Blastomussa

Blastomussa are delightful small LPS corals with puffy, balloon-like polyps in striking colours. They thrive in low-light, low-flow environments that would stress many other corals, making them perfect for filling those dim corners and shaded overhangs in your reef tank. Place them in the bottom to mid sections under low PAR (30–75 PAR) with gentle, indirect flow. The polyps are delicate and will retract under direct current or intense light.

Keep water parameters stable: alkalinity 7.5–9.0 dKH, calcium 400–450 ppm, magnesium 1300–1400 ppm, and temperature 25–26 °C. Blastomussa benefit from target feeding with fine foods like reef roids or cyclops once or twice weekly. The polyps inflate beautifully when happy, revealing their full colour potential. Both Blastomussa merleti (smaller polyps, forms larger colonies) and Blastomussa wellsi (larger individual polyps, collector favourite) are available in Australia.

Blastomussa are peaceful corals with no meaningful sweeper tentacles, making them safe to place near other non-aggressive species. They grow slowly by budding new polyps from the base. Fragging is possible by carefully separating individual polyps with a band saw, though the small colony size means most reefers prefer to let them grow out. Australian coral retailers stock a good range of colour morphs, from vibrant reds and greens to multi-coloured varieties.