Broad Leaf Anubias

Anubias barteri 'Broad Leaf' is a large-leaved form of the variable species Anubias barteri. Flowgrow does not document a cultivar under this name; the closest published record is the type variety Anubias barteri var. barteri, whose values this entry follows. The plant is an epiphyte that grows naturally on shaded, fast-flowing rivers in Guinea, Cameroon and south-eastern Nigeria, and in the aquarium it is at its best attached to driftwood or rock rather than planted in substrate. It is highly tolerant against bad growth conditions. The species can survive under very low light, around 0.25 W per litre, and without the addition of CO2, though it grows faster and holds larger leaves with moderate light and occasional CO2 supplementation. The optimum temperature range is 22-26 C, with pH 5-8 and carbonate hardness up to 15 dKH. Growth is slow, as with most Anubias, and the plant is regarded as easy; it is often recommended for tanks housing large or digging fish because the tough leaves resist nibbling. It is one of the fastest-growing Anubias by the standards of the genus, reaching up to 40 cm, so it works as a background plant when given room. Propagate by cutting the rhizome into pieces, each with a few leaves, and reattaching them. No Flowgrow record documents the 'Broad Leaf' form, so this entry is flagged for review: the parameter set is a disclosed assumption taken from the type variety, not a source confirmation of this specific form.