How do you get an Anubias plant to flower?

[prowakeboarder]

So I have an Anubias plant attached to some lava rock in my tank. I'm pretty sure it's getting plenty of light and it looks very healthy, but it has yet to flower. Is there something I can do to help it along its way? I've had it for about 5 months now and have seen significant growth, just no flowers! Any advice? I have a 10w zoomed ultra sun light producing 6500k and I use root tabs every now and then (I had to stop because it stained my sand).

 

[prowakeboarder]

Maybe it will help if I post a picture of it. This the Anubias I am referring to. If you see any problems with it, or have suggestions, let me know.

 

[Rivercats]

I can't tell you how to get them to flower but I have a few different types of Anubia's and the only ones that flower and do so about every 3 months are my Anubia Nana's. Don't know how you run your tank (ferts/lights/liquid carbon or CO2) but I have a high light 220g, dose dry ferts PPS-Pro daily, and use liquid carbon daily. Most likely they flower due to my fertilizing routine and using liquid carbon daily. I also have Cambomba Furtcara flowering right now.

 

[prowakeboarder]

Ya I have seen pictures of your tank and I love it! I'll have to pick your brain about the dirt/eco-complete substrate that you use. Right now my lights are on about 10-12 hours a day and my water temperature is about 80-82. I don't use CO2 or any ferts, but I do have some root tabs that I used to use. I would like to do a 10 gallon dirt tank after Christmas!

 

[George9]

Mine flowered three times. And all three times I wasn't adding and forts to the tank, so I just considered it luck lol

 

[prowakeboarder]

Wow that's awesome! I have been trying to get mine to flower for about 5 months now and still no results. I have looked around the internet and there isn't really a "How to make your Anubias flower for Dummies" guide out there...but I could sure use one and a little luck!

 

[Rivercats]

Ya I have seen pictures of your tank and I love it! I'll have to pick your brain about the dirt/eco-complete substrate that you use. Right now my lights are on about 10-12 hours a day and my water temperature is about 80-82. I don't use CO2 or any ferts, but I do have some root tabs that I used to use. I would like to do a 10 gallon dirt tank after Christmas!

You really don't need your lights on that long but as long as your not having algae problems due to it I guess it doesn't matter. But you water temp is alittle high. If you go down to around 78 it would be better IMO. When your ready to try a dirt tank just give me a hollar.

 

[prowakeboarder]

You really don't need your lights on that long but as long as your not having algae problems due to it I guess it doesn't matter. But you water temp is alittle high. If you go down to around 78 it would be better IMO. When your ready to try a dirt tank just give me a hollar.

I haven't had an algae problem yet! My otocinclus has been doing a fine job keeping any algae at bay. The reason why my tank is so high is because I have found that my Electric Blue Ram does much better in warmer water. My heater also doesn't have a setting for it since it's only designed for small tanks. Maybe that could be one of my problems?

 

[Rivercats]

Your right Rams do like hotter water and I'm not sure if the slightly higher temps are having any affects on the anubias but in the back of my mind I think Anubia Nana, which is what it looks like you have, has a 80F high temp max. But it looks like its heathy as can be so maybe you just have to be alittle more patient. Do you do a big WC weekly? Sometimes I think the removal and addition of fresh water weekly stimulates plants, the same way it seems to stimulate fish.

 

[prowakeboarder]

I do about a 20% water change every 2 weeks. Initially I did about 30-40% every week, but the last 2 rams I had died due to the stress. I'll step up my water changes soon as this ram has lasted a lot longer and seems to be stress free. He even comes up to the glass to greet me when I walk up to the tank! So you water changes will help my plants? I'm glad to be learning so much on here! It really helps with my own aquarium and at work!

 

[Rivercats]

I do a 50% WC weekly on a 220g planted and I have a pair of GBR's, a pair of Electric Blue Rams, a pair of Gold Rams, and a pair of Bolivian Rams. I also have 5 other rams in other tanks and all get the same WC's.

Part of the problem with German Rams and their color varities is many of them come from Asia, which has very questionable breeding practices and is known for using hormones on their fish. If you get Rams, any color, from in country breeders they are much hardier. I get all mine from Oddballfish and they breed their own. All but 2 of my rams are over 1 year old now.

As for WC's I think they help both plants and fish. You can view my tank at the links below the post.

 

[prowakeboarder]

Wow that's a lot of water to change! And yes I have seen your beautiful tank. It's actually why I joined the site, and it's also why I want to try a dirt 10 gallon. I'd feel pretty silly though if I didn't get most things nailed down on my small tank first before going bigger. I'm trying to plan everything out first and one of those plans is a flower on my Anubias someday...haha. My EBR's that I've tried from my work aren't always the healthiest. This one, however, seems to be very healthy!

 

[Rivercats]

I use an Aqueon Water Changer so it does all the work. Now way could I do buckets, I'd be in bed for the rest of the week to recover in enough time to do another WC

Thank you for the compliment but there are tons of very expierenced, knowledgeable members on here. Just stick with it and keep asking questions and you'll have things down in no time.

 

[prowakeboarder]

Thank you very much! I plan on sticking with it for a very long time. There is a lot of knowledge to be had on here and I have been spending my free time trying to learn as much as I can so I can plan out my next tank. So is there anything I should be looking for to see if my plant is ready to flower? Like does it look like a new leaf forming first, or something different?

 

[Rivercats]

You see what appears to be a new leaf stem coming up but it forms an unopenned bud just like any other flower and then it opens. Here's a picture of one of mine with a flower.... Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Album: 220g dirted tank - Picture

 

[prowakeboarder]

You see what appears to be a new leaf stem coming up but it forms an unopenned bud just like any other flower and then it opens. Here's a picture of one of mine with a flower.... Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Album: 220g dirted tank - Picture

That's funny because that's the exact picture I was looking at to see if mine was close to getting a flower! Thank you so much for all of your help! I'll keep trying I suppose and see what I can achieve. So another question, how do I trim my Anubias so that I can turn it into 2 plants instead of 1? I've read that you can somehow break it into 2 plants if you do it right. Is that possible?

 

[Rivercats]

All you have to do is cut the rhizome at the point where you want to split the plant. Just be sure you have leaves and roots on both sides.

 

[prowakeboarder]

I will have to try that then for sure. It would be nice to have 2 of them instead of one! (assuming they both live after surgery....)

 

[Rivercats]

They will! When moving two of my anubia's from other tanks into the high light 220 their leaves burned even in the shaded areas of the tank. I removed all their leaves and left the rhizomes and 3ish months down the road they began growing new leaves in the higher light with no issues. They are pretty indestructible plants IMO.

 

[ZHiTcH41]

Mine flowered once