# Rooting anubias to a rock/wood



## crazy4fids

I know this answer can vary quite a bit, but I'm going to put it out there anyway, cause I'm a noob!
How long does it take for an anubias to "root" to a rock? From what I have seen (my experience with aquatics is a whole two months) anubias don't have sticky roots, so I am having a hard time grasping this growing on a rock concept; especially a smooth rock.
I used both rubber bands and cotton thread for some of mine back the week after Christmas. One of the plants rubber banded broke free today. 
I also notice that some of my moss attached to my wood by thread is coming off. I know some hsve suggested super glur, however I don't want the look of the glue turning white.


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## TropTrea

I have not had luck attaching them to smooth rocks. However to drift wood I have had some good luck. I usually use a rubber band as you did. But even in one year it is not like the roots gotten a solid grip into the drift wood either but the fact that they have grown around the drift wood. 

The mosses are the ones that will get a better attachment to logs or rocks than regular root plants. But remember Anuvias roods do not like to get buried and prefer to have water flowing around them.


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## Michael

Really smooth stones do not work well for anubias or mosses. How fast they attach to a rock or driftwood depends on how fast they are growing, but it normally takes several months under good conditions.


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## HDBenson

I've had the best success with wedging Anubias into grooves/clefts in driftwood that still allow water to flow around the roots. I agree with Michael that the better the growth the faster they will attach to surfaces. I've had Anubias securely attach to wood in as little as a few months in low-tech set-ups. I would imagine in a high-tech tank the time would be at least moderately reduced. I also have found that smooth surfaces are difficult if near impossible for these species to attach to very well. Again, driftwood and porous/rough surface rocks lend themselves to attaching things much easier. If you do want Anubias/moss/ferns to be in cobbles(large, smooth, round stones) it may prove easier to pile the rocks together and wedge the plants in the spaces. They will still grow just as well just not really attach to them. I use zip-ties for temporary anchoring. They come in all kinds of colors to blend in then you cut them off after the plant has started to attach.


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## junglefowl

Lava rocks are the one I use and the rocks have the perfect surface for my anubias nana petite. I use my daughter rubber hair-tie to attach the rhizome to the rocks and leave it as is in the tank. Only take a month for it attach but I'm too lazy to take the hair-tie out. 
I think how long for the plants to attach to rocks depend on how good your plants grow as well. Mine were growing in high light with CO2


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## Newt

Anubias will do just fine planted in the substrate. Just give it a bit of root tab fert every now and then. My 'coffeefolia' flowered regularly and the root structure was healthy and massive. Java fern, on the other hand, should be tied to a piece of wood.

However, if you do want to put your anubias on wood then monofilament (fishing line) or nylon thread will work.


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## Acro

Anubias will grow on smooth surfaces, it just takes longer. I once had a few plants waiting in a tub to be planted. It took me about 6 months to get to them (!) and by that time a few anubias plants rooted onto the bottom of the smooth plastic tub.


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