Black Anubias rot, what is it?

If you've kept Anubias in your aquarium for a while, you've probably heard of black Anubias rot (or even had it). What is this black mold? Where does it come from? And how can you prevent it? We'll explain it all in this article.

Black Anubias rot is a type of fungus that causes the rhizome to soften and rot. This disease is incurable and can occur in any nursery. To ensure the Anubias survives, it's best to completely remove the affected parts.

Anubias is dying, is black Anubias rotten?

If your Anubias dies, it doesn't necessarily have to be black rot. It's also possible that you planted the rhizome too deeply, causing the plant to suffocate and rot. Also, keep in mind that Anubias may drop some leaves if completely submerged. They are grown above water, and once they become completely submerged, they revert to their submerged form, which can cause some leaves to drop.

Black Anubias rot can be recognized by a number of points:

• The rhizome does not look green and fresh.
• The rhizome becomes soft, causing the entire leaf to fall off.
• The plant is not growing or is barely growing.

Anubias rot can spread quite quickly (overnight) and is also contagious to other Anubias species. Therefore, make sure you treat it in time.

Black Anubias rot, how do you combat it?

Once you've confirmed you have black rot, it's difficult to combat. In fact, it's impossible to treat; there's currently no product on the market that works against this disease. There are, however, a few things you can do to try and save the plant:

• Completely cut away all the black parts of the Anubias.
• Check all rhizomes of all rhizome plants in the aquarium for rot.
• Provide sufficient flow and the correct light level.

Once you've completed these steps, the chance of the rot spreading further is small. If this doesn't work, you'll unfortunately have to remove the entire Anubias plant with the rot.

If you purchased the Anubias online or from us, please feel free to contact us.

Where does Anubias rot come from

Anubias rot is a disease spread from plant nurseries. Anubias rot can be found in almost any nursery, and it's impossible to treat. Symptoms are often not immediately visible, but once the plant is infected, it can rot within a day.

So if you have had an Anubias with rot in it, unfortunately the store cannot do anything about it other than check its own Anubias stock and possibly reimburse you for a new one.