Questions on cabbage coral

[Onixom]

Hi all, I have had my cabbage coral for 2 months now and its grown a small amount (I think its happy enough lol)
So my first question is every so often it will shrivel up and get a waxy film for its shedding. But ive read its supposed to be for a few days every other week. But mine'll go 4 days then 4-5 days shedding. Is this normal?

And my second question is how do I get my cabbage coral to grow like with the layers like this (This isnt my photo/tank)

But my coral looks like this

So the question in essence is do i have to do anything to get it to grow like Pic1 or does it slowly grow naturally like it?

 

[blaxsun]

I think the coral in the first picture has a few years head start on you... There seems to be a lot of "green" in your tank. What are your water parameters like?

 

[Onixom]

I think the coral in the first picture has a few years head start on you... There seems to be a lot of "green" in your tank. What are your water parameters like?

Alk- 9.6
Nitrite <0.1
Nitrate- 10
PH-8
Phosphate 0.1
Calcium- 400
Magnesium-1200
Salinity- 1.024

When my tank was 2 week old i had a light that i put on as cycle but the default setting was 6am light on 12am lights off (18 hours) turns out that wasnt good for the tank and had an algea outbreak, its better then it used to be but CUC only seem to bother with glass and gravel

So if their coral has had a few years ahead does that mean it naturally grows in that pattern?

 

[blaxsun]

You can try some ring cowries and tuxedo urchins - they'll help with algae control on the rocks.

 

[pezcadoazul]

Alk- 9.6
Nitrite <0.1
Nitrate- 10
PH-8
Phosphate 0.1
Calcium- 400
Magnesium-1200
Salinity- 1.024

When my tank was 2 week old i had a light that i put on as cycle but the default setting was 6am light on 12am lights off (18 hours) turns out that wasnt good for the tank and had an algea outbreak, its better then it used to be but CUC only seem to bother with glass and gravel

So if their coral has had a few years ahead does that mean it naturally grows in that pattern?

Yes, cabbage coral, if left to its own devices, grows in attractive patterns but it grows slowly. I started out in this hobby over 20 years ago with a small a amount of it and now have a 75 gallon tank full of it. Was that your tank in the first picture? If so, did you get the bubble algae taken care of? Algae will grow on cabbage corals in areas of low flow if you let sediment/debris settle on them. You can keep them clean by turning up or redirecting the water flow or using a pipette to blow off any thing that settles on them.

 

[Onixom]

Yes, cabbage coral, if left to its own devices, grows in attractive patterns but it grows slowly. I started out in this hobby over 20 years ago with a small a amount of it and now have a 75 gallon tank full of it. Was that your tank in the first picture? If so, did you get the bubble algae taken care of? Algae will grow on cabbage corals in areas of low flow if you let sediment/debris settle on them. You can keep them clean by turning up or redirecting the water flow or using a pipette to blow off any thing that settles on them.

My tank is the one with the green rockwork, got an tuxedo urchin but he's more intrested with the latest fashion artical in the vouge magazine.
I did get the bubble algea sorted when i took the photo it was a few days after getting a foxface (he was the reason my cabbage had to be stuck down) and eventually he's eaten all of my bubble algae.

I dont seem to have a problem with flow as its seated under the direction of my wavemaker (if it drew a line in the tank going across, the cabbage sits below it) its not a direct flow but anything that floats near it gets yeeted lol.
Only interesting thing thats happened recently with it is that my bubble tip anemone split and its other half has taken refuge underneath it just poking its head out when light is on. I'll grab a photo tomorrow when lights come back on