Blastomussa

Blastomussa wellsi / merleti

Care Level	Easy — great beginner LPS
Lighting	Low to moderate
Water Flow	Low
Placement	Low rock or sand
Aggression	Peaceful
Coloration	Red, green, orange; bright fluorescent centers

Overview

Blastomussa (“blastos”) are soft, rounded LPS polyps that look like a bed of flowers, prized for their rich colors and gentle nature. Two common types: the larger-polyp Blastomussa wellsi and the smaller, denser Blastomussa merleti. They are hardy, tolerant of lower light, and one of the more peaceful LPS.

Care & Placement

Give low-to-moderate light and low flow — blastos hate strong current and will not open in it. Place low in the tank on rock or sand. They tolerate lower light than most LPS, making them great for shaded spots and nano tanks.

Feeding

Photosynthetic; benefits from occasional feeding. Target-feed small meaty foods (mysis, fine coral foods) once a week for faster growth, though they do fine on light alone.

Propagation

Frag by cutting between the fleshy polyps; each heals into a new colony.

Cautions

Peaceful and non-aggressive — safe near other corals. Just keep flow low; too much flow is the main reason blastos fail to open.