The typical Anubias barteri is native to rainforest streams in West Africa and long known as a robust, undemanding aquarium plant. It is very variable in size, however, with a height of about 25-45 cm it gets considerably bigger than Anubias barteri var. nana. As young plant, it differs from the latter by longer petioles. The coarse, medium green leaves are oval with slightly cordate base. The creeping rhizome soon reaches a length of 10 cm and more.
Anubias barteri var. barteri is one of the easiest aquarium plant and still grows in dimly lit tanks without CO2 supply. It attaches itself on wood and rock but can also be planted in the ground, proposed that the rhizome remains above the substrate level. This Anubias also tolerates strong lighting, but planting in a shady place prevents algae growth on the long-living leaves.
This Anubias is well suited for tanks with big cichlids and plant-eating fish, but looks also good on the hardscape of bigger aquascapes. Together with plants from the same region (e.g. Bolbitis heudelotii and some Crinum species) it is an ideal plant for West Africa-themed stream biotope aquariums. It is also suitable as emersed plant in paludariums and aqua-terrariums.
