A unique tropical plant anubias, the content of the aquarium does not need many years of experience, decorates any benthic composition with the participation of other plants and accessories for pets. Its bright green leaves of diverse shapes create a real jungle in a city apartment, accessible to everyone.
Aquarium plant anubias - description
The exact characteristic of the appearance of anubias depends on the particular species. Plants such as anubias originally grew in the humid tropics: in Ghana, Guyana, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon and Guinea. The common features inherent in all varieties are:
- scant number of leaves;
- smooth stalks on which can grow short soft thorns;
- lanceolate leaves at the root (one of the species even has the corresponding name - anubias lanceolate);
- on the top the leaves are oval, ellipsoidal or triangular in shape;
- pronounced juice veins on the main shoot;
- the ability to live both in water and partly over it.
How does anubias blossom?
With the decorative characteristics of hydrophyte leaves, only its flowers can be argued. Blossoming anubias occurs at least once a month under favorable conditions. The appearance of flowers is incredibly exotic:
- They help to determine the exact name of the plant. They are distinguished by the colors, so the aquarists are trying to bloom, in order to understand what they planted.
- Inflorescence consists of "cob" and "veil". "Bedspread" - the petal frames the stamen - "cob", the length of which can be 3-4 cm.
- Depending on the form, the sex of the plant varies. To find out to which sex anubias belongs, the content in the aquarium should take time until the first flowering. The flattened shape of the flower indicates that there is a "boy" in front of the aquarist, and a round one characterizes the "girl".
Anubias - Species
The exact classification of the main varieties was produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew in the UK. With it, all the species brought from the tropics, able to live at home, were taken into account. Among the plants of the anubias species in the aquarium, you can plant the following:
- affcelius;
- variegated;
- angustifolia;
- lanceolate;
- congensis;
- caffeine;
- pangolin;
- Hastiffolia.
Anubias lanceolate
Anubias lanceolata even experienced aquarists can confuse with the narrow-leaved Anubias barteri, because they are similar to the vigor of growth and the shape of the leaves. They both grow in western Africa - Nigeria and Cameroon. Differentiate the aquatic anubis lanceolate will help such signs as:
- protruding surface or floating over the surface shoots;
- the leaves on them are arranged alternately;
- each of them has wavy rounded edges and matte, as if the "waxy" shine of petioles.
Anubias narrow-leaved
Anubias, the content of which in the aquarium will be cheaper than all of the selected breeding - Anubias barteri. Children of tropical greens develop on a creeping root and are easily detached. It is planted in a container as a hydrophyte, which cleans the water of mucus and remains of fish food. Anubias in an aquarium with narrow leaves prefers:
- loose soil, padded with a layer of 5-6 cm;
- nutrient layer with potassium not less than 1 cm high;
- neighborhood with cichlids and shrimp;
- moderately diffuse color with medium intensity.
Anubias congensis
Anubias congensis is one of the highest aquarium hydrophytes. It is a rosette type and prefers moderate lighting. Otherwise, describe the plants anubias can be in the following features:
- grows on snags and among stones;
- multiplies by dividing the rhizome;
- maintains a high level of acidity of water;
- petiole is equal to the approximate length of the leaf.
Anubias caffeolia
In the reservoirs of Gabon and Cameroon, the plant grows, whose leaves resemble the leaves of the coffee tree. Anubias barteri coffeefolia thanks to a broad fleshy rhizome easily survives other plants that are near it. Such an herb in an aquarium, like anubias caffeolia, looks attractive:
- the size of the plate is 5-6 cm in width and 10-12 in length;
- on the green leaves, distinct veins are visible;
- they have a red-brown color and differ from other hydrophytes;
- An unpretentious species of anubias whose content in the aquarium allows for proximity to carnivorous pets cutting off leaves.
Anubias pangolin
The species selected in Italy derived its name from the armadillo of pangolin. At the moment of danger, it turns into a ball: the plants of anubias of this variety, in violation of comfortable conditions, take a similar shape. You can distinguish it by the following criteria:
- the sheet size can not be more than 2 cm;
- the size of the bush itself is similar to the length of the match box, because it is also called "anubias dwarfish";
- shoots of a conical shape fit snugly against the trunk, reminders scales armadillo;
- thin weak roots.
Anubias Hastifolia
Anubias hastifolia, growing in Ghana and Congo, otherwise called "anubias spear-shaped." It grows in the shade, the sunlight leaves burns on the leaves. It has several features:
- the tip has a pointed tip;
- good growth is possible when immersed in water only the lower part;
- anubias in the aquarium has a large rhizome not less than 50 cm long;
- in an adult plant grow two stems.
Aquarium plant anubias - content
Green plantations for the aquarium require no less care than the fish that live in it. The conditions for keeping the anubias of the aquarium are more simple than most of the underwater plants. They seem elementary even to a novice amateur underwater world:
- Protection against sharp and frequent changes in temperature and climate in the tank. This hydrophyte can hardly withstand cold and heat shocks.
- The optimal regime for content and reproduction is 25-30 ° C.
- So that growth does not slow down, the water must be fresh and filtered.
- Anubias nana, the content of which is allowed in the aquarium only in tropical conditions, may become blackened by the addition of vallisneria or elodea .
How to plant anubias in an aquarium?
The process of planting aquarium algae and hydrophytes depends on how toxic their juice is. Aquarium anubias can poison other plants and small fishes, so it is best not to contact the open sections with water. Cropped leaves and shoots in the container root after the shear location is tightened. It is easy to wait for this, having moved the escape into a glass jar. After the new peel grows on the cut, it is necessary to start planting:
- The roots are corrected by scissors to the length of the soil so that they do not have to be buried deeply.
- The tweezers pinch the longest root of the plant and sink into the ground with it.
- The content of anubias in the aquarium will facilitate the correct digging of the roots. Together with the tweezers they are tamped, then the tool is extracted.
- If the anubias pops up or the water blurs the roots in a few minutes, the landing will have to be repeated.
How to propagate anubias?
A strong root system of a tropical aquatic plant has a single stem, on which the strongest leaves and shoots grow. Reproduction of anubias occurs mainly through them, but there is also an alternative way of seating. In fact, there are several types of rooting new shoots:
- Side process. When their length reaches 4-5 cm, they can be torn off gently and buried in nutritive soil. On the potential process should be at least 5-6 leaves.
- Part of the root. Anubias minimal, for example, well tolerates the cutting of the root into 2-3 parts and rooting them in a high layer of the substrate.
- A large sheet. It can be rooted on a sponge covered with peat or a mixture of sand and turf ground, and then transplanted into an aquarium.
Diseases of anubias in the aquarium
The health of hydrophytes depends on a variety of factors, from the quality of the substrate used in the role of soil to rooting, to water hardness. At least 1-2 times a month you need to conduct a visual inspection for the timely detection of anubiasis and treatment of them. The most common problems that the owners of this plant face are:
- Deformation of leaves from excess of sun rays. The content of anubias in the aquarium in direct light will cause severe damage to the leaves. They are shade-loving, so excess heat provokes the appearance of twisted small shoots.
- Decay of the growth point. The main stem, from which the crown of the plant departs, is covered by mucus and algae when the cleaning regime is violated, which causes the dying process to begin.
- Root fading. Anubias gigantic with a small mound of aquarium soil is not able to take root well, and the trunk ceases to receive the necessary list of trace elements.
- Rust. When the hydrophyte is poured on the driftwood, the purity of water is reduced, or fish waste is accumulated, rusty spots appear on the stems and leaves, leading to the formation of through holes.
Fertilizer for anubias
To prevent the development of diseases and the death of leaves in a plant in an aquarium, it needs timely fertilizing with fertilizers. Some fish owners are misled by the fact of using a nutrient substrate: they come up with the idea that the substances coming from it are enough for the full existence of any plant, including anubias variegated. After 2-3 months after the addition of the substrate, no useful components remain in it. Therefore, anubias needs such top-dressing as:
- Iron chelate solution. It positively affects the condition of dense plantings, which are forced to take away food from each other. Iron chelate compensates for the lack of sunlight.
- Nitrogen fertilizers. The content of anubias is impossible without top dressing with microelements. The absence of nitrogen causes the leaves to fall off.
- Potassium mixtures. Vitamin complexes based on potassium - the only way to prevent the appearance of holes on the leaves and brown spots.
- Boron compounds with calcium. If they are not used, the growth and development of hydrophytes will be severely limited.