Entacmaea

Entacmaea quadricolor, the bubble tip anemone (BTA), is the most popular and practical host anemone for reef aquariums. It readily hosts a wide range of clownfish species including the common Ocellaris and Percula clowns that inhabit Australian reefs. Place BTAs under moderate to high PAR (150–300 PAR) with moderate flow in the mid-section of your tank. Standard reef parameters are important: alkalinity 7.5–9 dKH, calcium 400–440 ppm, and temperature 25–27°C. While not beginner corals, BTAs are the most forgiving anemone genus and are suitable for intermediate reefers with mature, stable systems — ideally six months old or more.

The most important thing to understand about BTAs is that they will move until they find conditions they like, and you cannot choose their final position. They may wander across rockwork, sting corals in their path, and even get pulled into powerheads or overflows. Protect all pump intakes with foam guards or mesh before adding any anemone. Once settled, BTAs tend to stay put, but environmental changes (lighting shifts, parameter swings, disturbance) can trigger another move. They are semi-aggressive and will sting any coral their tentacles contact. Australian-sourced BTAs from the GBR region are well-adapted to local conditions and are your best bet.

BTAs are photosynthetic but benefit from weekly target feeding with meaty foods like mysis or chopped prawn. Well-fed BTAs grow and split, producing clones — this is the primary method of propagation, and it means most BTAs in the Australian hobby are captive-propagated clones. The characteristic bubble tips may or may not be present depending on conditions, and this does not indicate health. BTAs are not suitable for nano tanks or systems with valuable coral collections you cannot risk being stung.