Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Sea Pickles in Minecraft: Underwater Light
Sea pickles are small green blocks that glow underwater. You can place up to 4 in one block: one gives light level 6, and each extra adds 3, so 4 give light 15. They grow on coral reefs in warm oceans, and bone meal on pickles placed on live coral makes more. Out of water they give no light.
Where do you find sea pickles?
On top of coral blocks in warm ocean coral reefs, in groups of 1 to 4, and as decoration in desert village houses. Wandering traders sometimes sell them. Break them instantly by hand; each group drops as many pickles as it had. Oceans: oceans.
How do you grow more?
Place a pickle on a living coral block underwater and use bone meal on it. The group grows and new pickles spread onto nearby living coral. Dead coral does not work. Bone meal: bone meal.
How much light do sea pickles give?
| Pickles in the block | Light underwater |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 9 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 15 |
Dry pickles give no light, so use them for underwater bases and aquariums; see light levels.
Where can you place sea pickles?
On top of most solid blocks, and on Java on many non-solid ones too; on Bedrock only on full blocks. Use another pickle on a placed one to add to the group, up to 4 in a block. They can sit out of water as decoration, just without light.
What else are they used for?
- Smelting a sea pickle gives lime dye.
- Composting, with a 65% chance per pickle to raise the level.
- Decoration that looks like little jars or pottery.
Other underwater lights include sea lanterns and conduits; see prismarine.
Frequently asked questions
Do sea pickles glow out of water?
No, they only give light underwater.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.