Description

The Rock Flower Anemone (Phymanthus crucifer) is a beautiful, hardy, and relatively beginner-friendly anemone species that adds vibrant color and movement to reef aquariums. Unlike many other anemones, it doesn’t typically host clownfish, but it’s highly valued for its wide variety of colors and ease of care.

🌸 Description

• Scientific Name: Phymanthus crucifer

• Common Names: Rock Flower Anemone, Flower Anemone, Beaded Anemone

• Size: Typically 3–6 inches in diameter, up to 8 inches when fully extended

• Coloration: Comes in a wide range of colors—red, green, orange, pink, purple, blue, and metallic tones, often with contrasting mouths and tentacle tips

• Body Structure:

  • Broad, flat oral disc with short, often bubble-like tentacles

  • Foot is used to firmly attach to rock or substrate

• Lifespan: 5–10+ years in captivity with proper care

🪸 Care Level

• Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (great for beginners ready to care for anemones)

• Behavior: Generally sessile once settled; not a “wanderer” like bubble-tip anemones

🧪 Tank Requirements

• Tank Size: 20 gallons minimum recommended

• Lighting: Moderate to high

  • Photosynthetic but adaptable to varying intensities

  • Avoid sudden changes—acclimate to lighting

• Water Flow: Moderate (gentle current; too much flow may irritate it)

• Placement:

  • On sand or rock near the bottom of the tank

  • Needs a crevice or depression to secure its foot

• Water Parameters:

  • Temperature: 76–80°F (24–27°C)

  • Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG

  • pH: 8.1–8.4

  • Nitrate: <10 ppm

  • Phosphate: <0.03 ppm

  • Calcium: 400–450 ppm

  • Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH

  • Magnesium: 1250–1350 ppm

🍤 Feeding

• Diet: Carnivorous, but can survive mostly on light and dissolved organics

• Feeding Tips:

  • Target feed once or twice per week

  • Use meaty foods: mysis shrimp, chopped silversides, brine shrimp, or high-protein coral food

  • Overfeeding can cause water quality issues

🧬 Reproduction

• Reproduction: Asexual fission is rare but possible

• Captive Propagation: Not easy to frag—best left to experienced aquarists or natural splitting

⚠️ Tank Behavior and Compatibility

• Aggression: Mild; less aggressive than other anemones but can sting nearby corals

• Coral Compatibility: Keep at least a few inches away from other corals

• Clownfish Hosting: Rarely, if ever, hosts clownfish

• Tank Mates:

  • Reef-safe fish and inverts

  • Avoid aggressive or anemone-nipping fish (e.g., butterflyfish)

✅ Summary of Care Tips