TankBud

Anubias Nangi

Anubias 'Nangi'

Also known as Anubias barteri var. nana x Anubias gilletii, Nangi Anubias

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
7.9 in
20 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Rhizome
pH
5.0–8.0
Hardness
0–20 dGH
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Araceae
Origin
Hybrid cultivar (parent species from western/central Africa)

Overview

Fix the rhizome to driftwood or rock and keep it unburied, as burying it causes rot. Nangi is extremely hardy and undemanding, tolerating a very wide range of pH and hardness and even cooler water, which makes it a good beginner midground plant. It grows slowly, wants only low to moderate light, and shows little response to CO2, so keep light modest to avoid algae on the leaves.

In the wild

Nangi is a man-made hybrid and does not occur in the wild, but its parent species come from the shaded streams and rivers of western and central Africa where Anubias grow as epiphytes on rock and wood. It inherits the tough, slow, creeping rhizome habit of that lineage.

Good to know

This cultivar is a cross between Anubias barteri var. nana and Anubias gilletii, first raised by American aquarist Robert A. Gasser and in the trade since 1986. It carries broad-lanceolate, pointed, slightly bullous dark green leaves, with submerged blades around 8 to 11 cm long on stalks of 5 to 10 cm, a shape that reflects the larger gilletii parent.

Did you know

Despite being a reliable, cichlid-proof plant with a distinctive pointed leaf shape, Nangi has stayed a bit of a sleeper hybrid for nearly forty years, quietly available since 1986 yet far less famous than its Nana parent.

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