Snowflake Bulb Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)

The Snowflake Bulb Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor) is a striking patterned form of the Bubble Tip Anemone, the most reliable clownfish host in the hobby. Frosty white tentacles laced with soft pastel highlights sway and bubble under reef lighting, and a bonded clownfish turns it into the best show in the tank. Prefer the classic look? See our Green Bulb Anemone, or browse the rest of our saltwater livestock.

Please note: each anemone is a hand-picked individual, so the exact pattern you receive may vary slightly from the photo. You are welcome to come see it in store.

Care Guide

Bubble tips are the most forgiving of the host anemones, but they still expect reef-quality water and decent light. Give this one a crevice to anchor in and steady parameters and it will reward you with years of movement and color.

• Minimum tank size: 30 gallons, established and stable.
• Lighting: Moderate to high reef lighting. Good light keeps the bubble shape and pastel color strong.
• Flow: Moderate and indirect. Cover powerhead intakes before it explores.
• Water: 75 to 80°F, specific gravity 1.024 to 1.026, pH 8.1 to 8.4, ammonia and nitrite at zero.
• Feeding: A meaty bite (mysis, silverside pieces, or chopped shrimp) once or twice a week alongside what it makes from light.
• Placement: It anchors its foot deep in a rock crevice and chooses its own final spot, so let it settle rather than moving it.

Specifications

Compatibility

The star pairing for a Bubble Tip Anemone is a clownfish, and watching one settle in is half the fun. Great matches from our stock include the Orange Skunk Clownfish and the Maroon Goldstripe Clownfish, maroons especially love BTAs. Keep it out of reach of corals it could sting, skip anemone-nipping angelfish and butterflyfish, and give it a settling-in week before adding the clown.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• SFBB Freeze Dried Mysis Shrimp for easy weekly feedings.
• A quality mix from our salt mixes and a kit from water testing to keep parameters steady.
• Browse our corals and anemones and the rest of our saltwater livestock.

FAQ

Will it host my clownfish?
Bubble tips are the most widely accepted host anemone in the hobby. Maroon and ocellaris clowns take to them readily, though every fish has its own timeline, some move in overnight, others take weeks.

Why is it called a snowflake?
It is a designer color form of the bubble tip with white, frost-patterned tentacles instead of solid green or rose. The pattern intensifies under good reef lighting.

Will it move around or split?
It may wander for a few days before anchoring, so cover intakes. Healthy bubble tips also split into two clones from time to time, which is normal and how many of them are propagated.

Does it need feeding?
Light does most of the work. Offer a meaty bite once or twice a week, and a hosted clownfish will often bring it food on its own.