Tidal Gardens, Inc. - Coral Propagation
 
Cladiella
Pseudocorynactis
Zoanthus
Anthelia
Ricordea
Echinopora
Blastomussa
Pineapple Coral
We have 4 corals available for sale.
Blastomussa
A very attractive stony coral that resembles a soft
mushroom coral. Easily propagated once established
in the aquarium.

Indo-Pacific - Islands of the Indopacific including Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Blastomussa does not require as much light as some other corals. It can be kept under normal output fluorescents without much difficulty. In some cases, it may extend more readily under subdued lighting, however it may display more attractive colors when placed under stronger lighting.

Moderate water movement is recommended.

Like most coral, Blastomussa rely to a large extent on the products of their zooxanthellae, however, in our experience, they also benefit from direct feeding. There are a variety of frozen fish foods available that make outstanding meals for Blastomussa. We like to feed a mixture of meaty foods such as shrimp, fish, and squid with vitamin additives and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). The size of the food must be small enough that the polyp can fully ingest it.

Blastomussa can be mistaken for a thickly packed colony of corallimorphs but upon closer inspection have a calcium skeleton that each polyp is attached to. They come in a variety of colors such as pink, green, peach, brown, and red. While fairly uncommon in the reef trade, they are an excellent beginner coral for they require less light than many other corals, and flourish in a range of flow rates.

This genus for the most part has been propagated extensively in captivity and is an excellent candidate for aquaculture. It is reasonable to believe that a sustainable harvest can be achieved in time.

Our Blastomussa:
(Click on an image to see a larger version.)
Blastomussa merletti B (1st generation) [Family Tree]
Price: $45.00
Details: Bright red polyped Blastomussa with smaller polyps. The polyps are about half the size of the other Blastomussas in our inventory.
Blastomussa merletti B (1st generation) [Family Tree]
Price: $45.00
Details: Bright red polyped Blastomussa with smaller polyps. They polyps are about half the size of the other Blastomussas in our inventory.
Blastomussa wellsi I (2nd generation) [Family Tree]
Price: $75.00
Details: This is a rare find as far as Blastomussa go. I've seen maybe 2 of these my entire time in the hobby. The coral has an incredible rosy peach color and is a great addition for Blastomussa enthusiasts.
Blastomussa wellsi F (1st generation) [Family Tree]
Price: $55.00
Details: Eye-catching brilliant red polyps.

References

Borneman, Eric H. 2001 Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History Microcosm Ltd. ISBN: 1-890087-47-5. pg 271-272. Buy it

Calfo, Anthony R. 2001 Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1: Reef Gardening for Aquarists readingtrees.com ISBN: 0-971637-10-5. pg 258-259. Buy it

Fossa, Svein A., Alf Jacob Nilsen 1998 The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium Vol. 2 Birgit Schmettkamp Verlag ISBN: 3-928819-23-2. pg 411-412. Buy it

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