Anubias
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Anubias is widely considered a staple, beginner-friendly plant in the aquarium hobby, prized for its extreme hardiness and low-maintenance requirements. As an epiphyte, it is typically attached to hardscape like driftwood or rocks rather than buried. While it is generally a slow grower, it is exceptionally resilient—capable of surviving in low-light conditions or even being stored in dark buckets for extended periods. Once established, it can be easily propagated by dividing the rhizome, and long-term success can lead to occasional flowering.
Pros
- Extremely hardy; can survive significant neglect and low-light environments.
- Easy to propagate by simply cutting or dividing the rhizome.
- Versatile placement; thrives when glued or tied to driftwood, rocks, or cholla wood.
- Long-lived; some users report keeping the same plant for over 15 years.
- Generally resistant to being eaten or uprooted by fish once established.
Cons
- Slow growth rate makes leaves susceptible to persistent algae growth.
- Leaves may 'melt' or die off if they are damaged during shipping.
- Can be 'choked out' or covered by faster-growing mosses and epiphytes if not managed.
Caveats
- Flowering is highly unpredictable; some plants flower constantly while others may never flower again after an initial bloom.
- Rhizomes should not be buried in substrate as they can rot; they prefer being anchored to surfaces.
- May require supplemental potassium dosing if the plant's health begins to decline.
- Algae issues on leaves often require spot treatment with products like Flourish Excel.
Best for
- Beginner aquarists looking for 'unkillable' plants.
- Low-tech and low-light aquarium setups.
- Aquascapes featuring heavy hardscape (wood and stone) rather than deep substrate.
Avoid if
- You want a fast-growing plant to quickly fill a large volume of space.
- You prefer a high-maintenance 'carpet' look (Anubias takes a very long time to carpet).
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is older, with a median source age of approximately 431 days; however, because Anubias is a stable biological entity, this older data remains highly relevant.
Sentiment
15 positive (71%) · 3 mixed (14%) · 3 negative (14%)
Trust + time weighted score: +60% · raw score 57%
What redditors said (10 of 21)
Heck, my anubias seem to grow faster.
I think I had a really easy time with anubias glued on wood
Although slow growing, it can choke them out/cover rhizomes. Especially epiphytes like anubias, buce, as well as others.
When i first started my tank I couldn't get enough anubias now im over flowing with it.
The ones i have is Java ferns normal and green variants, Anubias and Lagenandra Meeboldii red and green.
If you want plants on the bottom coin leaf anubius does great in lowlight and with a long, long time it would carpet nicely.
my anubias which were also going down the drain did in fact improve from dosing a potassium only fert
Limnophila sessiliflora, Java ferns, Java moss (you can buy big established clumps from fish shops) , anubias. Elodea canadensis if you like the look of it, very beginner friendly and they grow so fast and spread alot so just make sure to trim the ones that you dont want to get too big.
My seventeen years old anubias is constantly growing and, for the last few years, constantly flowering with at least ten flowers at all times.
bought a bunch of anubias a while back, one of them had its leaves damaged in shipping and eventually melted off, the rhizome/roots fell behind some driftwood, maybe it'll eventually grow again lol
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