Can anemone survive and thrive without direct feeding?

[CyberGuy]

I recently acquired a small Colorado Sunburst and was wondering if it can survive and thrive with just the light from Radion XR30 G4 alone without direct feeding. Is it possible?

I really do not need for it to grow fast or split because I am putting it in a 20 gallon tank. I just want it to puff up with bubble tips and remain small so I can have more space for other corals.

 

[sfin52]

I recently acquired a small Colorado Sunburst and was wondering if it can survive and thrive with just the light from Radion XR30 G4 alone without direct feeding. Is it possible?

Yes but they grow better with some feedings. My clown feeds her nem just about every feeding

 

[OrionN]

Think of the calories and raw material that the anemone use come from eating and what it take though assimilate through the water. Raw energy from food and sunlight.
It can live and thrive on good light and water but do better with both that and food.

 

[ca1ore]

I have literally never target fed my mag and I has grown to a huge size in 3 years. I do not feed it because I do not want to have to rehome it. Unfortunately the hosted clowns don’t follow instructions well at all.

 

[mfinn]

I never target feed my rainbow anemones.

 

[splitting_lanes]

Absolutely it can survive and do well without feeding. I’ve had a nem for over 16 years, and when it gets fed it gets too big. So I regulate it’s size by not feeding it directly and feeding the fish either near it, or at the opposite end of the tank.

it got too big last summer/fall, so for several months I’ve been feeding the fish far away from it — it’s finally starting to come back down in size.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

Absolutely it can survive and do well without feeding. I’ve had a nem for over 16 years, and when it gets fed it gets too big. So I regulate it’s size by not feeding it directly and feeding the fish either near it, or at the opposite end of the tank.

it got too big last summer/fall, so for several months I’ve been feeding the fish far away from it — it’s finally starting to come back down in size.

Oh interesting. It’s getting smaller now without feeding? I’ve got a decent sized one maybe 7 or 8 inches across in my 300g mixed reef. He’s moved in middle of the night a couple of times where he stung corals, so I don’t want him to get larger. More chance that when he decides to move again, he stings something. Actually I am currently keeping that side of the tank “anemone safe” by not leaving any corals down low on sand where he might get ‘em.

You can see left side of my tank packed with coral on sandbed and rack, but on the right, I leave huge open space around the anemone lol