Anubias and Bucephalandra are the two easiest plants to tie onto wood or rock, and both grow slowly from a rhizome. Tropica rates both easy. Choose Anubias for a shady spot or a tank with plant-eating fish, and Bucephalandra for its narrow, dark leaves, which can show a blue metallic sheen underwater.
Side by side
| Anubias nana | Bucephalandra ‘Kedagang’ | |
|---|---|---|
| Sold as | Anubias barteri var. nana | Bucephalandra diabolica ‘Kedagang’ |
| Origin | Cameroon | Borneo |
| Light demand | Not rated by Tropica (Flowgrow: low to high) | Low |
| CO2 demand | Not rated by Tropica (Flowgrow: with or without) | Low |
| Difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Growth | Slow | Slow |
| Size | 5 to 10 cm tall | Leaves 1 to 2 cm wide, up to 6 cm long |
Both live on hardscape
Neither plant wants its rhizome buried. Tropica says Anubias does best planted on a stone or tree root, held with fishing line until it gains a hold, and that if it goes in the substrate the rhizome must not be covered because it tends to rot. Bucephalandra is a rhizome plant too, and it is used the same way.
Leaves and colour
This is where they part. Tropica describes ‘Kedagang’ as having long, narrow, dark green leaves with white dots, red rhizomes, and a blue metallic shade that may appear on the leaves underwater. Tropica describes Anubias nana as a small, attractive plant and notes that it flowers frequently under water.
Slow growth has a cost
Both are slow, and both pay for it. Tropica says Anubias leaves survive for several years, which gives slow-growing algae the chance to become established on them. Bucephalandra is one of the plants Aquasabi names as most affected by leaf loss after planting, while it adjusts to a new tank. Our plant melt page covers what to do.
Which to choose
Anubias for shade and for tanks with herbivores. Tropica says it will thrive in shady places where other plants will not, and that herbivorous fish do not eat it. Bucephalandra for colour and detail in a low-light tank, if you can wait out a slow, sometimes messy start.
Anubias vs Bucephalandra questions
Is Anubias or Bucephalandra easier?
Tropica rates both easy. Anubias is the more forgiving at the start, because Bucephalandra is one of the plants Aquasabi names as most prone to losing leaves while it settles into a new tank.
Do Anubias and Bucephalandra need CO2?
No. Tropica rates Bucephalandra ‘Kedagang’ low for CO2, and Flowgrow says Anubias nana grows with or without added CO2, though it may benefit from it.
Which is better with plant-eating fish?
Anubias. Tropica says herbivorous fish do not eat it. Tropica’s Bucephalandra page says nothing either way.
Sources: Tropica, Anubias barteri var. nana; Flowgrow, Anubias barteri var. nana; Tropica, Bucephalandra diabolica ‘Kedagang’; Aquasabi, Appearance of in-vitro plants.