How much light and flow does Magnificent sea anemone need?

Anemone, very high light at roughly 300–450 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with high flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Magnificent sea anemone attack neighbouring corals?

It has sweeper tentacles: at night it extends tentacles several times its own width and burns whatever they reach. Leave at least one adult diameter between it and its neighbours.

Does Magnificent sea anemone need feeding?

Optional. It survives without feeding, but regular small doses improve growth and colour.

What water parameters does Magnificent sea anemone need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Magnificent sea anemone a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: advanced. Growth: medium. Place it in the specimen. Spacing: it usually settles high up where light and flow are strongest, so leave a large clear zone — it kills every coral it crosses.

G-03 / 24Marine

Magnificent sea anemone公主海葵

Heteractis magnifica · Stichodactylidae

Magnificent sea anemone: a demanding anemone that needs very strong light and flow, wanders freely, and stings harder than almost any other invertebrate.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 24 · Magnificent sea anemone Heteractis magnifica

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 公主海葵
Scientific name: Heteractis magnifica
Family: Stichodactylidae
Origin: High-flow reef crests of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to French Polynesia
Type: Anemone
Light: Very high light
PAR: 300–450
Flow: High flow
Aggression: Sweeper tentacles
Feeding: Optional feeding
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
Growth: Medium
Placement: Specimen
Level: Advanced

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.024–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: it usually settles high up where light and flow are strongest, so leave a large clear zone — it kills every coral it crosses.
2Flow: strong and chaotic; with too little flow the tentacles shorten, colour fades and it gradually stops feeding.
3Feeding: optional — shrimp once a week, and let a new arrival adjust to the light before the first feed.
4Water tolerance: sensitive to both water quality and temperature; a bacterial infection after shipping damage is usually fatal, so survival rates are well below a bubble tip.
5Growth form: the disc reaches over 30 cm and creeps slowly; it almost never splits in captivity, so it rarely reproduces in a tank.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Magnificent sea anemone need?: Anemone, very high light at roughly 300–450 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with high flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Magnificent sea anemone attack neighbouring corals?: It has sweeper tentacles: at night it extends tentacles several times its own width and burns whatever they reach. Leave at least one adult diameter between it and its neighbours.
Does Magnificent sea anemone need feeding?: Optional. It survives without feeding, but regular small doses improve growth and colour.
What water parameters does Magnificent sea anemone need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Magnificent sea anemone a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: advanced. Growth: medium. Place it in the specimen. Spacing: it usually settles high up where light and flow are strongest, so leave a large clear zone — it kills every coral it crosses.