{"product_id":"purple-blasto-fragment","title":"Purple Blasto Fragment","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlastomussa corals are a long-standing favourite in the reef aquarium hobby, known for their large, fleshy polyps and forgiving nature. This LPS (Large Polyp Stony) coral, often Blastomussa wellsi, builds a colony of individual corallites that remain distinct from one another. The deep purple colouration of this variety makes for a welcome addition of cool tones to the reef scape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a home reef, Blastomussa polyps will inflate with water, giving them a soft, pillowy appearance. Each polyp is a separate head that will slowly divide and multiply over time, forming a mounding shape. The rich purple tissue can sometimes be accented with different coloured centres or mouths, though the dominant colour remains a consistent shade of purple. Their fleshiness is a good indicator of health; well-fed and happy Blastos look full and plump.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor best results, place your Purple Blasto in a lower-light area of the tank, with a PAR between 50 and 150. They thrive in low to moderate, indirect water flow—enough to keep them clean, but not so much that the polyps are blasted or unable to fully expand. While photosynthetic, they respond very well to direct feeding once or twice a week with small meaty foods like mysis shrimp or commercial LPS pellets. Maintain stable water parameters, with calcium around 420-440 ppm, alkalinity at 8-9 dKH, and magnesium at 1300-1400. They are a peaceful coral with no sweeper tentacles, but should still be given space to grow without being overshadowed by more aggressive neighbours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlastomussa are a great choice for filling in lower, shaded areas of a mature reef tank. Their slow and predictable growth pattern means they are unlikely to overtake their neighbours, and their peaceful disposition makes them compatible with a wide variety of tankmates. They offer a different texture and form compared to branching or plating corals, contributing to a diverse and natural-looking reef.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not a WYSIWYG listing; you'll receive a specimen of the same species with similar size and colouration to the one pictured, hand-picked for health and colour.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eastern Marine Aquariums","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42285620658231,"sku":"EMA-LPS-20260626-XU0E","price":75.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1849\/1739\/files\/fb9f87d2-58fd-4ede-847c-9b0267c9a754-_MG_4040.png?v=1782493496","url":"https:\/\/easternmarineaquariums.co.nz\/products\/purple-blasto-fragment","provider":"EasternMarine Aquariums","version":"1.0","type":"link"}