# Anubias 'petite' in emmersed culture



## davemonkey

So, do I need to remove all the leaves, or just plant "as is" and let them grow? I would appreciate advice from anyone who has grown Anubias emmersed before.

Just FYI, with these will be small crypts, and other stuff....pics to come in my picotope journal. 

Thanks,
Dave


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## Philosophos

I left the leaves as is for my emersed growth tray and they did just fine in terms of visible healthy. The growth rate was painfully slow though; it seemed to do do better in water. I've been growing it for months now, and while there's plenty of leaf and root growth, there's a complete lack of rhizome growth.

-Philosophos


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## davemonkey

Slow rhizome growth? That actually may help me in the short term since these are very thick/clustered. I've read elsewhere where they were supposed to grow super fast. Either way, I'll keep you updated how they do in here and what I used.


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## davemonkey

I set up an emmersed set-up using plants from a previous aquascape (and some Marsilea), did a sort of layout, and used Aquasoil capped over some organic substrate. So, if I want to go back to submersed, all I have to do is fill it up and go.

I have the crypts, _Anubias nana_ 'petite', some moss, _Lilaeopsis sp_., _Marsilea sp_., _Ludwigia brevipes_, Needle-leaf Java fern, and a grass I have not ID'd yet and will now be able to ID once it starts flowering. (I think it is in the Fimbristylis family and it has been growing well for me submersed...so maybe something new to offer once it grows out.)

*Little crypt*









*Lilaeopsis in front of Marsilea*









*Anubias 'petite'*









-Dave


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## HoustonFishFanatic

That looks like a great start. I hope the crypts will send out a spathe for you. Then you will get hooked.


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## TNguyen

yes, anubias emersed grow painfully slooooooow. The needle leaf java will stay pretty small. Marsilea will turn into 4 leaf clover. And I think i saw parva, for me it stay the same. 

I like to grow stem plant emersed to see what they will look like. You get a total new look which is interesting.


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## davemonkey

The crypt is supposed to be _C. willisii x lucens_ 'bronze'. But I gave Bhushan some long ago and he said it all just turned green emmersed. I just want to see if it will flower for me. I also want to get an ID on that grass I had growing in there. I think it will be a new addition to the aquarium world (but easy to find/collect locally).

I guess it's just as well with the Anubias growing slow. At least I started with LOTS and in thick clumps.

-Dave


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## Slivun

Anubias 'Petite' well grows in emmersed culture.

It is photo from my collection. I use the burnt clay as a substrate.



The same plant in Moscow Botanical Garden looks so:



Leaves in the last case are higher and longer than in my collection. It can be connected with use of more nutritious earth as a substrate, as well as with lower humidity in greenhouse.


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## Holy Samosa

Slivun: Do you keep your emmersed anubias in a terrarium or other enclosure to keep the humidity high?


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## davemonkey

I flooded the set-up on Friday morning, so these have now been underwater for 3 days. The leaves look like they are beginning to die (leaf tissue turning dark). Is this normal going emmersed to submersed (I didnt' notice any real change going from submersed to emmersed)? These past 3 days I also have not fertilized, another possibility. 

Any experience or suggestions welcome and appreciated.

-Dave


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## Philosophos

Some melt/death is common. Macrophyte cuticles thin out during submersion; the thicker submerged cuticle leads to oxygen exchange issues, and the leaf essentially suffocates. Definitely keep up on the ferts; the last thing you need right now is limiting nutrients.

-Philosophos


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## davemonkey

Thanks Philosophos. The ferts situation is now taken care of. 

On a side note, I just went on a field trip and came back with 3 banded pygmy sunfish for this tank. I'll post pics later in the Biotopes forum (East Texas Wetlands thread).

-Dave


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## bsmith

I noticed that when I moves A.Coffeola from a low light setup to a high tech setup the old leaves did not adjust well at all and I eventually ended up cutting them off.


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## Slivun

Holy Samosa said:


> Slivun: Do you keep your emmersed anubias in a terrarium or other enclosure to keep the humidity high?


Yes. All anubiases I keep in small greenhouses (less than 1000 litres):


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## mudboots

Great read; I'm going to be letting some A.nana"eyes" go emmersed in the 10 gallon betta/newt-arium (I guess now it's a 5-long). Thanks for the info folks; it sounds very encouraging.


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## snail_chen

Do they grow fast? They grow pretty slowly in my fish tank.


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