Crazy Flowering Anubias

[daizeUK]

There's an anubias nana in my 64L tank which spent a whole year growing happily.  It was fed on a diet of EasyCarbo and plenty of ferts and it grew really big and healthy.  It never flowered, though.
 
Back in April I divided it into several small plants and repositioned them.  With the arrival of summer they've been getting hit by direct sunlight and suffering badly from algae.  Now it's a collection of sad, struggling plants and clearly very unhappy.  And guess what - it's flowering.  
 
What's with that?!  I thought anubias was only supposed to flower when it's happy!

 

[Mamashack]

Some terrestrial plants/trees flower and fruit when they are threatened in some way so maybe it's the same with aquatic ones. I don't really know - just a thought!

 

[DrRob]

Yeah, mine only seem to flower when nasty things happen to them. One of them had a rock knocked onto it when I was away, that was in flower when I came home.

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Haha! Yup some kind of adaptive survival mechanism alright. Congrats? Lol

 

[daizeUK]

Seems so!
 
Aquaessentials says "A lily looking white flower will appear every so often and is a sign of a happy plant."
http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/anubias-nana-p-5362.html
 
Clearly mine has a fetish for being covered in algae, then.

 

[Mamashack]

Lol
Hope you manage to get the algae under control soon! What are doing doing to get rid?

 

[daizeUK]

Covering the tank with a sheet around midday when it gets struck by direct noon sunlight.
My own stupid fault for siting a tank next to patio doors

 

[Zikofski]

hmm my anubias started to flower it also has algae on it but is healthy and growing slowly but its growing so interesting, i did just cut the flower away and il see if it tries to flower again 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Sounds really interesting actually.
 
Anubias will flower like a defense mechanism ? re algae or poor water conditions
 

Seems so!
 
Aquaessentials says "A lily looking white flower will appear every so often and is a sign of a happy plant."
http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/anubias-nana-p-5362.html
 
Clearly mine has a fetish for being covered in algae, then.

 
LOL
 
But I was originally of the opinion that flowering anubias is a good sign, but now having some doubts.
 
I have had anubias in my tank for over a year now, have never seen them flower, new leaves and growth, yup, but never flowers