purple frilly gorgonian help

[reefwars]

seems my gorgonian has taking to sliming all of a sudden, it still has its white flowers coming out but is constantly covered in a slime like algae.

it sits in my tank in direct light and has a koralia2 pointed directly at it i can shake the slime off but its back in a few hours ive read that this is a type of algae and that gorgonians are known to "slime" is this harmful to anything else in my tank?? will it stop or is it going to die??

ive noticed on the very ends the purple tissue has worn down to where you see the little white center on a few branches ive read that this is an infection and should be cut off a 1/4 inch past where its happening any one want to elaberate or heard if this is true?? thanks

[Myka]

Which gorgonian do you have? You talk about it being a "Purple Frilly", but you talk about white polyps, and a Purple frilly has brown/tan polyps on cylinder shaped blades. Do you have a Purple Whip maybe which has flattened blades with white polyps?

Anyway, both gorgonians are very similar in care, and are easy to care for provided you can meet some simple demands. Many people don't understand that most photosynthetic gorgonians need as much light as many SPS corals. What type of lighting do you have? Whereabouts is the Gorgonian placed in relation to the lights?

Gorgonians also like strong water currents. A Koralia 2 isn't overly powerful, but if it is quite close to the Gorgonian and pointed directly at it, the powerhead could be causing undesirable flow. Generally, most corals prefer indirect flow. I would suggest you point the powerhead so that it blasts by the Gorgonian instead of directly at it.

How long has the Gorgonian been in your tank? Gorgonians can shed a waxy skin much like leather corals do, and new Gorgonians will often do so within the first month or so they are in a new tank. Photosynthetic gorgonians also require reef quality water. What are your water parameters at?

I would suggest you adjust the powerhead, check lighting is suitable, check water parameters, leave it alone (don't touch it), and hope for the best.

[reefwars]

it is a purple frilly gorgonian and the polyps appear white to me and they have always been that way i will post a pic in a bit of it with its polyps out.

in my tank it sits pretty much center of the tank the base plug sitting on the sand the gorgonian is about 10" high and i have 2x 250w metal halides plus actinics

it has always been doing fine seemed really healthy and even now still seems ok just "sliming lol
im going to see if i can post a before and after pic in a moment. thanks

[reefwars]

the koralia 2 does sit just above it i figured enough to create more flow but not knock it over

it has been moved into a new tank though just as recently as a week or two ago same system just a different tank you think its just adjusting to the new tank??

[Myka]

If the tanks all share a community sump then that doesn't really count as being in a new tank. However, simply handling the Gorgonian could cause it to wax up. Sometimes Gorgonians will wax up, and shed for "no apparent reason". It's just cleaning itself. Algae growth on the Gorgonian will cause it to shed too.

[reefwars]

the first pic is when it was better looking just last month they def do have a brown tint to the polyps but im half colour blind so im seeing some white bad thing to be in this hobby lol the second pic was taken just moments ago with lights out

should i be helping to remove the build up?? perhaps pushing it towards the overflow?? thanks