Purple Blasto Fragment
The Purple Blasto Fragment is a beautiful and forgiving LPS coral that adds rich colour, soft texture, and a classic reef look to the aquarium. Blastomussa corals, often referred to as Blastos, are well known for their fleshy polyps, slower growth, and generally peaceful nature.
This purple variety brings cooler tones into the reef, making it a great contrast against green, red, orange, and gold corals. When happy, each polyp inflates with water and develops a full, pillowy appearance. Over time, the individual heads can slowly multiply, creating a compact colony with excellent colour and texture.
Purple Blastos are a great option for reef keepers wanting an attractive, lower-light coral that is not overly aggressive and does not need intense flow or lighting to look good.
Why Choose a Purple Blasto Fragment?
- Beautiful purple colouration for cooler reef contrast
- Large, fleshy polyps with a soft, inflated appearance
- Peaceful LPS coral with no long sweeper tentacles
- Great for lower-light areas of the aquarium
- Ideal for mixed reef tanks and LPS coral gardens
- Forgiving coral when kept in stable conditions
Care Requirements
Purple Blastos prefer low to moderate lighting, with a PAR range of around 50–150 being suitable for most reef aquariums. They are best placed in lower areas of the tank or slightly shaded sections where they are not exposed to harsh direct light.
Water flow should be low to moderate and indirect. The flow should be enough to keep the polyps clean, but not so strong that the coral struggles to fully expand. If the polyps are constantly pulled tight or pushed around, the flow is likely too strong.
While Blastomussa are photosynthetic, they respond very well to feeding. Offer small meaty foods such as mysis shrimp, finely chopped seafood, or suitable LPS pellets once or twice a week to support growth, colour, and polyp fullness.
Recommended Water Parameters
- Calcium: 420–440 ppm
- Alkalinity: 8–9 dKH
- Magnesium: 1300–1400 ppm
- Nitrate: low but detectable
- Phosphate: low but stable
Placement & Compatibility
Blastomussa are generally peaceful and do not have the long sweeper tentacles seen in many other LPS corals. Even so, they should still be given enough space to expand and grow without being crowded or shaded out by more aggressive neighbours.
They are best placed on lower rockwork, frag racks, or stable areas of the aquascape where they receive gentle flow and lower light. Avoid placing them directly beside aggressive LPS corals such as Euphyllia, Favia, Galaxea, or Pectinia.
Best For
- Reef aquariums
- Mixed reef tanks
- LPS coral gardens
- Lower-light placements
- Shaded rockwork
- Reef keepers wanting a peaceful, colourful coral
The Purple Blasto Fragment is a fantastic choice for adding colour and fleshy texture to a reef tank without needing high light or heavy flow. With stable water parameters, gentle movement, and occasional feeding, it can grow into a beautiful compact colony over time.
