Blastomussa merleti – Compact Polyps with Big Color Punch
Blastomussa merleti is a vibrant, small-polyp LPS coral that packs bold color in a tidy, branching structure. Compared to Blastomussa wellsi, merleti has smaller, more closely spaced polyps and a more skeletal appearance—perfect for nano tanks and color-packed frag racks.
Coral Highlights:
🌈 Bright Contrasts – Often red, green, purple, or teal with glowing centers
🌿 Small Polyp, Branching Growth – Ideal for tighter spaces and controlled growth
💡 Lighting: Moderate PAR (80–150) – lower light can deepen color saturation
🌊 Flow: Low to moderate – gentle flow keeps tissue inflated and detritus away
🧪 Parameters:
Temp: 75–78°F
Salinity: 1.025
dKH: 8–11
Calcium: 420–460 ppm
Magnesium: 1300–1400 ppm
Nitrate: 5–15 ppm
Phosphate: 0.03–0.08 ppm
Placement: Low to mid rockwork or sandbed; give slight spacing from stinging neighbors
Feeding: Mostly photosynthetic, but benefits from occasional target feeding (mysis, powdered coral food)
Care Level: Easy – Tolerant, colorful, and beginner-friendly
📦 Note: Frags are not WYSIWYG. Each piece develops its own bright center rings and tight polyp formation under proper reef tank conditions.
