{"id":2478,"date":"2023-05-07T03:04:41","date_gmt":"2023-05-07T03:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fragensteinreef.com\/?post_type=product&p=2478"},"modified":"2025-03-21T23:45:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T23:45:08","slug":"blastomussa-merletti","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/fragensteinreef.com\/index.php\/product\/blastomussa-merletti\/","title":{"rendered":"Blastomussa Merletti (11 polyps)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Blastomussa merletti, also known as Merletti coral or Branched Cup coral, is a popular and beautiful coral species in the reef aquarium hobby. Proper care and maintenance are essential to ensure the health and growth of Blastomussa corals. Here are some guidelines for caring for Blastomussa merletti corals:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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  1. Water parameters: Maintain stable and optimal water parameters in your aquarium. Blastomussa corals prefer a temperature range of 75\u00b0F to 82\u00b0F (24\u00b0C to 28\u00b0C), pH level between 8.1 and 8.4, and salinity around 1.025.<\/li>\n
  2. Lighting: Provide moderate to high lighting conditions for Blastomussa merletti corals. They can thrive under a variety of lighting types, such as metal halides, T5 fluorescent bulbs, or LED lights. It is important to acclimate the coral to the intensity of the lighting gradually to prevent stress.<\/li>\n
  3. Water flow: Moderate water flow is suitable for Blastomussa corals. Ensure there is enough water movement to prevent debris buildup and facilitate nutrient distribution, but avoid strong, direct flow that may damage the delicate polyps.<\/li>\n
  4. Placement: Place Blastomussa merletti corals in the middle to lower regions of the aquarium. They can be positioned on the substrate or attached to live rock, depending on their growth form. Give them enough space to expand their fleshy polyps and feed.<\/li>\n
  5. Feeding: Blastomussa corals are photosynthetic but also benefit from supplemental feeding. They have sweeper tentacles that extend at night to capture small planktonic organisms. Offer them a variety of foods, such as zooplankton, brine shrimp, or specially formulated coral foods. Feed them after the lights are off to encourage feeding responses.<\/li>\n
  6. Water quality: Maintain excellent water quality by regularly testing and monitoring parameters such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate levels. Regular water changes and a good protein skimmer will help keep these levels in check and provide a stable environment for the coral.<\/li>\n
  7. Coral aggression: Blastomussa corals have long sweeper tentacles that can harm nearby corals. Give them enough space to extend their tentacles without coming into contact with other coral species, as this can lead to tissue damage and stress.<\/li>\n
  8. Fragging and propagation: Blastomussa merletti corals can be propagated through fragging. Take caution when fragging to avoid damaging the coral. Use proper tools and techniques, and allow the fragged piece to heal in a separate area before reintroducing it into the main aquarium.<\/li>\n
  9. Monitoring and observation: Regularly observe the health and growth of your Blastomussa corals. Look for signs of stress, such as tissue recession, color loss, or excessive mucus production. If any issues arise, take appropriate actions to address them promptly.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Remember, every aquarium is unique, and individual variations may occur. It is always a good idea to research and understand the specific needs of any coral species you plan to keep to provide the best care possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Blastomussa merletti, also known as Merletti coral or Branched Cup coral, is a popular and beautiful coral species in the reef aquarium hobby. Proper care and maintenance are essential to ensure the health and growth of Blastomussa corals. Here are some guidelines for caring for Blastomussa merletti corals: Water parameters: Maintain stable and optimal water […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[58],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2478","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-other-lps-corals","7":"desktop-align-left","8":"tablet-align-left","9":"mobile-align-left","11":"first","12":"outofstock","13":"taxable","14":"shipping-taxable","15":"purchasable","16":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2910,"url":"https:\/\/fragensteinreef.com\/index.php\/product\/blastomussa-merletti-7-polyps\/","url_meta":{"origin":2478,"position":0},"title":"Blastomussa Merletti (3+polyps)","author":"fragensteinreef","date":"July 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Blastomussa merletti, also known as Merletti coral or Branched Cup coral, is a popular and beautiful coral species in the reef aquarium hobby. 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