Blastomussa

[Der_Iron_Chef]

I've been researching the care of Blastomussa and seem to be getting conflicting reports. Some say it does best under subdued lighting and a low-moderate current, while other sources say it will do best under intense lighting and a moderate current.

Could someone with personal experience caring for this beautiful coral please simplify things a bit for me?!

Oh, BTW, it's a Purple Blastomussa Wellsi :smile:

http://xfa.xanga.com/52ad5a3b6333498109691/w68947935.jpg

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Low light & low flow. Otherwise they bleach out & shrivel up. They are like most red corals. Just talked to TomR & Chin about blastos & how they did poorly under high light & Chin's only thrived once it was in a cave.

I had those other types of blastos that grow on long stalks but they were green in colour & did fine under MH. Perhaps its the colour & species variety that is creating the confusion. (just like how green open brains like light & red ones don't).

Anthony

[Richard_Dicosimo]

thats odd because i have just the opposite reaction with my blasto that is exactly like yours but pinkish red. i have it mid tank on an 18" deep tank dirrectly under a 250mh with moderate flow and its always inflated and seems to be growing.

Richard

could just be a freak coral tho.

[Chad]

I have all my blastos at the bottom of my tank in very low flow.

Reds, green and brown ones

Tank is, with 2x 250w 10k - 50 gal

[AndyL]

Easy answer - there isn't one...

Blasto wellsi is highly variable - and each frag seems to be particular about it's flow/light preferences.

I've got a gorgeous pink/purple/green one that literally thinks my seahorse tank is too much flow & light (single 65w pc and a whisper 60 hang on filter), it's done really well in my 3g (18w 50/50 with a seio skimmer and one of those tiny pico sized hang ons for flow) One of my reds now that it's about 10" under a 175w halide, inches away from the intake for the seio 1500 and FINALLY showing signs of growth...

There are some generalities - the brighter the color, the more likely it's going to like light... Darker needs more shade. Flow can go either way... Thats a trial / error discovery.

[Richard_Dicosimo]

Good to know thanks, i deffinately learned something.

Richard

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Likewise. Thanks guys (and gals?) for all the help!

[danny zubot]

(just like how green open brains like light & red ones don't).


Good info, that might explain why the red brain I got hasn't done well in my tank under more intense lightng than it's previous home.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

So you're wanting to sell that red brain, then? :razz: lol

[danny zubot]

I don't think you want it right now.:cry:

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Have you placed it in a lower light area, or is the entire tank just too bright for it?

[danny zubot]

I lowered it down a bit a few days ago, and it seemed to puff up more at night. I'll put it on the bottom tonight, maybe under a cap for a few days and see what that does.

[Moogled]

Mine do well under low lighting and light flow.

I have them about 4 inches under my weak-ass T5s and they seem to be pretty happy. There's no growth, however.

[AndyL]

This is where the fun comes in - because they're actually a relatively quick grower - when conditions are just right.

A few of my frags, once they finally got the conditions just right, and fed weekly - will add 3-4 polyps per month. Feeding + wrong conditions, or right conditions and no food results in maybe 1 polyp every other month.

[GMGQ]

Both of my wellsi and merletti's like low flow low light.

A few weeks ago I had put a wellsi under a monti cap, so it was shielded from the light. A week later, I noticed it was receeding! I quickly moved it back out from under the cap, but still near the bottom of my tank, and it's recovering nicely.

My merletti's have blossomed after I put them at the mouth of a cave, so that they dont get direct light.

Both of mine definitely dont like intense light.

[butters88]

Both my wellsi's and merletti's grow well under low-medium flow and low-medium light, however I believe the merletti's can also very adaptable.
I have a red merletti that is thriving under high light and high flow. JME

[WWWD]

We have Merletti's under 250's with med flow and they do great. It doesn't seem to matter where we put welsi's in the tank they never do well for long periods.

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Well, my Wellsi seems to be doing well under low-medium light and flow. It's eating well, too. Thanks for all the input!

Just curious--Danny, how's the red brain doing?

[danny zubot]

Still the same. The other night I noticed a bit more extention but when the light is on it is still retracted. Its tissue is not degrading so I think its just a matter of time before it picks up.