Help ID'ing why my corals aren't opening up fully

[Nickel3000]

Hello everyone, I have a 120 gal reef tank and for some reason I can't figure out why my hammers, frogspawns, Duncan, Zoas, clove polyp, and Goniopora aren't opening fully. My parameters are: Ca: 400-450, KH: 8.1-9.2, Nitrates: 5-10, PH: 8.4, Salinity: .024, Alkaline: over 300. I have frogspawns, Duncans, and Zoas located at top and bottom (80-130 PAR), the Duncan, Clove polyp, and Goni are at the bottom (about 80 PAR). I do have a bit of a dino issue (large cell amphidinium and ostreopsis). However, I turkey baste the ostreopsis off the rocks and zoas daily. I haven't seen any issues where the Dinos cover any of the corals. None of the corals in question are receiving high flow.

Also, I have a Hollywood stunner, Pocillopora, candy cane corals, a lobo, a scroll coral, and two encrusting corals and they all seem to be doing well. (In the photo there is a torch but it has since died). As far as fish go, I have two clowns, a scopas tang, Midas blenny and neon dottyback. I haven't seen any of them ever pick at the corals. Overall, the coral growth is very slow too.

There was a two month period this summer where I wasn't dosing but I have been dosing Ca & KH regularly for 3 months now. I can't figure out why these corals won't open up more. Any thoughts/suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this!

 

[bossman818]

How are you phosphate levels?

 

[Nickel3000]

How are you phosphate levels?

Thanks for the reply! Just tested it, .3

 

[bossman818]

Maybe lower to 0.1. That helped me. I keep mine at 0.09 and corals are super fluffed up.

 

[Nickel3000]

gotcha, thanks for the help!

 

[Science/G]

I agree, bring those phosphates down. .02 to .1 is a sweet spot for most.