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

[reefwars]

they dont share a sump i have moved into a newer tank as mine was getting old scratched and i was wanting the corner overflows i let the tank sit with sand and liverock from my established tank and swapping water through water changes and used prodibio then let it sit for a few weeks after test were clear i moved coral and moved fish over the following week

amonia,nitrite,phosphates-0
nitrates-20
salinity-1.024
temp- 78-82ish
cal-460

my nitrates have always been this high wish they were lower...

[Myka]

You say your tanks have always had high nitrate, but this tank is new? You really shouldn't have high nitrate in a new tank. Eeep! Have you double checked your test kit?

I think the Gorgonian will be fine. Don't try to remove the sloughing except maybe with a turkey baster if you really can't help yourself. It does look like it needs more flow though. That will also help with the sloughing, but by the amount that is still half tangled up on the Gorgonian suggests the Gorgonian doesn't have enough flow at the best of times. You can expect it to look this way for 2 days to 2 weeks before it will be done shedding, and the polyps will come out with a whole new zest. They usually look really good after shedding.

[reefwars]

the tank origionally always had high nitrate from the day we bought it we had gotten it down considerately. we have a 180 and decided to downgrade to a 110 because it is a nicer tank and am now scrapping the 180 we only moved everything 3 feet and now we are left with one tank lol sorry for the confusion

[Myka]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh ok. Nitrate can be stubborn to lower when you have old rock in the tank. It takes time, a lot of it - as you've probably noticed.