ECC PPE Blastomussa Merletti

Quick facts

Handling caution: Minor stinging sweeper tentacles; wear gloves when handling to avoid skin irritation

Identity

Also known as

Pineapple coral; Branched cup coral; Merlet's coral

Synonyms

Blastomussa merletti

Environment

Saltwater

Native to

Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Solomon Islands, Fiji

Habitat

Protected reef slopes and lagoons at 10-130 ft depth, often in shaded areas under overhangs or crevices with low light and gentle flow

Sourcing

Both

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Coral type

LPS

Temperament

Peaceful

Growth form

Colonial polyps

Adult size

0.8 – 2 in (1.9 – 5.1 cm)

Spread

12 in (30 cm)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Low, Sand bed

Water

Temperature

75 – 81 °F (24 – 27 °C)

pH

8.1 – 8.4

dKH

8 – 12 dKH

Salinity

1.023 – 1.026 SG

PAR

50 – 150 PAR

Flow

Low

Light

Low

Reef care

Nutrient preference

Medium

Alk/Ca uptake

Medium

Target feeding

Beneficial

Give it room

4 in (10 cm)

Colors

Green, Red, Purple, Orange

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Omnivore

Foods

Frozen, Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, Coral food

Propagation

Fragging

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Care guide

Overview

PPE Blastomussa merletti carries button-like polyps with neon green rims, cherry-red centers, and a darker purple mouth, clustered tightly on a branching base. It needs low light and gentle, indirect flow to keep polyps fully inflated, along with several inches of separation from more aggressive corals. Stable alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium support steady, if slow, growth.

Care

Blastomussa merleti tolerates a range of beginner and intermediate reef setups as long as lighting stays subdued and flow remains gentle and indirect. Mount fragments on stable rockwork rather than loose sand, since the branching base needs a secure hold, and leave several inches of clearance from more aggressive corals. Alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium should be kept stable rather than chased to exact numbers, since sudden swings stress the polyps more than moderate deviations from ideal.

Placement & acclimation

Acclimate gradually to lower-light placement, since these corals are adapted to shaded reef slopes and can bleach under strong lighting introduced too quickly. Mount frags on rockwork or a plug wedged into a rock crevice in the lower to middle third of the tank, avoiding loose sand where possible despite occasional reports of natural sand-bed growth in the wild. Position away from direct flow so polyps can fully inflate.

Feeding

Most of its nutrition comes from zooxanthellae, but occasional spot-feeding of mysis, chopped meaty foods, or coral pellets encourages fuller polyp extension and faster tissue growth. Feed once or twice a week with a turkey baster or tweezers, targeting individual polyps after the lights dim so they stay extended and receptive. Overfeeding or allowing detritus to settle among the polyps can foul water quality without adding much visible benefit.

Neighbors

Its sweeper tentacles reach only an inch or two and rarely cause harm, but Blastomussa still loses turf wars with more aggressive LPS, torch corals, or hammer corals that grow into contact with it. Give it a few inches of open space on all sides and avoid placing it downstream of corals with long sweepers. It pairs well with other shade-loving softies and LPS that share its preference for low light and gentle flow.

Fragging

Colonies are fragged by cutting the branching stony base between polyps with a coral saw or Dremel, ideally leaving one to three polyps per frag. Fresh cuts should be moved to a low-light, low-flow recovery area for a week or two before returning to normal display conditions. New growth also occurs naturally as the colony buds additional polyps around its base over time.

Pests & problems

Brown jelly infection and tissue recession can appear after physical damage or prolonged high flow that abrades the polyps, so handle fragging cuts carefully and let new frags recover in a calm, low-light area. Bleaching or dulled coloration usually signals too much light rather than too little. Flatworms and nudibranchs occasionally target Blastomussa and should be dipped for and removed promptly if noticed.

Sources

1. Branched cup coral (Blastomussa merleti) – Complete Care Guide | Reeflings
2. Blastomussa Coral Care Guide Tank Setup, Feeding & Fragging Tip
3. Blastomussa Coral Care Guide: Tips for Wellsi & Merletti
4. Blastomussa care: tank size, temperature and tankmates · TankBud

Varieties in the catalog

ECC Blue Raven Blasto MerlettiECC Hawaiian Sunset Blastomussa Merletti

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