Anubias Congensis
Anubias congensis
Scientific Name: Anubias barteri var. congensis
Common Name: Anubias Congensis, Anubias Congo
Anubias congensis is a hardy West African rhizome plant distinguished by its slightly elongated, lance-shaped leaves and adaptability to a wide range of water parameters. With broader blades than Anubias barteri but not as long as Anubias afzelii, this variety grows higher than most anubias without overwhelming smaller aquariums. Its dark green leaves create a striking contrast against driftwood, botanicals, and leaf litter, making it a natural fit for blackwater, botanical method, and biotope aquariums.
Like all Anubias, Congensis grows from a horizontal rhizome that should never be buried. Instead, it thrives when attached to rocks, wood, or botanicals, where its roots slowly anchor themselves. This attachment style allows aquarists to incorporate it into complex hardscapes, paludariums, or even as an accent tucked between pods and branches. Because it tolerates a wide range of water conditions and light levels, Congensis is considered nearly indestructible once established.
Propagation is straightforward: cut the rhizome into sections, ensuring each portion has several leaves, and secure them separately. Over time, each cutting develops into a new clump, expanding the plant’s coverage across your aquascape. Its thick leaves also resist grazing by most fish and invertebrates, making it a durable long-term plant selection.
Caring for Anubias congensis in Blackwater Aquariums
- Care Level: Easy; resilient and highly adaptable
- Lighting Requirement: Low; tolerates shaded environments and low light
- CO₂: Not required; supplemental CO₂ can increase growth but is unnecessary
- Growth Rate: Slow to medium; develops steadily over months
- Tank Placement: Foreground to midground; attach to hardscape for best results
- Native Habitat: West Africa; shaded forest streams and rivers
- Tint Tolerance: Thrives in low to high tannin levels typical of blackwater aquariums
All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our tanks for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided by H2OPlants in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical & merch orders.
Anubias Congensis
Home is getting more natural
While the aesthetic appeal of botanicals and tinted water can be quite attractive to us, the recreation of nature to emulate water conditions, feeding patterns, spawning displays, and territory building are the true benefits botanicals provide to our critters.
Botanical FAQs
Compostable Packaging Promise
Our packaging is designed to return safely to the Earth, just like the botanicals inside. Every bag is BPA- and Phthalate-free, GMO-free, and contains no animal products. Each meets ASTM D6400 composting standards, ensuring it can fully break down in a home compost bin.
What are the Fluffy White Growths on my Botanicals?
That’s biofilm and fungi—what we call the “goo phase.” It’s one of the clearest signs that your aquarium is alive and functioning. These growths wax and wane naturally as botanicals decompose. They’re harmless, even beneficial, and will disappear on their own once microbial populations stabilize.
Will botanicals lower the pH of my water?
That depends entirely on your source water. In very soft or RODI water, botanicals can gradually lower pH as tannins and humic substances accumulate. In medium to hard tap water, buffering capacity often resists these shifts, and you may not notice much change. At Betta Botanicals HQ, our very hard water (350+ ppm) shows almost no pH change unless we use botanicals like Alder Cones or Macaranga Leaves.
When should I replace leaves or pods in my tank?
We recommend allowing botanicals to fully break down into detritus, since this fuels microbial life and enriches the substrate. You can remove them once they stop tinting the water, but you’ll lose some of their ecological benefits. Each time you add new botanicals, follow proper preparation and observe your livestock until you learn your aquarium’s rhythm.
Are your products just for bettas?
Nope. Our botanicals are safe for almost all aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, and paludariums. The only exceptions are goldfish and axolotls, which may ingest small pods like alder cones or casuarina cones. For those species, we recommend large leaves such as Indian Almond, Loquat, or Jackfruit.
What are Tannins?
Tannins are natural compounds released by leaves, seed pods, and bark as they decompose in water. They soften water, gently lower pH, and create the characteristic tea-stained tint found in blackwater habitats. But their role goes far beyond color—tannins fuel beneficial bacteria, fungi, and biofilms, which form the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. They also offer mild antifungal benefits and help reduce stress in fish by replicating the natural conditions they’ve evolved in. At their core, tannins are plant-derived antioxidants that connect your aquarium to the same processes at work in wild flooded forests and streams.