Maxi-mini carpet anemone behaviour

[ACBlinky]

I have two lovely little MM anemones, but they're behaving in a way that seems strange to me, wondered if anyone could help.

Both of the anemones seem determined to crawl away from the light, into darkness. I initially placed the first one in strong light near the top of the tank -- nems typically enjoy good lighting, so this made sense to me. It left the spot almost immediately, and settled under a ledge in the shade.

The second nem left its medium-light spot and disappeared into the rockwork, never to be seen again. I'm in the process of tearing the tank apart and re-scaping it (long story), and found the anemone, very much alive but completely bleached out, in absolute darkness.

The first one still has most of its colour, but I spot feed it regularly because it seems determined to live in the shade and can't possibly be getting enough light. The bleached nem is currently back in low-medium light and staying there, and it's taking food eagerly, but how on earth do I convince the silly things to stay where they can photosynthesize?

They're not subjected to high current, water conditions have been fine (corals are happy), no shrimp/snails/crabs etc. have bothered them to my knowledge... any idea why these little beauties are determined to self-destruct?

[username in use]

What kind of lighting did they come from? Could they have been shocked and retreated due to a rapid increase in available light?

[Palting]

Joshua has a point. I have 5 of these MM's, and they do like the shade. Unusual for it to go into complete darkness, though. Light shock, need for acclimation would be my best guess, too.

[ACBlinky]

Hmm, good point. I have LEDs, not sure what type of lighting they were in previously (I purchased them online).

Palting - you said yours like the shade too, that's interesting! I made the assumption that anemone = light loving, maybe these guys depend more on food and less on photosynthesis for energy. The bleached nem is settled in the shade right now, I'll just make sure I feed it lots :D

[Palting]

Yup, I thought the same thing you did. Anemone = lot's of light. So, I put the first several MM's in the substrate but out in the open. By the next day they had scooted over to a shady part of the adjacent rock. 2 years later, they are still there! Then I bought a rock with 3 of them attached. Not having learned my lesson, or maybe just being hardheaded, I placed that rock about halfway up the rockscape. 2 of them detached and scooted down to the lower rock, one detached and went under total shade of an overhanging monti cap.

I used to target feed them, fearful of their not getting enough light. But I figured, hey, it's their choice where they go. So I stopped target feeding. They have remained healthy these past years, in the shade with no target feeding.

[NYCBOB]

when I first got mine, it moved under a shade. after missing it for months, it came back out one day and now its sitting on top of the top of the rockwork. they love to be fed.

[BlueMoods]

I got one that was bleached when I got it, took it due to low price because bleached. I placed it in the bottom of my tank, out in the open. I run LED lighting. The little critter has never moved, I do feed it twice a week, mysis or blood worms targeted for it while my whole tank gets some. A week later, it's colored up and, seems happy to stay in it's small conch shell right out in the open.