Anubias Nana Planted Or Floating – The Definitive Guide To Lush Growth
So, you’ve just brought home a gorgeous, green Anubias nana. You’re picturing it adding that perfect touch of lush, vibrant life to your aquarium. But then the big question hits you, a question every aquarist faces: what do I actually do with it now? Do I plant it in the substrate? Should I just let it float? It’s a moment of confusion we’ve all had, staring at this little plant, wanting to do right by it but unsure of the first step.
I promise you, by the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to handle this beautiful plant with total confidence. We’re going to clear up all the confusion surrounding the great “anubias nana planted or floating” debate.
We’ll walk through the fundamental nature of Anubias, explore the pros and cons of both attaching and floating it, and give you a step-by-step anubias nana planted or floating guide. You’ll learn the best practices to ensure your plant not only survives but truly thrives, transforming your tank into the underwater oasis you’ve been dreaming of.
Understanding the Anubias Nana: The Epiphyte Advantage
Before we can decide where to put our Anubias, we need to understand what it is. At its heart, Anubias nana is an epiphyte. This is the most crucial piece of information you need to know, and it’s the key to keeping it alive.
Think of epiphytes in nature, like orchids or ferns growing on the branches of a tree. They don’t root in the soil; they attach themselves to surfaces and pull nutrients from the water and air around them. Your Anubias nana wants to do the exact same thing in your aquarium.
The thick, horizontal stem-like part of the plant that the leaves and roots grow from is called the rhizome. This is its lifeline. The single biggest mistake beginners make is burying this rhizome in their substrate (like gravel or sand). When the rhizome is buried, it can’t “breathe.” It will suffocate, rot, and the entire plant will slowly die. I’ve seen it happen countless times, and it’s completely avoidable!
So, the golden rule is simple: Never, ever bury the rhizome! With that in mind, our options of “planted or floating” become much clearer. “Planted” really means “attached to something.”
The Planted Approach: Attaching Anubias for a Rooted Look
When most people talk about “planting” Anubias, what they really mean is attaching it to a piece of hardscape, like driftwood or rock. This method mimics its natural habitat and gives you incredible control over your aquascape design. This is one of the most popular anubias nana planted or floating best practices for a reason.
Benefits of Attaching Your Anubias
- Aesthetic Control: You can place the plant exactly where you want it to create stunning focal points, fill in gaps, or add texture to your hardscape.
- Natural Look: Anubias clinging to driftwood or nestled in the crevices of a rock looks incredibly natural and established.
- Stability: The plant stays put. It won’t get sucked into a filter intake or be pushed around by boisterous fish.
- Healthy Roots: The roots can grow out into the water column, absorbing nutrients directly, which is exactly what they are designed to do.
What You’ll Need
Getting your Anubias attached is easy, and you only need a few simple things. Don’t worry—this is a super simple, beginner-friendly process!
- Your Anubias nana plant
- A piece of hardscape (driftwood, lava rock, slate, etc.)
- An attaching agent: Your choice of super glue gel or dark-colored cotton thread/fishing line.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Attaching Anubias
Here’s how to anubias nana planted or floating works for the attached method. We’ll cover the two most common techniques.
-
Method 1: The Super Glue Gel Technique (My Favorite!)
- Step 1: Pat the spot on your hardscape and the rhizome of the Anubias dry with a paper towel. The glue works best on a dry surface.
- Step 2: Apply a few small dabs of cyanoacrylate super glue gel (make sure it’s the gel version!) to the dry hardscape.
- Step 3: Gently press the rhizome onto the glue spots. Do not put glue on the roots, just the hard rhizome itself. Hold it firmly for about 30-60 seconds until it sets.
- Step 4: That’s it! You can now place the entire piece back into your aquarium. The glue is 100% fish-safe once cured.
-
Method 2: The Thread or Fishing Line Technique
- Step 1: Position the Anubias on your chosen piece of hardscape.
- Step 2: Take your cotton thread or fishing line and wrap it around the rhizome and the hardscape several times.
- Step 3: Tie it off securely with a couple of knots. Don’t tie it so tightly that it damages the rhizome, just snug enough to hold it in place.
- Step 4: Over a few months, the Anubias’s roots will grow and anchor themselves firmly to the surface. Once it’s secure, you can carefully snip and remove the thread if you wish (cotton thread will dissolve on its own over time).
The Floating Method: A Low-Effort, High-Impact Option?
Now for the other side of the coin: simply letting your Anubias float. While less common for aquascaping, this method has its own set of unique pros and cons. It’s a valid choice in certain situations, though it comes with some trade-offs.
The Surprising Benefits of Floating Anubias
- Zero Effort: This is as easy as it gets. You just drop the plant in the water. It’s a great option for hospital or quarantine tanks where you need temporary plant cover.
- Shade for Fish: Floating Anubias can provide welcome shade and cover for shy fish or fry, making them feel more secure.
- Nutrient Absorption: Being at the surface gives it prime access to light and floating nutrients, which can sometimes spur growth.
Potential Downsides to Consider
While easy, floating isn’t always the best long-term plan. Here are some of the common problems with anubias nana planted or floating freely.
- Lack of Control: The plant will go wherever the current takes it. It might end up stuck to your filter intake or blocking the view of your favorite coral.
- Light Blocking: A large floating Anubias can cast a significant shadow, potentially harming plants below that need more light.
- Unnatural Appearance: For many aquascapers, a floating Anubias just doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing or intentional as an attached one.
- Upside-Down Issues: The plant can sometimes flip over, leaving its leaves submerged and the rhizome pointing up, which isn’t ideal for its health.
Anubias Nana Planted or Floating: Which is Right for Your Tank?
So, the final verdict? For 99% of aquarists, especially those focused on creating a beautiful, stable aquascape, attaching your Anubias is the superior method.
It gives you complete creative freedom, ensures the plant’s stability and long-term health, and creates a breathtakingly natural aesthetic. The effort involved is minimal, and the payoff is a plant that will grow and thrive for years, becoming a permanent fixture of your underwater world.
Floating should be seen as a temporary solution or a niche strategy. It’s perfect for a fry grow-out tank where you need quick, easy cover, but it’s not the best way to showcase this plant’s beauty in a display tank. The benefits of anubias nana planted or floating attached far outweigh the convenience of letting it drift aimlessly.
Common Problems with Anubias Nana (And How to Fix Them)
Even though Anubias is famously hardy, you can run into a few issues. Don’t worry—they are all easy to solve! Here’s a quick care guide for common problems.
Rhizome Rot: The Silent Killer
This is the #1 issue, and it’s almost always caused by burying the rhizome. If you notice the rhizome feeling soft and mushy, or if leaves are falling off at the base, you may have rot. Immediately unbury it. If part of the rhizome is black and mushy, you can use a clean blade to cut the rotten part off. Let the healthy part of the plant recover attached to hardscape or floating in the water column.
Slow Growth or No Growth
Anubias are slow growers by nature, so be patient! If it seems completely stalled, it could be due to extremely low light or a lack of nutrients. While they are low-light plants, they still need some light. They also benefit from a comprehensive liquid fertilizer, as they feed primarily from the water column.
Algae on Leaves
Because Anubias leaves are tough and long-lasting, they are prime real estate for algae, especially stubborn Green Spot Algae. This is usually a sign of too much light or an imbalance of nutrients. Try reducing your lighting period to 6-8 hours a day. Introducing algae-eating shrimp (like Amano shrimp) or snails (like Nerite snails) can also work wonders. They love to clean Anubias leaves!
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Anubias Care
Part of being a great aquarist is being a responsible one. A wonderful aspect of Anubias is how easy it is to practice sustainable anubias nana planted or floating care.
The best way to do this is through propagation. As your Anubias grows, the rhizome will get longer. Once it has at least 6-7 healthy leaves, you can take a clean razor blade and cut the rhizome into two pieces, ensuring each piece has at least 3 leaves. Just like that, you have a new plant! You can share it with a friend or use it to decorate another part of your tank. This is an incredibly eco-friendly anubias nana planted or floating practice because you’re creating new life from what you already have.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anubias Nana Placement
Can you plant Anubias nana in gravel or sand?
You can place it on gravel or sand, but you must not bury the rhizome. You can use a plant weight to hold it down or place a small rock over one of the roots (not the rhizome!) to anchor it. The key is that the rhizome remains fully exposed to the water.
How do I know if my Anubias rhizome is rotting?
A healthy rhizome is firm, and green or light brown. A rotting rhizome will feel soft, mushy, and may turn dark brown or black. It will often have a foul smell if you take it out of the water. If leaves are detaching easily with a little black mush at their base, rot is the likely culprit.
Does Anubias nana need fertilizer?
Yes, but it’s not a heavy feeder. Since it primarily absorbs nutrients through its roots and leaves from the water, it benefits greatly from a good quality, all-in-one liquid fertilizer added to the tank once or twice a week. It doesn’t need root tabs like substrate-feeding plants do.
Conclusion: Go Forth and Grow!
The “anubias nana planted or floating” dilemma doesn’t have to be complicated. The answer is clear: for a healthy, beautiful, and long-lasting plant that elevates your aquascape, attaching it to driftwood or rocks is the absolute best path forward.
You’ve learned the golden rule—never bury the rhizome!—and you’re now equipped with the simple techniques to attach your Anubias like a pro. You understand the benefits, the potential pitfalls, and how to troubleshoot common issues along the way.
So go ahead, grab that bit of super glue gel or thread, and give your Anubias a proper home. You’re ready to unlock its full potential and watch it become a stunning, low-maintenance centerpiece in your aquarium for years to come. Happy scaping!
- What Is The Smallest Anubias Plant – Discovering The Perfect Tiny - October 21, 2025
- Anubias Nana Light Requirements – Your Guide To Preventing Algae And - October 21, 2025
- Anubias Nana Petite Melting: Your Complete Guide To Diagnosis, - October 21, 2025