TankBud

Blastomussa

Blastomussa merletti

Also known as Blasto, Merletti Blasto, Pineapple Coral, Swollen Brain Coral

SaltwaterCoral

Blastomussa (Blastomussa merletti)
IRD - Benzoni, F. · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Lobophylliidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific

Overview

Blastomussa is a clustered, peaceful stony coral for a calm, shady corner of a reef tank. It suits a keeper who has some reef experience.

Did you know

Blastomussa is one of the few LPS corals mellow enough to keep with soft corals in a lower-light, gentle-flow tank. You need not worry about it stinging its neighbors.

Caring for the Blastomussa

Keep Blastomussa under low light, about 50 to 150 PAR, with gentle, low to moderate flow. That lets its polyps inflate fully without being pushed around. Place it on stable rockwork or sand, in a calm, low-traffic spot in the shadier part of the reef.

It needs at least 11 gal (40 L), at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is photosynthetic, but it feeds well from the water column, capturing fine meaty foods and phytoplankton. Feed it finely chopped meaty foods regularly.

Blastomussa is one of the more peaceful LPS corals, since it lacks the long stinging sweepers of Euphyllia or brain corals. It is still best given a little space from aggressive neighbors. It is propagated by fragging the branching base.

Good to know

Blastomussa merletti is a large polyp stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae. It has smaller, more numerous polyps than its relative, Blastomussa wellsi. Colonies spread by adding new polyps around the base.

In the wild

Blastomussa merletti comes from Indo-Pacific reefs, often from deeper, shaded areas. There it forms clusters of small, rounded fleshy polyps on branching corallites.

Common questions

What size tank does a Blastomussa need?

A Blastomussa needs at least 11 gal (40 L).

What temperature and pH does a Blastomussa need?

A Blastomussa is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Blastomussa eat?

A Blastomussa is photosynthetic, but it also captures fine meaty foods and phytoplankton from the water column. Feed it finely chopped meaty foods regularly.

How big does a Blastomussa get?

An adult Blastomussa reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Related species