Pink Waving Hand Anthelia

 Anthelia Coral Care

Waving Hand Anthelia is a fast-growing soft coral that is a great addition for soft coral systems and mixed reef tanks looking for a large coral that sways in the current. They resemble Xenia in appearance however their "hands" are much larger and do not have the pulsing behavior that Xenia sometimes have. Anthelia are very tolerant of water conditions that would be unsuitable for some of the more delicate varieties of coral. Thus, this soft coral makes a great coral for beginners to the reef hobby. Please see below for additional care tips for Anthelia as well as checking out our Top 5 Tips for setting up a reef.

 Location

Indo-Pacific - Islands of the Indo-Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.

 Lighting

Anthelia can be kept under a wide range of lighting. Here at the greenhouse, you can find Anthelia under some very intense LED fixtures as well as some really dark corners. This coral certainly does not require much in the way of lighting. If you have particularly intense lighting, we recommend starting the corals in lower light areas to allow them time to adjust.

Low Light

Low light translates to about 30-50 PAR

Medium Light

Medium Light is between 50-150 PAR

High Light

High Light is anything over 150 PAR

Lighting is a loaded topic, so for a more in-depth discussion of lighting, please see our Deep Dive article.

 Water Flow

Medium to high water movement is recommended. Anthelia will do fine in lower current, but their namesake waving hand behavior is a product of abundant water flow.

 Feeding

Anthelia are not known to require much in the way of feeding but may feed on phytoplankton and similarly sized microfauna in the water column.

 Propagation

This genus for the most part has been propagated extensively in captivity and is an excellent candidate for aquaculture. Anthelia is one of the most rapidly growing corals in the hobby.

 Acclimation

Proper acclimation is extremely important considering the stress imposed on the animals by the shipping process. Please take a moment to review our Acclimation Guide.

 Photography

The images were taken with a Canon 5D mk II and 100mm macro lens under T5 Fluorescent lighting. Quite a lot goes into how we go about shooting the corals and anemones you see on Tidal Gardens. For an in-depth look at our methods, check out our comprehensive Reef Aquarium Photography FAQ.