Propagating Anubias Nana White: How to Safely Multiply Your Rare Investment
Anubias Nana White is more than just a plant; it’s an investment in the beauty of your aquarium. Given its rarity and value, the idea of propagating it can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. A successful division means you’ve multiplied your investment for free, but a mistake can lead to the loss of a prized specimen. This guide will walk you through the safe, correct procedure for propagating Anubias Nana White, ensuring you protect your plant while helping it multiply.
The Golden Rule: When to Propagate (and When to Wait)
Before you even pick up a blade, you must assess if your plant is ready. Propagating too early is the single biggest mistake you can make.
- Maturity is Non-Negotiable: Only attempt to propagate a large, healthy, and fully established mother plant. It should have a long, thick rhizome and at least 10-15 healthy leaves.
- Signs of a Ready Plant: The rhizome should be actively growing, with a vibrant green tip. The plant should be producing new leaves, even if slowly.
- When to Wait: If your plant is new to the tank, still acclimating, showing signs of melt, or has fewer than 10 leaves, do not attempt to propagate it. Give it several more months to grow and establish itself. Patience now will prevent disaster later.
The Tools for the Job
Precision and cleanliness are paramount. You wouldn’t perform surgery with dirty tools, and the same applies here.
- A Sharp Blade: A new, single-edge razor blade or a very sharp pair of aquascaping scissors is required. A dull blade will crush the rhizome tissue, leading to rot.
- A Clean Cutting Surface: A small cutting board or clean plate.
- Optional – Hydrogen Peroxide 3%: Some advanced hobbyists like to dab a tiny amount on the cut ends to sterilize them, but this is an optional step.
The Propagation Procedure: A Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps exactly to ensure the highest chance of success.
- Gently Remove the Plant: Carefully detach the mother plant from its driftwood or rock and remove it from the aquarium. Place it on your clean cutting surface.
- Identify Your Cut: Examine the rhizome. Your goal is to divide it into sections where each new piece will have at least 4-5 healthy leaves and a solid portion of rhizome. A cutting with only 1-2 leaves is very unlikely to survive. Plan your cut before you make it.
- Make a Clean, Single Cut: Press the sharp blade firmly and cleanly through the rhizome in one single motion. Do not saw back and forth. The cleaner the cut, the faster it will heal.
- (Optional) Sterilize the Wounds: You can dip the cut ends of both the mother plant and the new cutting into a small capful of 3% hydrogen peroxide for 5-10 seconds. You will see it fizz. This helps kill any bacteria that could lead to rhizome rot. Rinse the pieces in tank water afterward.
- Re-attach the Plants: Using aquarium-safe super glue gel or fishing line, attach your new cutting (and the original mother plant) to new pieces of hardscape. Ensure the rhizomes and the cut ends are fully exposed to the water column and not buried or pressed tightly against a surface where water cannot flow.
Post-Propagation Care: The Recovery Phase
The work isn’t over once the plant is back in the tank. The new cutting is in a fragile state.
- Expect a Stall: Do not expect to see new growth for several weeks, or even a month or two. The cutting will first focus all its limited energy on healing the wound and growing new roots to anchor itself.
- Maintain Absolute Stability: This is more important than ever. Do not make any major changes to your lighting, fertilization, or water parameters during this recovery period. Stability is the key to preventing melt. Our guide to preventing melt is essential reading here.
- Look for New Roots: The first sign of a successful propagation is often not a new leaf, but the appearance of small, white, fuzzy new roots emerging from the rhizome. This is a fantastic sign that the plant has established itself.
Propagating Anubias Nana White is a true milestone in the advanced aquascaping journey. By following these safe and patient steps, you can successfully multiply your investment and fill your aquascape with the unparalleled beauty of this rare plant, turning one prized specimen into many.