# Pruning anubias



## Tex Gal

For many people there comes a time when they finally throw up their hands and decide to remove the Green Spot Algae leaves from their anubias. What they are left with is a nice healthy green stem (rhizome) with a few leaves at the end. Their anubias will continue to grow out of the end and they will still have a long naked green stem. All is not lost. You can nick the now empty rhizome with your sizzors or a knife 1/3 of the way through the stem at intervals. At every nick the rhizome will begin to bud and send up a new branch. Here is a drawing. You do not have to cut a "V" shape out. Just a straight down cut will do it. Leave enough space between your cuts for the branch as it grows. In this px I just drew some cuts in. It was in no way an illustration of how close your cuts should be.










Here is a px of some new branches forming on some empty anubias rhizomes. If you could see the end of the rhizome you would see the normal growth continuing as well. In the background you can see another piece of stem about 1 inch long that also has 2 new branches forming. Even if you have NO leaves on a healthy piece of rhizome and do this it will branch out.

FYI: This is Anubias barterii nana gold. The stem is about 3/16" around. It doesn't matter how big the stem circumference is, just nick it 1/3 the way through.


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## Izzy

I'm pruning and getting ready to try the cutting technique for propagating new growth. Thanks for the pix and illustration.


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## wwh2694

Thank you for the great tip.


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## fishyjoe24

um I'm going to have to go do this to my anubias nana's. and see if i get faster growth.


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## wi_blue

That is some good info. Thank you.

sent from my Incredible using Tapatalk


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## mocha2184

Does this only increase the number of leaves that grow, or does it also affect the rate of growth?


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## Tex Gal

mocha2184 said:


> Does this only increase the number of leaves that grow, or does it also affect the rate of growth?


It makes it send up branches as well as growing the leaves on the end. Since you are getting more plant mass, more leaves in more places, I'd have to say it's growing faster.


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## Glaucus

Great tip. However a slight warning for shrimp keepers. I read the following "[] ...never cut the rhizome of the Anubias plant and plant it back right away in your shrimp tank. Freshly cut rhizome/roots/stems/leaves from Anubias and Crypt. plants (especially Anubias) leak a toxic substance to your tank. If the shrimps forge on it, they tend to die within several days." Source: link.

I must say that my shrimps never showed any problems after crypts or anubias being pruned. But then again my tank has a strong current and plenty of volume so any toxins should quickly thin out. But i can imagine that in a small tank with crypts/anubias species, pruning or cutting rhizomes could become an issue for shrimps.


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## Tex Gal

That's interesting. We have put these in a small 3g tank with red cherries and they were alright. I wonder if there's any truth to this.


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## Coursair

Glaucus said:


> Great tip. However a slight warning for shrimp keepers. I read the following "[] ...never cut the rhizome of the Anubias plant and plant it back right away in your shrimp tank. Freshly cut rhizome/roots/stems/leaves from Anubias and Crypt. plants (especially Anubias) leak a toxic substance to your tank. If the shrimps forge on it, they tend to die within several days." Source: link.
> 
> I must say that my shrimps never showed any problems after crypts or anubias being pruned. But then again my tank has a strong current and plenty of volume so any toxins should quickly thin out. But i can imagine that in a small tank with crypts/anubias species, pruning or cutting rhizomes could become an issue for shrimps.


I'm told this is a MYTH. Someone had shrimp die and blamed trimming the plants. In one version it's Anubias, in another it's Crypts. I've yet to hear proof if this or have anyone step forward and say it happened to them.


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## BruceF

I have some pothos growing in one of my tanks. I happen to notice this warning the other day. Crypts and anubius not to mention peace lilies and philodendrons are all in this same family of plants. I don't tend to worry about these things but I suppose the possibility is there.

Description
A number of ornamental plants in the Family Araceae produce similar toxic signs that will be discussed as a group. A large array of ornamental plants fit into this category.
Toxic Principle
All parts are usually poisonous, although the leaves may sometimes be devoid of toxin.
Calcium oxalate crystals are felt to be one cause of the clinical signs. Recently toxicity has also been attributed to several proteolytic enzymes, which trigger the release of some potent kinins and histamines by the body. These kinins in turn cause several local reactions, which may be aggravated by the sharp calcium oxalate crystals contained in the plant tissues.
Calcium oxalate crystals are thought to mechanically damage cells in the mouth during ingestion and may allow toxin to enter and create cellular havoc.
It has been shown that dumbcane has specialized contractile cells that may actually propel the calcium oxalate crystal (rhabdites) into the tissue.
http://www.hort.net/lists/aroid-l/jun10/pdfyVgf8GMtgf.pdf


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## Tex Gal

More pxs of Coffeefolia I got from Newt.


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## Newt

Looks nice and healthy.


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## Lizid

I have not got rhizome's nearly as bag as what you guys are showing but I have got some relatively long (albeit small) ones on a crypt that I am gonna try this on and one larger Anubi - (something or other) to try it on as well...


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## Tex Gal

Lizid said:


> I have not got rhizome's nearly as bag as what you guys are showing but I have got some relatively long (albeit small) ones on a crypt that I am gonna try this on and one larger Anubi - (something or other) to try it on as well...


I'm not sure how this will work on a crypt. I know it works on anubias as I've done it on petites and nana varieties.


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