GSP growing brown layer and not opening

[Amritansh]

I have a 1.5 month old evo 13.5
I am using the stock lid with stock lights and a powerhead.
IT has a clown, sixline, spotted goby+shrimp pair, and a few hermit crabs+ snails (nassarius, trochus, margarita). These were gradually added and livestock seems to be doing well.
The parameters are
Salinity 34.8
Alkalinity 10.9
Calcium 450
Nitrate 4
Nitrite 0.1
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0.02
PH 7.6
Temp 78
Magnesium 1500
All parameters have been stable at these values.
I added GSP 5 days ago, it hasn't opened yet. I saw some brown (minor) growth on the surface that seemed like algae so i cleaned it off with a soft brush yesterday.
Suddenly today i see significant brown film like growth in one night.
Not sure what this is or how to fix th concern. I have the GSPs (2 other - none opened yet) on the back wall, only one is showing this growth.
See attached images for reference.

 

[Isaac Alves]

does the flesh of the gsp look healthy? Or i does it look pale and white?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Welcome to Reef2Reef and sorry for your troubles!

I can't tell for sure, but that GSP looks pretty bleached in the pics. So, if it's pale white like described above, then I'd assume it's dead and being overgrown as a result. I'm not entirely certain what's overgrowing it, but I'd guess a sponge (or cyano if it can be blown off with a turkey baster).

With sponges, if the coral looks healthy and is extending its polyps/opening up near the sponge, and if the sponge isn't actively growing over and smothering the coral's polyps, the sponge is most likely harmless.

So, if your GSP is bleached, the growth probably isn't a concern; if the GSP is healthy looking and being overgrown, that's a red flag.

 

[Amritansh]

A turkey baster was able to blow the film off. The corals were all pale from what i see online from day one, however this one does look more white than others. The purple portion inside the top flesh of coral still seems vibrant purple.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The purple portion inside the top flesh of coral still seems vibrant purple.

The purple part may still be alive even if the rest is bleached, so given proper care it might come back from that.

 

[TX_REEF]

Also don’t be afraid to give it a gentle scrub with a soft, unused toothbrush. GSP get cranky when any detritus settles on them or algae grows on them.

 

[Quintin]

Also don’t be afraid to give it a gentle scrub with a soft, unused toothbrush. GSP get cranky when any detritus settles on them or algae grows on them.

My hermits and snails clean them right up, but then again they are cranky when cleaned as well. Sometimes after the snails cleaned them mine sulk for the whole day and only open again after lights out.

 

[Amritansh]

Thanks everyone
These didn't open yet (it's been over two weeks)
Two of the three i got from this LFS didn't open, one does open everyday now, but the green part only extends about 2-3 mm.
I got another GSP from a different LFS and that one opened within a few hours.
Post that I added a few Zoas, Duncan, Meteor Shower and a Leptastrea - nearly all seem to be doing well.
One zoa (of 3) hans't opened. The first night i put it in a trochus spent all night munching on the plug, so maybe it hurt the zoa. It's been two days, just keeping an eye on it for now, since the other seems to be doing okay.
I am leaving the older GSP alone as well for now, since they purple part is still purple.

 

[Amritansh]

Just to provide updates to folks interested.
That particular GSP hasn't survived it seems.
I got another GSP from a different LFS and it was purple on the surface, opened up within the day and is doing well now.
The GSPs i had originally got were pretty bleached from day 1, now that i compare to the GSP from a different store.
I also have some zoas, duncan, gonipora and a leptastrea in the tank now and all seem to be doing well expect (1/7) zoa and that LFS's GSP.
The 1 zoa that hasn't opened had a snail munch on it's frag plug for hours on day 1 and may have irritated it too much, or it could have been the light/flow - it was in high light, high flow area relative to other zoas. A paly in the same spot is doing well though, so could have been the snail.
The GSP i got from a different LFS seems to be doing significantly better, than the three i originally got. Only 1 of those three ever opened and not as much as the new GSP.