BTA hide and Seek ............. Grrrrrrrrr

[Nibejeebies]

okay so heres the skinny...

So while addressing an issue with my clowns I have relized just how frustrating my BTA has been. IF you check out my tank thread (in my siggy page 6, may 30 and june 3rd) for the first several days she maintained her bubbles (yes im aware this is a random thing and i think shes pretty with or w/o the bubbles) and then she started to move around. I understand a nem will move around untill it finds a spot it likes but she isnt just moving now shes hiding.

Haven't really done anything different in the tank cept clean the powerheads. I place them in pretty much the exact same spot and direction so i don't believe flow is a concern
I originally put her in the top 1/3 of the tank on the day I got her, she slowly made her way down to the bottom of the tank near the sand bed and has been seemingly content in a 'shaded' area below a small outcropping.

Shes was there for maybe 2 weeks now, and while i didn't find that a optimal place to view and feed her I left her there cause she was fully opening and looked healthy and happy. I am feeding her aproximatly 1/2 of a krill every three days. Of she doesn't accept it or eat it with in a few moments (5 to 10) I remove it. That has only happened once, and that was right after a 30% W/C following a power outage that lasted 4 hours. (Had a battery operated bubbler) this happened aprox 3 weeks ago.

Today I came home unable to find the little bugger. Finally found her hiding in the dark on the back side of the rock she was on in a Fish peekaboo cave (Lack of a better word). There's is very little to no light inside said cave.

I promtly moved the rock back around and ... mistakenly thought that I placed the rocks back in a way that she would be unable to return to the dark side...
Alass with in an hour she has returned back to said dark side and I have no idea what to do or rather to attempt moving her and the rock again.

Ive read and heared to keep a nem some where where you can see them to be able to ensure they are healthy but in said cave this is impossible. So what do I do here? Here are is the pertinent info:

TLDR- BTA suddenly is going all darth vader and went to the dark side

Pertinent Info:
No major flow changes.
Been in reletivly same spot since June 1st.
Tank age - 6 months 13 days
Appears healthy and is eating Krill well every 3-4 days.
Lighting -
Primary Lighting - Marque 2bulb T5HO White 10k bulbs - 6 months old as of june 27th.
Actinic Lighting - Reef Brite Tech LED 36" (18 x 3 watt leds) --- Just found out yesterday they have came out with an inline dimmer option for this.. may have to take that into consideration.
Last water change - yesterday Saturday July 09 - RODI with Aquavitro Salinity Salt
Tank Prams have been added as a Picture...

EDIT: This water sample and tests were preformed aprox 45 mintues after lights out hence the slightly lower PH.
I have also Addressed the dKH issue with 2part and will retest in the morning after its had time to deal. (added enough to raise 1dKH)

 

[Nibejeebies]

Bump

 

[dbl]

I've found that nems will end up settling wherever they are happy, which often times is not where we would like them to settle. By all indications from your comments, it appears to be healthy, just hiding out in the cave. I personally do not feed mine - they eat from the water column during regular feedings or the clowns keep them fed. I would tend to think it will eventually come out of the cave in search of light, but I'm no nem guru.

Let's bring the [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] in to see if any of them see a potential issue.

 

[twilliard]

OK so your feeding it.
It is getting a majority of energy from being fed. It may want to stay out of the light from this as to not harm the zooanthelle within it.
I don't feed mine.
It gets it energy from the light and fish feedings.
So to conclude I can see why it wants to stay out of the light.

 

[Reefrookie220]

I second the above advice.


Only way I've been able to keep them from moving (I have 22) is to treat them like people treat gsp and Xenia. On a rock in the sand out of reach of the main structure. Even then it's hit or miss.

 

[Nibejeebies]

Sadly she did come out of the cave and went right up the glass and into a power head.
She took some severe damage to her tenticals but her foot ... appears... to be in tact. Shes still alive and has moved around a couple of times now shes at the top of the rock structure in High light. I assume so she can get more energy for healing. I was sittin here when it happened so I prevented as much damage as I could. I had taken the foam covers off the power heads to clean and just didnt put them back cause i didnt think she would up that high again.