Bubble tip anemone

Care at a glance

The bubble tip anemone is the one anemone you can safely recommend for a starter reef tank, and it is also the species clownfish most often move into. The bulbous tentacle tips it is named for come and go; if they disappear, that usually signals a change in light, flow or water parameters.

The key thing to know is that it walks. An anemone picks its own spot and will stroll straight across your corals, leaving serious burns behind. So plan space around it and screen off pump intakes, because an anemone drawn into the flow costs you both the animal and the pump. Only add one to a tank that has been running stably for months.

Good to know

• Potent sting — keep distance in the tank
• Needs a mature, stable tank

Related species

• Rock flower anemonePhymanthus crucifer
• Mini maxi carpet anemoneStichodactyla tapetum
• Condy anemoneCondylactis gigantea
• Haddoni carpet anemoneStichodactyla haddoni
• Pizza anemoneCryptodendrum adhaesivum
• Magnificent anemoneHeteractis magnifica