Rose Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)

The Rose Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) is the red to pink color form of the most popular host anemone in the reef hobby. Its oral disc and tentacles glow in shades of rose, cherry, and salmon, and when it is happy the tentacle tips swell into the little bulbs that give bubble tips their name. Clownfish take to this species more readily than to any other anemone, so a Rose BTA with a pair of clowns tucked inside is about as classic as a reef centerpiece gets. It wants an established, stable tank and good reef lighting, and it rewards you with years of color. Browse the rest of our corals, anemones, and clams and our saltwater livestock and supplies.

Each anemone is an individual. Color intensity shifts with lighting and diet, and the bubble tips come and go, so expect some variation from the photo. You are welcome to see it in store before you buy.

Care Guide

• Established tank only: add it to a reef that has been running and stable for at least six months. Anemones handle swings in salinity, temperature, and alkalinity poorly.
• Tank size: 30 gallons or larger. It can grow to a foot across, and it needs room to settle without parking itself against your corals.
• Lighting: moderate to high reef lighting. It hosts symbiotic zooxanthellae and gets much of its energy from light, and good light keeps the rose color saturated.
• Flow: moderate and varied. The tentacles should sway, not whip flat.
• Placement: give it rockwork with holes and crevices. It picks its own spot by tucking its foot deep into the rock, and it may wander for a few days to a few weeks until it finds one it likes.
• Feeding: photosynthetic, but target feed small meaty foods such as mysis or chopped shrimp once or twice a week. Pieces should be smaller than its mouth, and leftovers should come out.
• Safety: cover every powerhead, pump, and overflow intake before it goes in. A wandering anemone pulled into a pump can die and foul the whole tank.
• Water: 76 to 80°F, salinity 1.024 to 1.026, pH 8.1 to 8.4, zero copper. Drip acclimate slowly.

Specifications

Compatibility

The natural partner is a clownfish. The Maroon Goldstripe Clownfish is the classic Rose BTA match, and captive-bred Ocellaris Clownfish and True Percula Clownfish very often move in too, although no clownfish is guaranteed to host. One pair of clowns per anemone keeps the peace.

Give it space from corals, because it will sting anything its tentacles touch. Avoid anemone eaters such as butterflyfish, most large angelfish, and puffers, and do not mix it with other anemone species in a smaller tank, since anemones wage chemical warfare on each other. If you want an anemone that stays put near corals, the Rock Flower Anemone is the calmer option.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Bio-Pure Frozen Mysis Shrimp, an easy weekly target feed
• SFBB Freeze Dried Mysis Shrimp, rehydrate in tank water before feeding
• Niche3D Urchin Pump Guard for VorTech MP10, if you run an MP10, keep the anemone out of the wet side
• Red Sea Coral Pro Salt for steady water changes
• Hanna Marine Salinity and Temperature Tester, because anemones hate salinity swings

FAQ

Will my clownfish host in it?
Very likely, but not guaranteed. Bubble tips are the most accepted host anemone in the hobby. Maroon and clarkii clowns usually move in quickly, and captive-bred ocellaris and percula often do too, sometimes after days, sometimes after weeks.

Why don't the tentacles have bubbles?
The bulb tips come and go. Lighting, flow, feeding, and whether a clownfish is hosting all change the shape, and a healthy BTA can have long stringy tentacles one week and bubbles the next. Watch for a firm foot, a closed mouth, and good color instead.

Will it move around my tank?
It can, especially in the first weeks. Once it finds a spot with the light and flow it likes, it usually stays. If it keeps walking, something about its spot or your water is off.

Is it reef safe?
With caution. It ignores fish and cleanup crew, but it stings corals it touches and can relocate into them. Leave open space around it and cover all intakes.

Can it split?
Yes. Healthy bubble tips sometimes divide into two clones, which is a good sign that conditions suit it.