Anubias coffeefolia has a slow growth rate and only thrives under favorable conditions. The major characteristics of the plant is that its leaves curve at a large angle between the leaf ribs, and that the new leaves are chocolate brown. Anubias coffeefolia turns green when its leaves grow older.
In this article, our experts provide you with all the info you need to start caring for your plant and use it to enhance the looks of your home aquarium. If you are interested in growing tropical plants, you may want to read on. We are sure that you will be fascinated by this sturdy and low-maintenance tropical plant!
Table of Contents
Anubias Coffeefolia: Stats
Difficulty | Easy |
Origin | Cultivation |
Ph | 5.5 9.0 |
Growth Rate | Slow |
Light | Low |
CO2 | Low |
Temperature | 72 80 F |
Anubias Coffeefolia: Basic Information
Anubias coffeefolia is a lovely plant that grows up to the height of 4.5 9.4 inches, so it’s a small to medium plant. However, its green and brown color combination and the peculiar leaf shape make it an impressive species.
It can stay in both large and small aquariums. It flowers frequently underwater but it is unable to generate seeds there. Anubias coffeefolia growth rate is very slow.
Anubias Coffeefolia Care
If this plant is placed in the substrate or gravel, in fact, the rhizome of the plant will likely decay and die. Despite this, its use as an immersed plant in terrariums, paludariums and aquariums is increasing.
The lighting demands of the plant are low, and this plant will even do nicely in shadowy spaces of the tank. If you’re providing excessive lighting, it will result in unappealing, pesky algae growth on the plant’s leaves.
Nonetheless, this is not too much of an issue. You can keep this algae growth under control in an aquarium using a healthy population of shrimp. The shrimps graze on the algae and can easily lessen the population of these graders without harming the plant itself.
Propagation
When a plant grows up, it has to be propagated. In this sense, Anubias coffeefolia is no exception. So, when this plant grows up, you will need to propagate anubias coffeefolia.
Hobbyists propagate the plant using the cuttings of the mother plant. In other words, propagating Anubias means just cutting the plant into two or more new plants. It’s really not a difficult process, and this plant tolerates it very well.
To begin the propagation, you have to bring the plant out of the water. After that, the next step is to carefully cut the rhizome into two or more pieces of roughly the same size using a sharp blade.
While cutting the rhizome, you must make sure to leave 3-4 leaves on each section of rhizome. Also, be careful to not damage the roots. The next step is simply to attach the new plants to their support. To figure out how to plant Anubias coffeefolia so that it thrives, read the next section.
Planting
Anubias are rhizome plants. Plants that have rhizomes can be “planted” easily, as they don’t need to be positioned in a substrate. As a matter of fact, planting rhizome plants in a pot is more difficult than you can expect.
However, the Anubias coffeefolia can also grow in a pot if you really want to keep it out of water. In this case, you must take proper care of it such as weight without concealing the rhizome.
Other Factors
In this section, our experts will illustrate other details to take into account when growing Anubias coffeefolia, including the size of the tank, lighting requirements and the best water conditions for it to look its best.
Growth Rate
As compared to other Anubias’ species, Anubias coffeefolia growth rate plant is a slow grower and does not react considerably to CO2. However, this plant can benefit from supplements, including Seachem Flourish, Flourish Excel, nitrogen, and other specific fertilizers for aquatic plants.
Despite its slow growth, Anubias coffeefolia can reach 12 inches in height. Its leaves can grow up to 3 inches if kept in favorable conditions. All these numbers make anubias coffeefolia size too big to keep in a small tank.
Tank Size
When choosing a tank for coffeefolia, you have to take care of its size. As we know the plant grows quite tall, wyou should be sure that the tank size is at least 10 gallons. The best place to keep the plant is the foreground and midground of the tank.
Lighting
Light requirements are not a big issue for these Anubias plants, as they do not require sharp lighting to thrive. This is one of the reasons that make the care of this plant super easy.
To maintain the health of your Anubias coffeefolia, make sure you are keeping the plant in shade or low light. This is because in sharp light, algae start to grow on the leaves. On the contrary, moderate to low light can stop their growth and keep the plant safe from diseases.
Substrate
For Anubias coffeefolia, make sure the substrate of the plant is aquarium soil. This is the best substrate option due to the high level of nutrients present in it. The second option can be gravel, which can be followed by sand. At any rate, it would be better to grow Anubias coffeefolia as a mounted plant.
Water Conditions
Anubias coffeefolia are true tropical plants and, therefore, they grow in warm water which is soft to slightly hard. These warmer conditions will be an adequate match with tropical tank mates.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, our experts provide a reliable answer to some questions that are often asked with regards to Anubias coffeefolia. Continue reading if you want to have some extra details about the proper care for this plant!
1. Is Anubias Suitable for Your Aquarium?
In most cases, it is. Having an Anubias plant that has a unique color and a medium size in your aquarium not only adds to the aesthetic of your tank setup but also assists with the provision of hiding places for its tank mates.
So, it’s a great plant to have in almost any aquarium and, if you are worried about its upkeep, just know that it is easy to take care of. Keeping Anubias coffeefolia is not rocket science. Anyone having a bit of knowledge of taking care of plants can keep it.
However, you should remember that, while most herbivorous animals do not harm Anubias coffeefolia, some biofilm or wood-eating fishes may chew gaps in the leaves of the plant, so try to avoid these species as potential tank mates!
2. How Many Plants Can Be Kept in One Gallon?
If there are a large number of tank mates, make sure you are keeping 1 or 2 plants in a 10-gallon capacity aquarium. Or else, the space will get a lot smaller for both the plants and the tank mates.
Summary
We have already provided a lot of data for Anubias coffeefolia in this article and you must have learned a lot, correct? Now, you must be thinking to be ready to bring this plant. However, there are some key points that you should absolutely memorize before you bring the plant to your home, so that you can take better care of the plant. Read on:
Anubias are hardy plants that can prosper in diverse habitats. As a matter of fact, this plant is extremely adaptable and durable.
- Anubias coffeefolia has attractive leaves with deep green to brown coloration.
- These epiphytes must be placed above the substrate because burying it’s rhizome will result in the plant to thaw and die. On the contrary, this thrives when attached to aquarium driftwood and rock work.
- Do not render severe changes to the aquarium. Erratic parameters will ensue in the melt and rotting of the aquarium plant.
- Provide quality aquarium soil that is rich in nutrients to yield decent growth. CO2 injections are not strictly necessary, as they do not significantly boost the growth rate of this type of Anubias.
- The plant requires little to no supplementation in nutrient-rich water, so fertilizers are not required.
- Anubias coffeefolia needs low to moderate lighting for its healthy growth.
- The water must be on the warmer side, as this plant naturally grows in areas with a tropical climate.
- Finally, the tank mates must not be tempted to eat this plant. Because of this, you may want to avoid adding herbivorous pleco to your aquarium.
We hope that you’ll take enough care of your plant with extensive devotion. At any rate, you don’t have to worry about strict maintenance. As long as you are proposing to plant clearwater, it’s good to grow. Are you ready to buy your own specimen of Anubias coffeefolia?
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