My Anubias Rocks!

[Lady Hobbs]

I got my first bunch of anubias 3 years ago and tied it to some driftwood. It did "nothing". It didn't die but neither did it grow (anything but algae). It was in a 29 gallon under a coralife fixture of 36 watts.

Then I bought some awesome anubias from one of our wonderful members several months ago. I had a big die off, lost tons of leaves and thought for sure they wouldn't make it. Those were under a Nova light fixture in a 55 gallon.

Six weeks ago I said to heck with this and threw them all in a 55 gallon, unplanted tank with nothing but a crappy old shop light. These things took off like you wouldn't believe. Everyone of them is full of new leaves and the roots are spreading like crazy. Their problem was too much light!

So if you have crappy lights and want to try some plants attached to driftwood, these guys should do it for you.

I will take a photo when I get some batteries for my camera so don't yell at me.

[ScottishFish]

Can't wait to see them!! Ive got some java moss and ferns on some wood the now, im hoping they take

[Lady Hobbs]

I don't do well with those either. They are in the tanks I removed the anubias from and perhaps too much light for them, as well.

[Joonkun]

intersting, do you know the specific sp of anubias you have? just curious because i grow mine in 2.8 watts and it does fine=/ im wonder if some are less light tolerant.

[cardiocentric]

So happy to hear success from someone else with these!!! Easily one of my favorite aquarium plants as well, so easy to propagate and take care of... not to mention they look wonderful. I finally found a solution to the brown algae/sludge on the leaves problem. When doing a water change, I usually just rub the leaves gently and it comes right off... no dips or anything else needed! I think you're totally right about lighting, Lady Hobbs.

[Lady Hobbs]

That brown that wipes off sounds like diatoms. My plants started getting green spot algae as soon as I gave them better lights. I thought I was being nice to them but guess they didn't think so. :)

[cardiocentric]

someone else in the algae forum told me that was what that was... good to know. ALSO i don't know if you've had this problem yet, but make sure to pay attention to the leaves that are overlapped by larger leaves with the anubias.. they may like low light but i've had a few who have gotten scraggly looking if they're constantly obscured by an upper leaf on the plant. i've clipped those diseased leaves and things went back to normal, but i am wondering if maybe if i had left it alone if it would've been bad for the plant?

[Lady Hobbs]

Mine get moved about the tank some each week when I clean so what might be shaded this week may not be next. The rhizome on some of mine started to rot when I first got them and I cut them back to good green areas again and that seemed to give them a lift too.

[Knightia]

I had real problems with my anubias growing brown algae on the leaves. Impossible to remove without damaging the plant.

The cure? Otocinclus! They cleared my tank in about 48 hours. Wonderful little fish, I don't know how I ever kept tanks without them before! :shappy:

[Lady Hobbs]

I have ottos but they did nothing for the green spot algae that my anubias was getting. A dip in bleach water took care of it and then I put them in a tank with less light. Now they are under a shop light is all and perking right up and getting good growth.

[ldoerr]

I used to have java ferns and anubias and moss in my 29g tank with a standard kit light. The plants just about died and I was about to toss them but decided that my bettas might like them. I do not have a light of any sort on my betta tanks. The plants came back to life and are constantly getting baby plantlets on them. I think that some plants do better in tanks that have no light what so ever. My betta tanks do not even get sun from a window or anything even. I leave the light off in that room most of the time but my java fern is as healthy as posible.

[wijnands]

Say ladyhobs, how much did you have on them then?

[PhillipOrigami]

I found that out too. One of my anubias was out in the light. It died and yellowed back and was covered in diatoms and never grew. There was another one out of the light sort of in the dark and it is growing like mad.

[Lady Hobbs]

Say ladyhobs, how much did you have on them then?

108 WATTS of T5HO over 48".

[genocidex]

hmmmm thats the same light as im going to be using..... looks like im staying away from those lol thanks for the heads up

[Lady Hobbs]

Probably would have been ok if they were under taller plants so they were shaded a bit but I had them on driftwood right in the center of the tank so they got the full light.