Well, I don't know what exactly did the trick, but I'm starting to see new growth on my monti caps and the red slime is gone. My button polyps are still closed up though. It might take them a little bit more to start responding. Here are all the things I've done over the past month:

- took out the auto feeder and started feeding by hand again.
- started adding vinegar to my kalk in my auto top off water (supposedly this reduces nitrates and phosphates)
- started running my diatom filter after each water change
- ran the protein skimmer wet
- ran carbon every week

Thanks for all the help