Best aquarium plants for nano shrimp tank – 3
Looking for plants that go well in a shrimp tank? 
Let's take a look which plants would work the best for them.
3. Anubias
Anubias is a genus of aquatic and semi-aquatic flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical central and western Africa. They primarily grow in rivers and streams, but can also be found in marshes. They are characterized by broad, thick, dark leaves that come in many different forms. The genus was revised in 1979 and since then its nomenclature has been stable. Species can be determined by using mostly characteristics of the inflorescence. Because of the often shady places where the plants grow, the genus was named after the Egyptian god Anubis, the god of the afterlife. The genus was first described in 1857 by Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, with A. afzelii as its type species.
PLANT: Anubias
CARE LEVEL: Easy
LIGHT REQUIREMENT: Low-Moderate
GROWTH RATE: Slow
TEMPERATURE: 72-82°F / 22-28°C
pH: 6.5 – 7.8
HARDNESS: 60- 160 ppm
PLACEMENT: Mid-background
MAXIMUM SIZE 11+ Inches / 28+ cm
MINIMUM TANK SIZE: 5 Gallons / 19 liter
PROPAGATION: Rhizome Division
Anubias is one of the popular plants in the aquarium hobby.
This is a slow-growing plant and it provides a lot of cover to shrimps which makes it ideal for nano shrimp tanks.
Besides, it is a very hardy plant and it is very easy to care for which makes it a good choice for beginners.
How much light does Anubias require?
Anubias can grow in wide lighting conditions.
Though it can grow in a low lighting condition of 1.5-2 Watts per gallon, it will grow faster in higher lighting condition
But when you keep it under high lighting conditions, it can also cause algae growth on this plant.
But algae is not a problem in shrimp tank as shrimps like to eat algae.
So ideally, you should provide moderate lighting to anubias of at least 2-3 watts per gallon.
What’s the best place to keep anubias in a nano shrimp tank?
Anubias is a short stem plant that can grow up to 11 inches.
So, in a nano shrimp tank, you should keep it in the mid-ground or background of the tank.
Substrate requirements
Anubias doesn’t have real roots. Instead, it has rhizomes.
So you can use any substrate for this plant whether that is gravel, sand or a nutrient-rich substrate.
You can also attach it to any ornament in the tank like driftwood or rock.
It does get some nutrients through its rhizomes so it can benefit if you keep it in a nutrient-rich substrate.
Fertilization requirements
Anubias can benefit from fertilizers so you should regularly supplement it with some fertilizers.
While choosing the fertilizers just make sure that the fertilizers contain copper in low quantity.
You can also supplement anubias with CO2 for faster growth.
Ideal water parameters
The ideal temperature for the proper growth of anubias is between 70 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 7.8 and the hardness tolerance range is between 3-8 KH.