BTA deflated all the time

[Zalman]

I have had this gbta for about 2 months now and this thing is deflated for 70% of the day, every day. I put it kind of lower in the tank when I first got it, assuming it would move upwards if it needed more light. It stayed put for about a week or two deflating once every other day. After about the second week it wandered to the back of my rocks but stays directly under them out of the light. It comes out and inflates for an hour or two every day, so at first thought I figured my LEDs were too bright. But it keeps climbing my rockwork.

I rearranged some rocks the other day and lowered my gbta a little bit. Now i come home and he has wandered across the sand and is climbing the glass a little bit... still deflated. Is this normal behavior?

Params:
temp 77
ammonia 0
trates 0
trites 0
sg 1.0255-1.026

1 other BTA in the tank, hides a bit but doesnt deflate as much as this one. No other nems. Thoughts?

 

[ngarcia11892]

i have the same kind of issue with my rbta except he doesnt move just stays deflated and under a rock

 

[nino4u]

The nem will keep moving around and be deflated until it find a home with good flow and good lighting... My nem love the corner glass and especially with deep sand bed...

I would just let it be... It will eventually settle down in your tank.

Just out curiosity you are using RO/DI water correct?

 

[Zalman]

rodi since day 1. I will just wait and see where this bta wanders to next. hopefully it will find a place it likes

 

[rizon25]

Just curious but how old is your tank? I tried putting in an anemone in my tank of 1.5 months old. On the fourth day, the anemone deflated and shrunk really small and sunk into it's crevice. I transferred it immediately to my friends tank which has been running for 2 years and now it's inflated all of the time and doing well. I had metal halides directed at it with great flow with 2 1300 gph powerheads in a 100 gallon tank. He has a 55 gallon with aquatic life 4 t5 bulbs and less flow. Something about a mature tank I guess. I'm going to take it back after a couple of months and see how it does then.

 

[Zalman]

The tank has been running for 5-6 months. I used 300 lbs of live rock (several years old) to kick start the tank. I've never had detectable ammonia or nitrites. Had a bit of nitrates when I first set up the tank, maybe 20ppm... after about a month it was down to <5 ppm.

One thing I do notice is it expells these white stringy strands regularly. Is this a bad sign?