I was mostly joking about being flamed
Actually, it is probably during and shortly after the splitting process that these creatures WILL tend to rely on photosynthesis more than feeding (mostly because the mouth doesn't reform for a while). I've been reading all the info I can find on carpets and anemones in general lately because I'll be moving my
S. haddoni and it's tank this month and I've noticed a trend with host anemones being kept under low lights tending not to not split as often as those kept under bright halides.
Brighter light provides a cushion and something I forgot to mention is that since these things are mostly wild caught, lighting can provide a "comfort zone" as well, even if the animal doesn't actually need the light from a nutritional standpoint. I'm sure if my carpet anemone was caught near Thailand it would have been scrambling around my tank like crazy to get near the light... they live in such shallow water there that they're often exposed to air for several hours during each low tide!
PS. the whole "live in dark as long as they're fed well" stuff is paraphrased from Dr. Ron Shimek, who probably knows more about these creatures than most people and has kept specimens for decades (!!!!). I'd highly recommend his published works on the subject (Issue #8, Vol. 1 of AHABS, Ron's
Aquarium Husbandry Articles By Subscription is a good start for those who don't mind delving into some marine biology to better understand their anemones).
