The Blastomussa, often referred to as a Blasto, Posy Coral or Pineapple Coral, is a great beginners coral even though it is an LPS (Large Polyp Stony) Coral. It has large fleshy polyps that do best with moderate lighting and low flow.
Though they have sweeper tenitcles, they are not considered aggressive as their sting is not very strong. In coral war-fare, the Blasto is likely to loose, so adequate space away from aggressive corals should be given to this coral to allow for a good amount of growth.
The Blastomussa will get most of it’s required energy via photosynthesis through the zooxanthella within it’s tissue, but it will react well to feeding and you may see increased growth rate, particularly if you feed phytoplankton.
The main difference between the Blatomussa Merletti and the Blastomussa Wellsi is the size of the polyp. The Merletti has much smaller polyps more like a Zoanthid, where as the Wellsi has polyps more the size of a Mushroom. Both species require the same sort of care and are equally simple to care for due to their low demands on flow. lighting & feeding.
Coral Facts & Care Requirements
- Common Name: Blasto
- Family: Mussidaes
- Origin: Australia, easily aquacultured
- Category: LPS
- Care Level: Beginner – Intermediate
- Known Predators: General coral pests, nothing specific
- Temperament: Slightly Aggressive
- Lighting: Medium
- Water flow: Low – Medium
- Placement: Middle – Bottom
- Feeding Requirement: None, but they can eat meaty foods & phytoplankton so feeding should be encouraged
- Colours: Purple, pink, green, brown, red, specialist “rainbow”
- Growth Speed: Medium – Fast
- Water Parameters: Standard saltwater parameters should see this coral thrive, though you should ensure you have a calcium reading of around 400ppm to ensure there is enough calcium within the water to enable it to grow its calcified skeleton.
Why they are suited to beginners
These corals are fairly hardy, they will tolerate the odd swing in parameters, making them perfect for someone moving up from softies to LPS.
They require very little attention, once they have acclimated to you tanks lighting, flow and water parameters they will happily grow out with minimal effort on the aquarists behalf.
The Blasto Merletti is one of the first corals in my tank and it has not once sat and sulked. My Zoas, Acan & Torch all sulk on a weekly basis, but this happy little coral just gets on with life.
As far as growth rates go, they grow reasonably quickly in a dome form and I regularly see new polyps appearing on mine, even when the growth of everything else seems to halt, these keep growing. Though they grow at a reasonable pace, they are not considered invasive and will not take over your tank, unlike some other corals that are suitable for beginners.
