Decorative, adaptable, low-maintenance, and simple to care for, the dwarf spear leaf ranks among the most favored aquarium plants. Here’s how to make the most of the small-leaved spear leaf and ensure its long-lasting charm in your tank.
Origin
The dwarf spearleaf, scientifically Anubias barteri var. ninth It is a broad-leaved small-growing variety A. barteri. This variant is only found locally in Cameroon, but has been bred for aquarium use for many years.
Appearance and use
Anyone who has been in the woods in spring will likely have seen the distinctive leaves and eye-catching flowers of the spotted arum. The unmistakable bunches of bright red berries are visible from afar in summer. The genre of spear blades Anubias Visually it reveals that it belongs to the Araceae family, but lives as marsh and aquatic plants in central and western Africa. Individual leaf stalks about five to eight centimeters long appear from a horizontally growing rootstock (rhizome), each bearing a strong, egg-shaped green leaf with a slightly wavy surface. The leaves of the dwarf spearleaf usually reach no more than 4 – 5 cm in length. Since the dwarf leaf shows slow growth, especially at the beginning of culture in the aquarium, it is suitable for greening the foreground. Care must be taken to ensure that the long roots are anchored to the gravel, but the rhizome should be just above the gravel layer, otherwise the plant may be prone to rot. A. barteri var. ninth but it can also be planted in the middle ground as an epiphyte on stones or wood roots. At first the dwarf spear leaf is fixed in the desired position with fishing line or vegetable glue, but over time it clings to the stone or wood with its roots and then no longer requires any further support. Finally, the spear leaf is also suitable for planting on a structural back wall and can therefore also grow very close to the surface. The position does not matter: if there is too much light, the lanceolate leaf tends to form algae (especially brush or beard algae prefer to attach to the edges of the leaf). There Anubias-Species usually prefer shaded areas, floating plants or Vallisneria can be used to provide shade without affecting spear leaf growth.
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Treatment
Spear leaves are very demanding aquarium plants that can cope well with almost all common water conditions. As mentioned, they prefer moderate lighting and in many cases grow satisfactorily even without further fertilization. A light fertilizer and CO2-Gabe still results in more magnificent growth. Older, larger plant strains branch widely and can grow to a considerable size. Unfortunately, these often become unsightly over time due to the tufts of algae that settle on them. In this case Amano shrimp or algae eater mesh brush can be useful to keep the leaves clean without damaging the plant. Individual yellow or algae-covered leaves can also be removed by pinching them. If major pruning is necessary because the dwarf spear leaf no longer corresponds to the desired appearance, caution is advised: like the arum, the genus contains Anubias Calcium oxalate crystals in their rhizomes, which are released when injured and can potentially lead to poisoning and even loss of invertebrates such as shrimp in the aquarium. Large sticks of dwarf lancet leaves should then be removed from the aquarium for pruning and, after pruning, watered in a bucket or tub for several days until the cut sites begin to heal and the plant can be safely returned to the aquarium. By the way, separate rhizome pieces with at least two “eyes” (nodes on the rhizome from which leaves emerge) can be used to propagate dwarf leaf.
Dwarf Spearleaf Questions and Answers:
1. What should you consider when planting?
The rhizome should never be completely covered with gravel or sand to prevent the rootstock from rotting. With Spearleaf dwarf it is not necessary to shorten longer roots before planting, as is recommended for many aquarium plants, as the roots are very robust and do not break easily.
2. For which types of fish is the dwarf spear particularly suitable?
Since the leaves and rhizomes of the dwarf spear leaf are among the toughest aquarium plants and are probably not tasty to most fish due to their calcium oxalate content, the plant can be well maintained even in aquariums with omnivorous or algae-eating fish. Ovoviviparous or barbels are allowed, as they love to pick stemmed plants with thin feathers Anubias usually undisturbed. An antenna catfish will suck the algae coating off the leaves of the dwarf marshmallow, but usually will not damage the leaf in the process. The dwarf spearfish also forgives the tendency of many cichlids to design the aquarium according to their ideas and to tear up plants – it also continues to grow freely and is therefore also suitable for relatively sterile breeding (breeding) tanks. There are exceptions, however: specialized herbivores such as large sucking catfish (e.g. honeycomb catfish) or disc tetras can have large numbers Anubias-Completely destroy the plant within a few days.
3. Are there any special features?
The dwarf spear leaf not only grows in the aquarium, but can also be used in a semi-aquatic paludarium or even in a humid terrarium. The sturdy leaves continue to grow above water when humidity is high. However, to make the plant flower, it is not necessary to keep it above ground: older plant strains often develop flower stalks with the characteristic white inflorescences of an arum plant, even in the aquarium.
In addition to the often offered small-leaved one, there are also Anubias barteri var. ninth There are also some exclusive and relatively new varieties: the “Petite” variant is characterized by particularly small leaves and reaches a maximum height of 5 – 6 cm.
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Variants with different leaf colors are also popular because they can be used to create exciting accents in the aquarium. In addition to the golden dwarf spearleaf with light yellowish-green leaves, there is the form called “Snow White” with pure white leaves and the variant “Pinto” with white-green spotted leaves
With the exception of the ‘Petite’, these plants are significantly more demanding than the standard form and require optimal conditions for their long-term growth.
4. Who is dwarf spear leaf suitable for?
The dwarf spearleaf is a universally usable aquarium plant that can create accents from low-maintenance aquariums for lazy people to the perfect aquascape. You can find it in your Kölle Zoo market in decorative sizes as a potted plant or as a perfectly pre-conditioned in vitro culture.
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