How much light does Dwarf Anubias need?

Low light, around 15–30 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of PAR. Watts are not comparable between fixtures; PAR is. If the manufacturer does not publish PAR, pick one band lower than the tank depth suggests.

Does Dwarf Anubias need CO₂?

No. Marked "not needed": it grows normally in a tank with no CO₂ at all. These are usually slow growers that are also forgiving about light.

What water does Dwarf Anubias want?

22–28 °C, pH 6–8, 2–15 dGH. At 13 dGH wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.

How fast does Dwarf Anubias grow, and where does it go?

Growth rate: slow. Placement: foreground / midground / attached. Substrate: no substrate needed, reaching about 5–15 cm. Difficulty: beginner.

G-02 / 04Freshwater

Dwarf Anubias小水榕

Anubias barteri var. nana · Araceae

The king of low-light tied-on plants, and the thick horizontal rhizome rots the moment it is buried.

Illustration to come

G-02 / 04 · Dwarf Anubias Anubias barteri var. nana

SpecificationsPlant atlas

Name: 小水榕
Scientific name: Anubias barteri var. nana
Family: Araceae
Origin: Rocks and tree roots in rainforest streams of West Africa (Cameroon, Nigeria)
Light: Low light
PAR: 15–30
CO₂: Not needed
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Growth: Slow
Placement: Foreground / Midground / Attached
Substrate: No substrate needed
Height: 5–15 cm
Level: Beginner

Water requirementsFreshwater

Temp.22–28 °C

pH6–8

Hardness2–15 dGH

Alkalinity1–10 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Growing notes

1Tie it to wood or rock only; the rhizome has to stay in open water and will rot if buried.
2It copes with very little light, five or six hours of weak light a day being enough, and stronger light only invites green spot algae.
3It is slow, taking three or four weeks per leaf, so do not move it about or expect it to fill a scape quickly.
4Do not scrape spot algae off the leaves; shortening the photoperiod, controlling phosphate and adding amano shrimp works better.
5It multiplies by forking rhizomes; let a cut dry for a day or two before tying it down to reduce infection.

Frequently asked questions

How much light does Dwarf Anubias need?: Low light, around 15–30 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of PAR. Watts are not comparable between fixtures; PAR is. If the manufacturer does not publish PAR, pick one band lower than the tank depth suggests.
Does Dwarf Anubias need CO₂?: No. Marked "not needed": it grows normally in a tank with no CO₂ at all. These are usually slow growers that are also forgiving about light.
What water does Dwarf Anubias want?: 22–28 °C, pH 6–8, 2–15 dGH. At 13 dGH wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.
How fast does Dwarf Anubias grow, and where does it go?: Growth rate: slow. Placement: foreground / midground / attached. Substrate: no substrate needed, reaching about 5–15 cm. Difficulty: beginner.