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Unread 11/12/2017, 12:40 PM   #2
ReefNomad
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Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 130
Your carpet is probably recovered to the point where it prefers photosynthesis to gut-feeding... many photosynthetic organisms prefer to gather energy via the free mechanism... the algae they host do all the work, they get all the benefit. There's relatively little waste to expel and the process is easy to regulate by expanding or contracting to expose more or less algae to the light.
Gut feeding, on the other hand, requires an expenditure of energy to process, can introduce potentially harmful unknowns like venom or contaminants, and at the end requires another expenditure of energy to void the waste byproducts of digestion. During the whole process, from capture to consumption to expulsion, the anemone is vulnerable because it cannot completely deflate in the event of harassment.
If your anemone is maintaining size and mass, if it's remaining open for the majority of your photo-period, and it's keeping a vibrant coloration, then don't worry about it. Your system is feeding it for you!


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