Anubias Minima is well known aquarium plant. It is widely distributed in West Africa including Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Bioko, Gabon and Democratic Republic of the Congo. In nature it occurs in wet forested areas generally along the banks of streams, rivers and marshes. It forms dense population on river banks and forest rivulets in immersed, semi immersed and totally submerged condition where it often shares the same habitat with Bolbitis heudelotii and Crinum natans. Today, it is cultivated across the world, for use in aquariums and paludariums. It prefers more shady locations, with less light, where it can show all its exuberance.
Anubias Minima is a great mid-ground plant with long slender leaves that add outstanding contrast to your aquarium masterpiece. It is an amphibious flowering plant that has lush green arrow shaped foliage with leaf-stem or petiole up to 35 cm (14 inch) long. The leaves are thick dark green with a leather like appearance. Some diagonal lines are present which run from the center vein to the outer edge of the arrow or oval shaped leaves. The underside of the leaf is a lighter green than the top and the veins are clearly visible. The leaves are up to 21 cm (8 inch) long and 9 cm (3.5 inch) wide. This plant can reach 30-50 cm in height with thick creeping rhizome in aquarium condition. It is more suitable for large tanks in background position and for ponds in warm environments. Usually it produces 4-8 leaves per year. In emerged condition the leaves tend to be larger and its growth is faster. Sometimes it produces flower in submerged or partially submerged condition. It produces flowers which last a long time, often several months. In submerged condition, its flowers also produce seeds.
Scientific name: Anubias barteri var glabra minima
Common name: Anubias Minima
Origin: Africa
Placement: Mid-ground
Propagation: Rhizome division, seed or leaf cutting
Height: 30-50 cm
Water pH: 6-8
Water Hardness: 3-7 dGH
Temperature: 75-86 0F (24-300C)
Lighting: Low to medium
Growth: Slow
Anubias Minima (Anubias barteri var glabra minima) is a popular mid-ground aquarium plant among the aquarium fish keepers. It was first described by N. E. Brown in 1901. It belongs to the family Araceae under order Alismatales of Angiospers group. The genus ‘Anubias’ was named after the Egyptian god Anubis, the god of the afterlife. Synonym of this plant is Anubias lanceolata N. E. Brown.
Anubias Minima is an undemanding and is ideal for both beginners and experienced fish keepers due to its minimum requirements and hardiness. It adapts to a wide range of conditions including low light or high light. The lighting should be 2 to 3 watts per gallons of water provided by a fluorescent fixture with daylight bulbs. The light should be consistently on 10-14 hours a day. Sand, gravel, dirt or decorative stones can be used for its better growth. It can grow in a shade tank with very low lighting or high lighting condition. For optimum growth, the tank should have good water chemistry with pH of 6.0-8.0, hardness of 3.0-7.0 dGH, temperature of 75-86 0F (24 – 30 0C). This plant should be attached to hardscape such as wood or rocks and substrate. To avoid algae growth it should be planted in more shaded areas. It gives a beautiful green color in aquarium condition. It can be housed in an aquarium with or without the use of fertilizers. Fertilization and iron supplement encourage optimal growth. Without iron and CO2, it grows slowly with one leaf per month. But at the right condition it produces two or more leaves per month. In this case care should be taken to avoid more algae growth on the leaves. This plant makes a welcome addition to any planted aquarium because the leaves are not very tasty to plant-eating fish. They typically grow in running water, but it can also grow in standing water. It is best suited to a medium to larger aquarium and should be placed in the mid-ground to background position in aquarium. It can be placed in an aquarium with rough species such as African and Malawi Cichlids due to its tough and durability. When it is planted in aquarium special care should be taken of the rhizome and the roots. The rhizome should not be buried beneath the substrate as it rots or die off.
Anubias Minima is a gorgeous aquatic plant among the aquarium enthusiasts due to its deep green coloration, hardiness and easy to care for. It grows easily in variety of aquarium or terrarium conditions. It is ideal for both beginners and experienced pet fish keepers. Its slender, compact leaves make the aquarium more attractive among the aquarium fish lovers. It also produces flowers in aquarium condition which also gives an extra recreational value of the aquarium. It is available in local pet fish shops and online vendor.
Propagation is easily done in aquarium condition with proper care. It is done by cutting the rhizome or by separating side shoots. During propagation simply cut the rhizome into two or more pieces with at least three leaves per rhizome. When it is placed in a substrate, make sure that the rhizome is always above the surface until the rhizome has developed. Otherwise it becomes rot and the plants die off. After few days the new cutting produce roots and anchors it to the substrate itself and begins growing. Rarely, it can do sexual reproduction through seed production.
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Aquarium Plants
by Aquatic Mag Time to read: 5 min