Can't get my Duncan to open fully

[bo0sted2g]

I got this guy 5 days ago, and it tries to open up for me everyday right when the lights come on. Then it will extend its tentacles about 1/3 of the way and then close up again. And then they will continue to come out and in throughout the day but I've yet to see it open fully.

Lighting Ocean Revive T247-b
(Light is new so I started off low)
Blues - 15% -10 hours a day
Whites- 10%. -8 hours a day

Parameters
Temp- 78.4
SG - 1.025
PH- 7.9

AMM- 0
Trite-0
Trate-0

Cal-450
Alk-7.7
Mag- 1260

My thoughts:

PH is a little low, it's usually at 8.2

I'd like my Alk higher than 7.7

Maybe it needs more light? (Didn't want to crank it up too fast)

Maybe I'm just being impatient! I just want to see it open in all its glory.


Here is what it looks like 80% of the time

And this is the most I have ever seen it open

 

[loweryphil]

What is it?

 

[Liquid360]

Have you tried using a firm yet unthreatening tone? Or perhaps sarcasm? Coral react quite strongly to a witty sarcastic comment/observation [emoji4]

 

[stevo01]

Sounds like your lights are mellow enough, how is the flow there?

 

[bo0sted2g]

Sounds like your lights are mellow enough, how is the flow there?

Low to moderate

 

[TbyZ]

My Duncan, pictured above, was doing average.

My NO3 was about 80 ppm & PO4 was > 3ppm. >>> but I didn’t know this because of dud test kits, (I believed PO4 & NO3 were fine)

At this time I upped the alkalinity to what I believe was about 180 ppm.

The Duncan loved it. The polyps literally doubled in size, & it started branching like crazy (see above photo.)

But, again, because of a dud test kit, I later discovered the alk was actually 350 ppm +, &, because I inadvertently used an alk /cal sup to raise the alk, it also raised the cal to somewhere over 550 ppm.


So my Duncan loved NO3 over 80 ppm,,, PO4 over 3 ppm, alk at 350 ppm +, & cal at 550 +.


After buying good test kits, & getting my NO3 & PO4 right down, & also keeping alk & cal at normal levels, Duncan no longer wants to come out & play.

He just peeks out his window a little, all day long.