The Aussie Red Blasto

The Austrailian Red Blasto (Blastomussa merletti) is a relatively fast growing stony (LPS) coral that does well in moderate flow and medium lighting in the home aquarium. Its also very resilient making it an ideal coral for both the beginning reef keeper and seasoned hobbyist alike. The polyps are relatively large and from a distance look like soft mushroom corals. Its stony base however makes it an ideal candidate for fragmenting, and most purchase it through these means. B. merletti does not have the large sweeper tentacles associated with most LPS in the trade, which makes it a good choice for the mixed reef tank. In the home aquarium it will sustain itself through photosynthesis alone though in our anecdotes we find it grows faster with supplemental filter feeding food and can even be target fed with larger fare such as Nutramar Prawn Roe. The vibrant green center bordered by red makes for an astounding and gorgeous contrast that is sure to become a prominent visual of any reef tank.