The anubias aquarium plant is one of the most rewarding you can keep — low maintenance, adaptable, and genuinely beautiful in almost any setup. Whether you're looking for something compact for a nano tank or a larger variety to anchor a midground, there's an anubias that will work for you. Here's a guide to the main varieties we stock and what makes each one worth considering.
With so many varieties available it can feel overwhelming, but choosing the right one is simpler than you'd think. The two questions we always start with are: how big is your tank, and what fish are you keeping?
Tank size is usually the deciding factor. In a smaller tank — anything under around 60 litres — the compact varieties will serve you much better. In a larger tank, the bigger leaf varieties feel more in proportion, though don't underestimate the smaller ones either. Anubias Nana and Mini will form impressive clumps over time, with masses of leaves that can become a real feature in their own right.
As for fish, most anubias will hold their own in a community tank without any issues. The leaves are thick and waxy, which makes them far less appealing to fish that might nibble on softer plants.
If you have a smaller tank, or you're looking for foreground and midground plants that stay manageable, these are the ones to start with. Bonsai, Mini, Nana, Mini Coin and Gracilis are all varieties we'd confidently recommend to someone just getting started — undemanding, slow growing, and genuinely beautiful in most setups.
One of the things we love about the smaller varieties is just how easy they are to get into a tank. A drop of plant glue, a small rock or pebble, and you're done. No planting, no special substrate — just place it where you want it and leave it to settle in.
Each variety has its own character. Mini Coin has neat, rounded leaves that are almost perfectly circular — compact and very pleasing in a nano tank. Gracilis is a little different from the others; the leaves are arrowhead shaped rather than oval, and the green has a slightly lighter, fresher quality that makes it stand out alongside the darker varieties. It's a personal favourite here at Byrkley.
This is the heart of the range — versatile varieties that suit most community tanks and work well as midground or background plants. If you're not sure where to start and you have a standard sized tank, these are worth looking at first.
Anubias Barteri is probably the most well known of all the anubias species and for good reason. It's robust, adaptable and will grow happily in almost any conditions. Given time and space it will get large — the leaves can be impressive, and it's one of the few aquarium plants that will grow out of the water completely, which can look spectacular in an open top tank.
Barteri Striped is a particular favourite of ours. The leaf shape is slightly different to standard Barteri — more interesting and varied — and it works brilliantly in Betta tanks. Betta fish like to rest near the surface, and the leaves of the Striped sit at just the right level to give them a natural resting spot. It's one of those plants that's both practical and good looking.
The other varieties in this group — Caffeefolia, Congensis, Lanceolata, Nangi, Minima and Minima Variegata — each bring something slightly different in terms of leaf shape and growth habit. We'll be adding individual guides for each of these shortly.
If you're asking me which anubias I'd pick above all others, it's Gracilis without hesitation. There's something about the leaf shape that sets it apart — that arrowhead form and the slightly lighter, fresher green just looks different to everything else in the range. It catches your eye in a tank in a way the broader leafed varieties don't. I always have one in my own tanks.
My other one to mention is Snow White. It's a genuinely stunning plant — the pale, almost white new growth is unlike anything else you'll find in the aquarium hobby. I'll be honest though, it can be tricky to get established. It needs patience and stable conditions while it settles in. It's not one I'd recommend as a first anubias, but once it's going it's truly something special. Worth the effort if you're up for a bit of a challenge.
Heterophylla, Caladiifolia and Hastifolia are the statement plants of the anubias family. These are varieties that need space to do them justice — they're best suited to tanks of 100 litres and above where they have room to grow and their size makes sense in proportion to the tank.
Each has its own character. Hastifolia is the arrowhead variety of the three, with that distinctive pointed leaf shape that looks striking in a larger aquascape. Heterophylla and Caladiifolia both have broader, bolder leaves that make them excellent background plants when you want something with real presence.
We sell more of the compact varieties in store simply because most of our customers are working with smaller tanks. But if you do have the space, these larger varieties are worth considering — there's nothing quite like a well established specimen as a centrepiece or background plant in a large planted tank.
What sets these apart is colour and leaf shape. Standard anubias varieties are beautiful in their own way, but the collector varieties take things to a different level — unusual markings, unexpected colours and distinctive forms that make them genuinely hard to resist if you're passionate about planted tanks.
Pinto is one of the most eye catching — the leaves have irregular white and green splashes and no two leaves are ever quite the same. Dark Velvet and Dark Angel both have a deeper, richer green than you'd find in standard varieties, with an intensity to the colour that looks stunning under aquarium lighting. Broad White and Snow White sit at the other end of the spectrum, with that striking creamy white colouration — both beautiful, just different sizes.
And then there's Chilli, which is unlike anything else in the range. The leaves are long and slim, almost exactly as the name suggests, which gives it a completely different silhouette to other anubias.
These varieties cost more because they're rarer and more specialist to cultivate. But if you're looking for something that will genuinely stop people in their tracks, this is where to look.
We also stock a wider range of specialist varieties and colour strains from time to time — Stardust Giant, Emerald Bloom, Jungle Star and Barteri Wrinkle Leaf among others. Stock changes regularly so it's worth checking back or getting in touch if there's something specific you're after.
Our invitro anubias range is smaller than the potted selection but growing all the time. Currently available in-vitro are Anubias Nana, Nangi, Mini Coin and Snow White.
The main advantage of in-vitro plants is that they are grown in completely sterile laboratory conditions, making them 100% snail and pest free. If you've ever introduced unwanted hitchhikers into a tank via plants, you'll understand why this matters. They're particularly popular with shrimp keepers and anyone running a carefully managed aquascape.
Each pot contains a good number of individual plants, so while the plants themselves are smaller than potted varieties, you get more of them to work with. They'll establish and grow on just like any other anubias once they're in the tank.
We're currently developing a range of anubias pre-attached to natural lava rock and dragon stone, as well as larger display pieces built on presoaked wood — ready to drop straight into your tank with no planting or gluing required. Because each piece is individual, this range will be available to browse in store or by getting in touch with us directly.
Watch this space — we'll be adding these to the website as the range develops.
Anubias are about as straightforward as aquarium plants get, but there are a couple of things worth knowing.
The most important one: don't bury the rhizome. That's the thick horizontal stem the leaves grow from. Attach your plant to wood or rock using aquarium glue and let the roots develop naturally. Bury it and it will rot.
Beyond that, anubias will tolerate low light and don't need CO2 injection, making them one of the few plants that will genuinely thrive without a high-tech setup. A regular dose of liquid fertiliser will keep the leaves healthy and the colour strong.
For a more detailed guide to setting up and maintaining a planted tank, head to our complete beginner's guide.
Whether you're after something simple for a first planted tank or hunting down a rare collector variety, we stock one of the widest selections of anubias aquarium plants in the UK — from everyday varieties to specialist collector plants you won't find easily elsewhere. Stock changes weekly so if you don't see what you're looking for, get in touch — we may well have it coming in.
