Mini-maxi anemone hiding in a cave

[Playapixie]

For the most part, my mini-maxi nems stay where I put them. However, one of them (after months of being satisfied in the spot I placed it in) decided to tour the local region. After being unable to spot it for over a week, I finally found it in a dark cave at the bottom of my tank. It's color looks good and it appears healthy (and reacts to light), but it's in a very dark place and at this point I don't think it's received much light at all for a week and a half. I suppose there's nothing to be done for it but let it be where it wants (and I couldn't reach it even if I tried), but how long can it live in a cave? I thought about directing some light towards the mouth of the cave to maybe coax it in the right direction. Or should I just do nothing and let it work itself out? It's a beautiful nem and it's a bummer it's hiding.

 

[Scooterman]

If it moved there on its own I'd think it would be ok but probably won't hurt to try and coax it over into the light. How much light do you have? I'm not an anemone expert though, maybe we can get someone to chime in.

 

[Denis Dragutin]

I have the very same situation with my RBA, but mine has been hiding for a long while now. Once in a while I see the tip of the tentacles, but a few days might go by with no sight of it ! My 2 clowns are still around it.... go figure..

 

[chelseagrin]

it would not have moved there if it did not like the location. anemones only move to find food or a more preferable enviornment.

 

[Playapixie]

Well, it's still in the cave, appearing quite content there. I tried aiming a power head at it for a few hours one day, and it didn't care. Today I tried shining a Weak light at it from one end of the cave to coax it out; still no luck. It reacts to light and still appears healthy, so I guess it likes the cave. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it may also have enjoyed a very expensive dinner in the cave. Three days ago I liberated a new Yasha Goby and Randall's Pistol shrimp from my quarantine tank. Of course they both ignored the PVC cave I'd set up for them and immediately ducked into--you guessed it--the same cave as the Mini-Maxi nem. Pretty sure the pistol shrimp is alive in there, as the sand is being quite thoroughly rearranged. Haven't spotted the goby since the moment it ducked into the cave Given that a hungry nem is literally at the doorstep of the shrimp's burrow, I'm afraid the Yasha was a dinner that cost more than the nem. :-(. The Yasha Goby never missed a meal in quarantine, so I'm thinking three days in the main tank without coming out for food is a bad sign. :-(. *sigh*

 

[Playapixie]

Oh, joy! The Yasha Hashe Goby is alive and well (not mini-maxi anemone dinner as I had feared), and is buddied up with his Randall's Pistol Shrimp. Yay! Unfortunately, they have set up shop deep in a cave that's hard to peer into, so I may never see them. But they're alive!

On the bright side, the mini-maxi has apparently tired of the pistol shrimp burying him in the sand inside the cave, and is now on its way back into the light.

Happy day in my little sliver of reef.

 

[user 26995]

I know someone that has numerous mini nems and she has a few that moved off someplace hard to see too. They will probably do it again. They are really unpredictable animals.

 

[estanoche]

glad it made it out!! Fish are way smarter than we think they are... I don't a healthy fish would allow itself to be eaten by an anemone, generally only weak or injured fish are at risk!

 

[Scampy]

I've had maxi mini's stay put and others would wander every week or so. You wouldn't think an anemone would have an attitude but they can. I also lost a clown to a maxi mini. Very pretty little nems but very lethal also.

 

[krisfal]

glad it made it out!! Fish are way smarter than we think they are... I don't a healthy fish would allow itself to be eaten by an anemone, generally only weak or injured fish are at risk!

I would have to disagree with this, my large carpet anemone has taken out a couple healthy fish, the one I saw happen was a new sand sifting goby added to the tank after QT, I came around the corner, the fish spooked and got too close and bam! the anemone had it, wrapped it up and consumed the 5" fish in a matter of minutes. Carpet anemones are very sticky and quick, making it hard for a fish to recover from a mistake. In fact I have had the carpet grab my tweezers and have had to wait for it to let go . . . I have not been able to keep any sand/bottom dwelling fish since I acquired the carpet.

 

[Krish]

When snorkeling, I've seen some anemones tucked very low basically underneath the reef. Sometimes you can barely see the tenticles. Guess some just prefer it this way sometimes for whatever reason. Glad your fish made it out ok.

 

[nata]

I have about 70 mini maxis and they are unpredictable..some stay for months ..one day they move..u never know..but I love them..

 

[Scampy]

I have about 70 mini maxis and they are unpredictable..some stay for months ..one day they move..u never know..but I love them..

70...thats awesome! Is there a "show off your" thread for maxis? If not, we should start one. I only have 5 nems and sure wouldn't mind seeing pics of everyone else's.

 

[estanoche]

I would have to disagree with this, my large carpet anemone has taken out a couple healthy fish, the one I saw happen was a new sand sifting goby added to the tank after QT, I came around the corner, the fish spooked and got too close and bam! the anemone had it, wrapped it up and consumed the 5" fish in a matter of minutes. Carpet anemones are very sticky and quick, making it hard for a fish to recover from a mistake. In fact I have had the carpet grab my tweezers and have had to wait for it to let go . . . I have not been able to keep any sand/bottom dwelling fish since I acquired the carpet.

lol - never kept a carpet, but I'll take ur word on it!! hahaha

 

[Playapixie]

lol - never kept a carpet, but I'll take ur word on it!! hahaha

Mini-Maxi carpet anemones are different from regular carpet anemones. For one thing, they are much smaller, and their sting is nowhere near as potent In general they don't wander that much. 1 have one that moved 2" on day one and has never moved again, two that occasionally take a spin around their rock pile but return eventually to their usual spots, and the one that hid in the cave was in the same spot for months before this first spin. They are a bit unpredictable. They don't seem to hurt any of my corals too badly when they cross paths (and they've been in contact with mushrooms, Duncan, zoas, ricordea, & Xenia so far with no losses on either side.) in general I think they are fantastic nano reef critters. I have heard of cases of them eating fish, though. Just grateful mine haven't.

 

[Playapixie]

Upadate: 2 of 4 mini-maxis shrinking

Update: of my 4 mini-maxis, two of them have found spots in great light and are huge and vibrant and healthy. The other two both chose very shady spots (spots that I can't reach to spot-feed them, too), and they have both shrunk to between the size of a dime and a quarter, and lost a lot of color (not bleached, but no longer vibrant.) I'm pretty convinced that they would do better in more light, but there's no moving them (couldn't reach them even if I wanted to try.) *sigh*