Anubias nana petite

Quick facts

Max height

5 cm

Growth rate

slow

Difficulty

beginner

Placement

foreground

Propagation

rhizome division

Water parameters

Temperature

22–28°C

pH

6.0 to 8.0

Hardness

0 to 25 dGH

Light and nutrients

Lighting

low

CO2

not required, but boosts growth and color

Substrate

epiphyte

Feeding

feeds from the water column (use liquid fertilizer)

Substrate

What this plant roots into (or attaches to). The substrate affects both plant nutrition and water chemistry; see each linked page for full effects.

This plant feeds primarily from the water column, so substrate choice matters more for its fish-tank compatibility than for plant nutrition.

With fish

Plant-eating fish

safe with plant-eating fish (tough leaves or unpalatable)

Diggers (corydoras, loaches)

fine - root system or attachment style handles it

Root-disturbing fish

tolerates fish that disturb roots

Habitat

A cultivar selected from Anubias barteri var. nana for extremely compact growth. Not a wild species; developed in aquarium nurseries (likely in Singapore or Thailand). 'Petite' leaves are 1–2 cm long, roughly half the size of standard Anubias nana. The rhizome is correspondingly thinner and the overall growth rate is even slower. Despite the tiny size, the plant has the same tough, leathery leaf texture as other Anubias, making it resistant to herbivorous fish. Tissue culture specimens are widely available and are the cleanest way to purchase. The miniature scale makes it ideal for nano aquascapes and detailed foreground work where standard Anubias nana would be too large.

Care notes

Identical care requirements to standard Anubias nana but grows even more slowly. Under optimal conditions (moderate light, CO2, balanced nutrients), expect one new leaf every 2-4 weeks per growth point. Each leaf is 1–2 cm long, about half the size of standard nana. Attach to small stones, driftwood branches, or stainless steel mesh pads for detailed aquascaping. Super glue (cyanoacrylate gel) is the best attachment method for pieces this small; thread is fiddly to work with at this scale. Do not bury the rhizome. Tolerates low to moderate light well. Under high light without CO2, algae is a significant problem because the extremely slow growth means new leaf surface cannot outpace algal colonization. In high-light setups, CO2 injection, balanced nutrient dosing, and a dedicated cleanup crew (Amano shrimp, nerite snails, otocinclus) are strongly recommended. Black beard algae on Petite leaves is particularly frustrating: the tiny leaves make manual cleaning impractical, and a heavily BBA-covered plant often needs to be treated with a hydrogen peroxide dip outside the tank. Prevention through light, CO2, and nutrient balance is far better than treatment. Propagation by rhizome division works the same as other Anubias, but the slow growth means 6-12 months before a new plant produces enough rhizome length to divide. This cultivar costs more than standard Anubias nana because production at the nursery level is slower.

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Water chemistry for fishkeepers: pH, GH, KH, and what they mean