Caring for the aquarium plant Anubias congensis

• Origin - West Africa
• Proper name - Anubias Barteri var. Congensis
• Family - Araceae
• Temperature - 20-28°C
• pH - 5.0-8.0
• Lighting - medium to low
• Growth Rate - very slow
• Difficulty - easy
• Planting position - midground to background
• Propagation - rhizome

General description:-

This plant is a very tall species from the Araceae family and even though it is slow growing, many keepers find that it can outgrow smaller tanks over a period of a few months. Individual specimens can range from 12” right up to 24” dependant on their tank surroundings and available minerals. They are very undemanding of light levels and it is often best to keep them n the lower lighting levels as they are very slow growing, with slow growing plants algae can form on the leaves, lower lighting levels will reduce this problem a great deal. Anubias Congensis produce bright green leaves that are lanceolate in shape ( the leaves finish in a point) and they certainly stand out from other plants in the aquarium due to their colouration. They can be purchased as quite large specimens and should quickly produce new leaves after settling in the tank, the new leaves will be smaller than the original ones but will grow at a steady rate until they have reached their maximum size. This species of plant is very hardy and it is very rare that any species of fish will attempt to eat it, this makes it ideal for most tank set ups even those with extreme water parameters.

Propagating Anubias Congensis:-

This is a rhizome plant and as such is very easy to propagate. The rhizome can be divided into smaller sections by using a very sharp knife. You may have to lose some of the original leaves when you perform this but they will be replaced by new growth once the pieces have been re-planted. It is very easy to see when the mother plant is mature enough for propagating as the rhizome will develop small roots along the length of it, this will mean that when the rhizome is divided the roots will develop quickly.

Carefully remove the mother plant from the tank and divide the rhizome into equal sized pieces. These should then be added back to the tank taking care not to completely bury the rhizome, rotting will quickly occur if the rhizome is completely buried in the substrate. At least half of the rhizome should be visible and also ensure that the small roots are facing downwards, this may seem obvious to most of you but always something to remember.

After a few weeks new growth should appear, this is the time you will know that the propagation has been successful.

Decorating your tank with Anubias Congensis:-

Apart from planting the rhizome directly in to the substrate, features can be made from Anubias Congensis but attaching it to décor such as rocks or wood. Once this decoration has established it will act as a centre piece in your tank. This is also very simple to do, take the rhizome and attach it to the selected piece of décor with a rubber band or a piece of fish line ensuring that it is just tight enough to hold the plant but not too tight so as to cut into the rhizome. After a few weeks the roots from the rhizome should have attached to the selected décor and the fishing line or rubber band can then be removed.

Additional info taken from

plantgeek.net