Bubble tip anemone care

Quick reference

What is a bubble tip anemone?

Entacmaea quadricolor is a sea anemone with symbiotic algae, found on Indo-Pacific reefs from the Red Sea and East Africa to Japan and Australia. It anchors its foot deep in a crevice; shallow-water animals tend to be small and grouped, deeper ones larger and solitary.^[8] It's the most common clownfish host anemone in the Indo-West Pacific. A recent preprint counts 20 of the 28 clownfish species using it, where older surveys list 13 or 14, and its genetic data suggest it's really a complex of at least five cryptic species.^{[1, 9]} It reproduces by spawning and by splitting, and splitting is the usual mode in aquariums.^[4]

Lighting for a bubble tip anemone

Strong. CORAL Magazine calls for bright light and Fatherree strongly recommends a high-output fixture; under dim light, bubble tips climb toward the surface and slowly decline.^{[5, 4]} Published PAR targets are about 150–200 (Reef Builders) and 150–350 (Bulk Reef Supply).^{[2, 3]} Change lighting gradually, because sudden jumps can make it wander or shrink.^[7]

Don't read too much into the bubbles. Some sources link them to intense light, while Fatherree found his observations contradict the light, hunger and clownfish explanations, and captive animals often show few bubbles.^{[6, 2, 4]}

Flow and placement

Moderate flow that gently moves the tentacles without blasting the anemone.^[3] Never place it in front of a powerhead or return, and guard intakes: an anemone pulled into a pump usually dies if it stays there long.^[4] Give it a crevice for its foot, hold it in place for about 10 minutes with the flow off, and expect it to move until it finds a spot it likes.^{[2, 7, 6]}

Feeding

Mostly photosynthetic,^[8] but sources disagree sharply on feeding. CORAL Magazine says it needs regular meaty foods such as krill, shrimp and silversides;^[5] Fatherree feeds a small portion of chopped seafood at least once a week and warns never to squirt food into the mouth;^[4] Bulk Reef Supply suggests occasional small foods like mysis;^[3] and Reef Builders' author never deliberately feeds his.^[2] In a culture study, directed feeding reduced weight loss compared with dissolved nutrients alone.^[10] Small, occasional meaty feedings sit in the middle of that range.

Aggression and spacing

It stings what it touches, and on rare occasions may catch and eat a fish.^{[5, 3]} Fatherree says most corals tolerate the sting but small-polyp stony corals can be damaged if it wanders close; Reef Builders keeps corals at least 2 inches from the fully extended anemone.^{[4, 2]} The bigger practical risks are wandering and cloning: a healthy bubble tip can split every few weeks.^[4]

Tankmates

In the wild it hosts at least 13 clownfish species, including Clark's, tomato, two-band and maroon clownfish.^[9] Ocellaris don't use it in the wild but often move in when their usual hosts are absent,^[9] and CORAL says it will host most clownfish species in aquariums.^[5] Whether it needs one is disputed. Fatherree kept bubble tips without clownfish with no ill effects,^[4] while LiveAquaria says it should be kept with one.^[6] In the wild, anemones with resident clownfish expanded more often, and those without shrank and eventually disappeared;^[11] Fautin found conspicuous wild specimens depend on their anemonefish to survive.^[12] Several butterflyfish eat anemones.^[13]

Splitting and propagation

Bubble tips split lengthwise, usually over about a day, into two to five smaller anemones.^{[2, 5]} Splitting can also be a stress response, for example after large water changes.^[4] A 2022 aquaculture study found cutting a simple propagation method that didn't affect the anemone's zooxanthellae,^[10] but we found no reliable step-by-step method for hobbyists.

Troubleshooting

Common mistakes

• •Buying a wild-collected, loosely attached or gaping specimen instead of an aquacultured one.^{[4, 5, 2]}
• •Leaving pump intakes unguarded.^[4]
• •Too little light.^{[4, 6]}
• •Big jumps in light intensity.^[7]
• •Feeding large chunks or forcing food into the mouth.^{[4, 2, 3]}

Equipment & food for this species

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, reefcalcs earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Anemones take meaty foods like mysis, and they need stable salinity, so check it with a calibrated refractometer.

Bubble tip anemone FAQ

Do bubble tip anemones need clownfish?

Not strictly. Fatherree kept them without clownfish with no ill effects,^[4] though LiveAquaria recommends one,^[6] and in the wild anemones without resident clownfish shrank and eventually disappeared.^[11]

Will an ocellaris clownfish host a bubble tip anemone?

Often, yes, in aquariums, even though ocellaris don't use bubble tips in the wild.^[9] CORAL Magazine says it hosts most clownfish species in aquariums.^[5]

How much light does a bubble tip anemone need?

Strong light: published targets are about 150–200 PAR and 150–350 PAR. Raise intensity gradually.^{[2, 3, 7]}

Why is my bubble tip anemone moving?

Usually because it's unhappy with the light or flow, the light is too dim, or the light changed suddenly. Guard pumps while it settles.^{[2, 4, 7]}

How do bubble tip anemones split?

Lengthwise, over about a day, into two to five anemones. Stress can also trigger it.^{[2, 5, 4]}

Are bubble tip anemones dangerous to touch?

SeaLifeBase lists them as harmless to people, though LiveAquaria advises handling them carefully.^{[8, 6]}