Green Slimer turning purple!! Is this bad?

[Stolireef]

Very weird. I have a green slimer that I think I got from Frick that is now turning purple. Everything else in the tank looks fine. It doesn't look like it is bleaching but I'm not sure whether the purple is a loss of the zooanthelae (I'm not even going to try to get that spelling right) in which case what I'm seeing is bad or is this a normal color morph for the coral. Pics don't do this justice. Think purple like a light colored stylo.

 

[areucrazy]

Im not sure about the reasons behind the color change but I do know the cycastphra or however it is spelled ... lol turned from green to blue in my tank and I got them from Frick too.

 

[lostmyz]

it will happen based on placement in the tank, the lightining you have, the calcium/alk lvls in your tank its just like taking a healthy coral from a person tank thats beautiful and putting it into a new tank and its stressed bc the chemistry is all wacked it will brown up. The opposite is true as well. But thats not to say that Frick's tank isnt in great condition. Its jsut a different environment

 

[Stolireef]

Ran a full battery of water tests today. Nitrites, nitrates, undetectable. Ph at 8.1, kh 11, ca 450, mg 1450, sg 1.025. No levels changes in at least one month. About 3 weeks ago, added about 5% more green and 5% more red to radions and today moved them back down. Slimer had been in tank for months and was doing great both on color and growth until then so its the only thing i can think of to cause the change. Wierd that no other sps is having an issue.

Think im going back to lotto. Its more predictable.

 

[tcamos]

It might not be an "issue". Coral often change color. Lighting plays a huge role in this.
If the tissue looks healthy and the polyps are extending, then it's likely just due to the change in lighting from one environment to the other.

Can you post a macro shot of the affected area?

 

[Stolireef]

Its the one in the middle.

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[tcamos]

It looks bleached. Sometimes cameras don't show the colors correctly...is this an accurate photo?

 

[Stolireef]

Color rendition is pretty close on the slimer. oddly coral on the right is bright orange in person.

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[tcamos]

It should be bright green.
Does it have polyp extenstion?

 

[jcw]

I think palting has a slimer that is purple on one branch, too.

My bali slimer has never even shown a hint of purple. Interesting.

 

[Stolireef]

It should be bright green.
Does it have polyp extenstion?

It was bright green for at least 3 months. Polyp extension is so so. Hard to tell art tips. Base seems ok.

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[tcamos]

It's so hard to tell from photos, but just going by that it seems like it is bleached out.
Maybe someone else will post their thoughts as well.

 

[Stolireef]

That's the direction i'm headed in. waiting to see impact of light adjustment. So much for the hardiest of sps.

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[tcamos]

They are up there. Personally I feel birds nests are easiest but slimers are close.

 

[lockekeyy]

Like what tcamos, it is hard to tell from the pic. As long as it has flesh and polyp extension, it's not bleached. Very interesting though.
If it does have tissue and polyp extension, then I'd just leave it alone and let it do its thing.

 

[tcamos]

As long as it has flesh and polyp extension, it's not bleached.

Isn't bleaching just the loss of zooxanthellae in the tissue?

 

[lockekeyy]

Isn't bleaching just the loss of zooxanthellae in the tissue?

Yes however, usually the loss of zooxanthellae creates a lighter color in corals (white), not darker like the purple color you see in the pic. Now the coral can recover from bleaching by regrowing from the healthier portions or obtaining new symbionts from the water but this is more often seen in the wild as due to the our tanks having more extreme variances or swings.
In short, if it still has flesh, it still has a chance. If not, chances are very slim for recovery.

 

[tcamos]

I'm setting the tip aside and focusing on the color of the base.

Of course without flesh it's just dead.

 

[Stolireef]

I'm setting the tip aside and focusing on the color of the base.

That's interesting. While the base is lighter, its still quite green.

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[tcamos]

Okay...as long as it's still got green.

My guess...just a guess...is that this actually isn't a green slimer.