Blastomussa Coral

About

Found on turbid reef environments across the Western Pacific, Blastomussa vivida is a large-polyp stony coral that forms either solitary individuals or small colonies with relatively few corallites. What immediately catches your eye is the coloration. Reds, purples, and greens appear frequently, and the corallite centers and outer walls are typically contrasting shades, giving each polyp a two-toned appearance that reads as almost graphic against a reef backdrop. The thick, fleshy mantles extend well enough to obscure most of the underlying skeleton when the coral is fully expanded, so in a healthy tank you see very little of the stony structure beneath. In the wild this species occupies a range from shallow water down to around 30 meters, and its preference for turbid conditions translates well to the aquarium. It does not demand pristine, gin-clear water the way some other LPS corals do. Low flow suits it well, and it appreciates moderate lighting rather than the intense output that more demanding SPS corals require. Placement mid-to-low in the tank is typically the right call. It sits at an intermediate care level, so while it is not the most beginner-friendly LPS out there, a hobbyist with some reef experience and stable water quality should find it reasonably rewarding to keep.