Yes, ylm, an anemone can do pretty well without a clownfish.
Unfortunately, anemones seem on average to do poorly in tanks with or without clownfish guests
Your bubbletip (
Entacmaea quadricolor?) may look different with vs. without clownfish guests: the diagnostic 'bubble' tips to the tentacles may not be as obvious without said fish present. The anemone is also more likely to expand.
Make sure any anemone gets good lighting, and don't begrudge it a proteinaceous snack every so often (small bits of fresh shrimp are my fave, though others feed with fish, etc.)
If you can avoid purchasing a 'host' anemone, do so. Their numbers are severely depleted in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
I remember a decade and a half ago when it was impossible to snorkel without being pesterd by angry clownfish defending nearly-hidden host anemones. Now you sometimes need local guides to show you where anemones and clownfish survive.
horge, dark
