole bunch of anubias in my tank and have split off probably about 10-15 separate plants with 3-4 inch rhizomes over the summer from 2 other anubias and am about to chop off another couple very soon.

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/CGY_Betta_Guy/Misc%20Aquarium/IMG_0831.jpg
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/CGY_Betta_Guy/Misc%20Aquarium/IMG_0833.jpg
http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/CGY_Betta_Guy/Misc%20Aquarium/IMG_0835.jpg
Thats some killer anubias hopefully mine will grow like that! what do you dose your tank with ? i havent bought any ferts yet all i have is flourish excel. Plants are completely new and im not sure if im going about right at this moment thats why im starting off with anubias even though its like one of my favorite plants because its hardy easy and i seen some fantastic scapes with just anubias. If your ever selling any pm me i might be interested down the road.

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

I dose pretty much the whole line of seachem fertilization liquids after a water change which is about every 3 -4 weeks or so. But my tanks are very heavily planted and not likely to give me algae issues with excess nutrients in the water column. If you are doing an Anubias only tank I dont think you would need more than the main fluorish fert if that. Water changes would probably bring in enough for them to grow. I think the biggest key is Co2... if you dont currently inject Co2 in the tank I suggest giving it a shot using DIY Co2 setup. I never found Fluorish Excel (which is a alternative carbon source) to help much for growth in my anubias.

Unfortunately I dont believe I would be able to sell you any of my anubias since I am up in Canada. Pretty sure your USDA would discard it coming across the border and I am not going to go through the trouble of becoming licensed etc to be able to do it.

[BiGBlak]

Is there a specific way to make anubias attach to driftwood or eventually in time it will just take it over ? Because right now im trying to make a bush like anubias for the center of my tank using some driftwood with about 5 or 6 separate rhizomes and about only a few fit in the few creveses that the wood has. If so what would be a easier way to make a bush like anubias with combined rhizomes ? i really wanna make that happen in my tank ... Im also going to attach some nana to some lava rock to make little bushes for the ground.

[Lady Hobbs]

Are you STILL trying to attach that anubias to your wood after how long now......two weeks? How will it ever attach if you don't get it anchored to the wood?

[BiGBlak]

Are you STILL trying to attach that anubias to your wood after how long now......two weeks? How will it ever attach if you don't get it anchored to the wood?
LOL LH i have some attached the way i like them (in my 55g by the way not the 40) their not going anywhere and im leaving them alone. I have some well alot of extras when bunched up in my hand will make an awesome nice sized bush for the center of my tank that im trying to create. I just asked because i was told its best if its stuck in the crevasses of the wood to attach. i will take pics and show you once i get this figured out :hmm3grin2orange:

[Lady Hobbs]

I don't know how great they'd look or grow jammed together like a bridal bouquet.

[BiGBlak]

I don't know how great they'd look or grow jammed together like a bridal bouquet.
you see bettaguys pic the page back ? im going for something like that i would love something like that .