Broad-leaved Anubias care

Light

Broad-leaved Anubias is a useful plant for the room nobody else likes — the north-facing hallway, the basement office, the windowless bathroom with the ceiling LED. Thrives in low to medium indirect light, making it one of the most shade-tolerant aquarium plants. Strong or direct light encourages algae to grow on the slow-growing leaves. Ideal under 20–40 µmol PAR or equivalent low-output aquarium lighting of 6–8 hours per day. Expect slow growth and pale new leaves; that's the cost of low light, not a sign anything is wrong.

Watering

Aim for aquatic or emersed; submersed specimens require stable aquarium water; emersed plants need consistently moist conditions for broad-leaved anubias, 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. Grows fully submerged in freshwater aquariums or emersed in paludariums and terrariums with high humidity. Prefers soft to moderately hard water (pH 6.0–8.0), temperature 20–28°C. Water changes of 25–30% weekly maintain water quality for submerged cultivation.

Soil and pot

Broad-leaved Anubias grows best in attach to hardscape; rhizome must not be buried. Tie or glue rhizome to rocks, driftwood, or bogwood using aquarium-safe thread or gel. If planted in substrate for emersed growth, keep the rhizome above the surface. Fine aquatic sand or gravel is suitable for rooting the fine roots only. 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

Broad-leaved Anubias sits happiest at around 70–100% for emersed; fully submerged in aquarium humidity and 20–28°C (68–82°F). In paludarium or terrarium cultivation (emersed), requires very high humidity — 70% and above — to prevent leaf crisping. In aquarium use, humidity is naturally near 100% at the water surface. A tight-fitting lid maintains adequate moisture. If you keep the room above 20–28°C 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 broad-leaved anubias sparingly. Light feeder. Benefits from liquid aquarium fertiliser dosed at half the recommended rate weekly. CO2 supplementation is not necessary but slightly accelerates the slow growth rate. Root tabs near the fine roots can provide supplemental nutrition. 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 broad-leaved anubias in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Algae on leaves — The slow growth rate makes leaves susceptible to algae colonisation, especially green spot algae. Reduce lighting duration or intensity, introduce algae-eating fish (Otocinclus, nerite snails), and avoid excess nutrients in the water column.
• Rhizome rot — Burying the rhizome in substrate causes it to rot at the crown. Always attach to hardscape with only the roots in or near the substrate. Brown, mushy rhizome tissue should be cut back to clean, firm growth and the plant re-attached.
• Yellowing leaves — Yellow leaves usually indicate iron or micronutrient deficiency in aquarium conditions. Dose with a complete liquid fertiliser containing chelated iron and trace elements. Low-light conditions can also cause slow yellowing of older leaves.

Propagation

Divide the rhizome with a clean, sharp blade, ensuring each section has at least 3–4 leaves. Allow cut ends to callous briefly before re-attaching to hardscape. Daughter plants also form on the rhizome and can be detached once they develop their own roots and 2–3 leaves. 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

Broad-leaved Anubias is mildly toxic to pets. Anubias barteri belongs to the family Araceae and contains calcium oxalate crystals, as is typical of aroids. ASPCA lists the Araceae family as toxic to cats and dogs, causing oral irritation, excessive drooling, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing if chewed. Considered mildly toxic — not life-threatening but keep away from pets that chew aquarium plants. 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.

Broad-leaved Anubias deep-dive guides

Every aspect of broad-leaved anubias care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common broad-leaved anubias problems & fixes
• Broad-leaved Anubias watering schedule
• Broad-leaved Anubias light requirements
• Best soil mix for broad-leaved anubias
• Broad-leaved Anubias fertilizing guide
• When to repot broad-leaved anubias
• How to propagate broad-leaved anubias
• How to prune broad-leaved anubias
• What's eating my broad-leaved anubias?
• Broad-leaved Anubias growth rate & size
• Broad-leaved Anubias cold hardiness
• Broad-leaved Anubias temperature & humidity
• Is broad-leaved anubias toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is broad-leaved anubias toxic to cats?
• Is broad-leaved anubias toxic to dogs?
• All 9 Anubias varieties

Featured in these plant shortlists

Broad-leaved Anubias qualifies for 4 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.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Broad-leaved Anubias is also commonly called Broad-leaved Anubias or Anubias Barteri.

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