Having ornaments and plants in your fish tank is great. Your pet fish will be at home, especially if your fish tank has the ambiance of its former, natural habitat. It adds to the beauty of the aquarium, something that will reflect on you as a fish-keeper. It is no wonder then, that serious fish-keepers are always meticulous with regards to the item they will put inside the aquarium.
Among plants, Anubias Nana is the favorite by most fish-keepers. The plant has a thick green stem and oval leaves. It can grow inside your fish tank, and unattractive as a food for most fishes, making it a suitable and ideal plant for aquariums.
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Selecting your Anubias Nana
You must have a healthy, robust Anubias Nana in your fish tank. This will ensure longevity. A healthy Anubias Nana can last up to years inside your fish tank. So before planting it inside your fish tank, you must make sure that you have the ideal Anubias Nana in your hands.
A healthy Anubias Nana has dark green leaves, with no patches of any color whatsoever. Patches of color in the leaves are a dead giveaway. It must have any rips or damage. If it does, it might not be as healthy as others. It also has strong stems, so the plant must not be drooping. Drooping is an indication of a weak stem, another indication that it is unhealthy.
Planting your Anubias Nana
You must prepare materials that will hold the plant in place once you plant it in the fish tank. You will need aquarium rocks, some strong glue that can hold the material, and Anubias Nana itself.
The ideal height for your plant is 3 to four inches from their pots. Aquarium rocks must be up to seven inches in length. It must be quite heavy so as for it to remain in place.
Use glue to bond the rock with the plant. Some glues are not ideal for aquarium water, rocks, or plant. Look for the glue which can bond effectively the plant with the rock. Preferred is a super glue or any glue that has cyanoacrylate.
To plant it:
- Prepare the plant, aquarium rocks, and glue
- Clean the plants, and make sure that no rocks or sand remain in the roots.
- Prepare the aquarium rocks, look as to where the best part to plant your Anubias Nana. A natural opening is preferred.
- Make sure you dry the roots.
- Look for the rhizome, that part of the stem near the roots. Measure it, and apply thinly some glue to that part of the rock where you are going to insert the rhizome.
- Put the plant into the rocks. Make sure that the rhizome and the roots are in the exact place where you put the glue. Hold them together for a few minutes to make sure that they eventually stick.
Repeat the process with the next set of rocks and plants. Anubias Nana dries very easily., so you must finish the whole process quickly.
After drying them, put them in your fish tank, where they will thrive, grow, and will give your aquarium and your pet fish that natural feel.
Things to Consider Before Putting them In your Fish Tank
Anubias Nana will grow and thrive in your fish tank if you have the ideal, optimal conditions in your aquarium. Some things that must be considered to make sure that your Anubias Nana will live, last longer, and will always be healthy.
Water temperature
The temperature must be appropriate for your plant. The ideal temperature for the Anubias Nana is between 72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 23 to 26 degrees Celsius. Make sure that you always measure the water temperature of your fish tank. Hot weather may lead to an increase in water temperature, so make sure that it remains at the ideal level.
Ph level
You must also be aware of the ph or acidity level in the water. The average of ph7, more or less, is just right for the Anubias Nana. Make sure that there is no significant increase or drop in the ph level of the water. So you must always measure the ph level of your fish tank to make sure that the acid or base levels remain at the ideal for your plant.
Water hardness
The water hardness required for taking care of Anubias Nana is about the same as that of your normal freshwater aquarium fish. So unless there is a dramatic decrease or increase in your water hardness, you have nothing to worry about your pet plant. Besides, an increase in water hardness is connected to temperature as well as ph levels. Measuring them will do the trick.
Anubias Nana consume nutrients, so unless the increase in water hardness is not that dramatic, it can tolerate it, and in fact, can help in preventing a dramatic increase in alkalinity of your fish tank water. To be sure, however, you must measure the water hardness every once in a while.
Light
All plants need light to perform photosynthesis. In the case of Anubias Nana, having a room light is already enough to perform the process. With nutrients in the water, as well as carbon dioxide, available due to the presence of your pet fish, it can live, thrive, and be healthy, just like in its natural environment.
All things considered, an Anubias Nana needs the same conditions that most pet fish also requires. A good indicator, therefore, of the natural equilibrium in your fish tank is whether your Anubias Nana is healthy and thriving. If the Anubias Nana suddenly becomes unhealthy, or it dies, something must be wrong in the fish tank.
Conclusion
Having Anubias Nana in your fish tank is great. It is an ideal plant for your aquarium. It gives your fish tank that natural feel, and will make your pet fish feel at home as if it is still in their natural habitat. They are beautiful and pleasing to the eye, which makes them the favorite plant of most fish-keepers.