Description

This coral is a Blastomussa Merletti species and it branches out a little. Branches grow tightly packed together to form colonies. Polyps tend to be around 1/2″ inch in diameter. Blastos are a great growing coral grown under 100-150 par with a little indirect feeding. This coral comes from the ocean waters of Indo-pacific  and has been growing great for us. In many of our custom aquarium installations, we add these corals on reef islands in the sand or anywhere there is indirect light or the correct par. They can even grow on vertical walls.

Lighting: medium low – medium lighting 50-125 PAR.
Flow: low- medium low flow. Indirect good flow is best.
Care Level: Easy – intermediate
Original Location Range: Indonesia, Coral Triangle, South Pacific
Grown in our California coral farm where we provide zero impact corals
Water chemistry: Calcium 400-450, Magnesium 1350, KH 7-9.5, pH 8.1-8.4, Nitrates .01-10, Phosphates .01-.09 salinity 1.026
Temperature Range: 74- 81 Fahrenheit

Dosing: Doc highly recommends automated dosing of Ca, Kh and other elements to provide ultimate stable water chemistry throughout the day. It is important there are minimal fluctuations especially with Kh/alkalinity. For more information on dosing and products click here.
Placement recommendations: There are a few good areas to place these corals. Try an area like and edge in front so the coral can encrust onto the reef or a place with good indirect flow so particulate to be carried to it and settle on the coral. Keep a safe distance from other corals so it does not harm or get harmed by other corals. This coral is good to grow in vertical areas where others cannot. Another great location is on an island on the sand up close to the glass for optimal viewing. It will never grow outwards into the glass.

Attachment: Use disposable gloves, a small flathead sculpting tool, coral glue and coral clippers. In many of our custom aquarium builds we like to use coral glue. It is recommended to try and break off as much of the disk safe enough using coral bone cutters. Add a good amount of coral glue to the underside of the coral branch. Prime the reef area you wish to place the coral by smearing the glue onto the rock.  Press the coral disk onto the desired location. It does help to slightly twist, tilt back and forth the coral to help cure the glue. Press it down firmly and use your favorite sculpting tool to clean up and smooth out the excess glue. Be sure the coral is fully secure, the coral should never fall off the reef. Most frags will grow quite large so be a little generous with the glue to withstand the weight of the future coral colony growth. We find it helps using only the extra thick reef glue gel. Be sure to rub a little reef glue onto the reef section and there is enough reef glue on the coral plug to set it securely.

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