Lighting
50-140 PAR is a starting range; fleshy tissue should expand without paling, stretching, or pulling against skeleton.
LPSBeginnerCare score 4/10
Blastomussa Merleti
Blastomussa merleti
Blastomussa Merleti LPS guide focused on small fleshy heads, lookalike separation from Blastomussa and Candy Cane Coral, and early checks for fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation before changing light or flow.
Compare small fleshy heads, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Snapshot
Quick Care Snapshot
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Care score
- 4/10
- Placement
- Low
- PAR range
- 50-140 PAR
- Flow
- Moderate
- Aggression
- Moderate
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Minimum tank age
- 3 months
- Minimum tank size
- 15 gallons
Images
Reference Photos
Photos are shown only when a source includes reusable license metadata. Always verify appearance against the coral in your own lighting and flow.
Primary reference: Benzoni, F.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 3.0
Photo: IRD - Benzoni, F.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 3.0
Photo: IRD - Benzoni, F.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 3.0
Ranges
Water Parameters
These ranges are approximate starting points from the coral database and should be adjusted to the stability and history of your system.
- Temperature
- 76-80 F / 24.4-26.7 C
- Salinity
- 1.024-1.026
- Alkalinity
- 8-9.5 dKH
- Calcium
- 400-460 ppm
- Magnesium
- 1250-1400 ppm
- Nitrate
- 2-20 ppm
- Phosphate
- 0.03-0.12 ppm
Care
Care Notes
Flow
moderate indirect flow should move tissue gently without folding it into sharp skeleton or neighbors.
Stability
For Blastomussa Merleti, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue.
Variability
Blastomussa Merleti requirements vary by specimen, aquaculture history, shipping stress, and tank maturity; use these ranges as starting points, not guarantees.
Feeding
Feeding
- Benefits from feeding
- Yes
- Food types
- mysis, small meaty foods, LPS pellets
- Frequency
- weekly when feeder tentacles are visible
ID
Identification
Key features
- small fleshy heads
- branching skeleton
- tight clustered polyps
Common colors
- Red
- Green
- Purple
Similar coral references
How to tell apart
Blastomussa Merleti is best separated from Blastomussa and Candy Cane Coral by weighing small fleshy heads, branching skeleton, and tight clustered polyps. Look at corallite walls, polyp shape, tissue inflation, and where recession begins; then compare that structure with where the coral expands, retracts, or shows early recession. Do not rely only on color under blue lighting. Because trade photos can exaggerate color, skeleton shape, polyp layout, and expansion pattern are stronger clues than color alone.
Placement
Compatibility
Compatibility depends on specimen size, flow, growth, aggression, and spacing. Use these references conservatively and watch for contact over time.
Usually compatible with spacing
Use caution near
Avoid close placement with
Spacing recommendation: keep about 3 inches of clearance, then adjust based on extension and neighboring coral response.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Use these as troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis. Symptoms may point to more than one issue.
Blastomussa Merleti fleshy tissue recession or weak inflationOpen for symptoms, likely causes to check, and practical next steps.
Symptoms that may indicate it
- polyps inflate less, exposed skeleton appears, or feeding response weakens
- Blastomussa Merleti shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline
- changes are localized rather than a confirmed single-cause condition
Likely causes to check
- alkalinity swings, direct flow, stinging contact, or abrasion
- recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Blastomussa Merleti
- possible irritation from neighbors, pests, detritus, or handling depending on the coral group
Quick checks
- check Blastomussa Merleti alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact
- reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton
- increase spacing and observe the coral under white light and after lights out
Checklist
Common Mistakes
- protect fleshy LPS tissue from direct flow and sharp rock
- placing Blastomussa Merleti before confirming small fleshy heads and its spacing needs
- using Blastomussa Merleti color or trade name alone instead of comparing it with Blastomussa
- changing light, flow, and chemistry together when Blastomussa Merleti looks irritated
- ignoring fleshy tissue protection from direct flow when keeping Blastomussa Merleti
Compare
Similar Corals
Neighbors
Compatible Corals
These corals are usually compatible with spacing, observation, and stable conditions. This is not a guarantee.
Usually compatible with spacing
Duncan Coral
Duncanopsammia axifuga
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Candy Cane Coral
Caulastrea furcata
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
Usually compatible with spacing
Blastomussa
Blastomussa wellsi / Blastomussa merleti
- Category
- LPS
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Aggression
- Low
FAQs
FAQs
Is Blastomussa Merleti beginner friendly?
Blastomussa Merleti can be beginner friendly in a stable reef, but still needs acclimation, space, and observation after moves.
Where should Blastomussa Merleti be placed?
Start Blastomussa Merleti low in the tank or on the sand/low rockwork when its tissue form allows it. Use 50-140 PAR and moderate flow as a starting point, then adjust from tissue extension, color, and nearby coral response.
Should I target feed Blastomussa Merleti?
Blastomussa Merleti may benefit from careful target feeding with mysis, small meaty foods, and LPS pellets. Use the listed frequency as a starting point: weekly when feeder tentacles are visible. Feed only when the coral accepts food and avoid forcing food into stressed tissue.
Can Blastomussa Merleti touch other corals?
Give Blastomussa Merleti about 3 inches of clearance as a starting point. Its database aggression level is Moderate. Use caution near Favia, Favites, and Chalice Coral. Avoid close placement with Torch Coral and Elegance Coral. Compatibility is not a guarantee, so check contact points as colonies expand.
What should I check if Blastomussa Merleti looks stressed?
Use this as a troubleshooting check. For Blastomussa Merleti, polyps inflate less, exposed skeleton appears, or feeding response weakens and Blastomussa Merleti shows less normal extension, inflation, or feeding response than its recent baseline can indicate Blastomussa Merleti fleshy tissue recession or weak inflation. Likely causes to check include alkalinity swings, direct flow, stinging contact, or abrasion and recent placement, lighting, flow, or chemistry changes affecting Blastomussa Merleti. Start with these database checks: check Blastomussa Merleti alkalinity trend and look for nearby stinging contact and reduce direct flow if tissue is pressed against skeleton.
What stability issue matters most for Blastomussa Merleti?
For Blastomussa Merleti, verify salinity and alkalinity trends before changing placement; repeated moves and direct corrective swings can irritate fleshy tissue. The database lists 3 months as the minimum tank age and 15 gallons as the minimum tank size. For LPS-style care, protect fleshy tissue from repeated moves, direct flow, and abrupt chemistry corrections.
Coral Identifier
Identify Blastomussa Merleti.
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Use the app to compare photos, lookalikes, and key visual clues when you want a second pass on an ID.
Compare small fleshy heads, care range, and nearby lookalikes while checking an ID.
Photo-based coral IDReference photosLikely matches
