Anubias congensis (Congo Anubias) care

Light

Anubias congensis is a useful plant for the room nobody else likes — the north-facing hallway, the basement office, the windowless bathroom with the ceiling LED. Low to moderate aquarium lighting is ample. High light without CO2 promotes algae on the long-lived leaves. If grown emersed, give bright-indirect light and avoid direct sun. Expect slow growth and pale new leaves; that's the cost of low light, not a sign anything is wrong.

Watering

Aim for submerged full-time; change 20-30% of tank water weekly for anubias congensis, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. A permanently submerged aquatic plant tolerating soft to moderately hard water at pH 6.0-7.5. Emersed culture needs saturated substrate and near-100% humidity. Good circulation prevents detritus settling on the broad leaves.

Soil and pot

Anubias congensis grows best in rhizome attached to hardscape, roots into substrate optional. Fix the rhizome to driftwood or rock with the rhizome exposed; roots can grip gravel or sand. Never bury the rhizome, which rots when smothered. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Anubias congensis sits happiest at around 90-100% humidity and 22-28°C (72-82°F). Submerged in normal use. Grown emersed it requires near-saturated air above 90%; the larger leaves brown along the edges in dry room air. If you keep the room above 22 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed anubias congensis sparingly. Dose a complete liquid aquatic fertiliser for potassium, iron and micronutrients via the water column. Root tabs are of limited use to this rhizome-feeder. Light CO2 noticeably improves leaf size and growth rate. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on anubias congensis in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Rhizome rot — Burying the rhizome in substrate causes rot. Keep it exposed on hardscape and excise any soft, blackened sections.
• Algae on long leaves — The broad, slow leaves collect green-spot and beard algae under strong light. Moderate lighting and increase flow.
• Leaf melt on transition — Emersed-grown plants may shed leaves when first submerged. Keep the rhizome and allow new aquatic leaves to develop.
• Slow or stalled growth — Indicates low water-column nutrients. Apply a complete liquid fertiliser and consider modest CO2 to spur growth.

Propagation

Divide the rhizome with a sterile blade so each piece keeps several leaves and roots, then reattach to wood or rock. Larger divisions re-establish faster than small fragments. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Anubias congensis is mildly toxic to pets. Not individually listed by the ASPCA. As an Anubias in the arum family (Araceae), it falls within a family the ASPCA classes as toxic to cats and dogs due to insoluble calcium oxalates. Treat with caution and verify with a vet rather than labelling it pet-safe. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Anubias congensis deep-dive guides

Every aspect of anubias congensis care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Anubias congensis watering schedule
• Anubias congensis light requirements
• Best soil mix for anubias congensis
• Anubias congensis fertilizing guide
• When to repot anubias congensis
• How to propagate anubias congensis
• Anubias congensis growth rate & size
• Anubias congensis cold hardiness
• Anubias congensis temperature & humidity
• Is anubias congensis toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is anubias congensis toxic to cats?
• Is anubias congensis toxic to dogs?

Featured in these plant shortlists

Anubias congensis qualifies for 5 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Anubias congensis is also commonly called Congo Anubias or lance-leaf Anubias.

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