NonSequitur Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 This past weekend I picked up a small frag of blastos from Aquadome. They were open in the store, but haven't opened since I put them in my tank. Are there any particular conditions I should try to create to make them happy? They had them in the small frag tank under MH lights, but to my eye it didn't look as bright as the lights in my tank, so I put them low. How sensitive are they to water flow? I have a few areas without a lot of flow I can try if that's what they like, but those tend to also be low light areas as well. Water params as of 12:00 today (API test kits): ammonia: 0 Nitrites: 0 Nitrates: 5 (not sure I believe that one, since i'm currently dealing with a cyano bloom) Calcium (seachem test kit): 420 Salinity: 1.025 (two swing arm hydrometers averaged) Temp: 78-82F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 mine are in low flow. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Low flow for the most extension. They can and will adapt to higher flow rates but may not extend as far. I keep mine directly under 250w lights with no shade and they are beautiful. Do you know what type of Blasto you got? Wellsi or Merletti? Wellsi are the large polyped ones. If you are the type that has your lights go off before you go to sleep, try spot feeding them meaty foods like frozeon cyclops, rotifers, or mysis about 20 minutes after lights off. Still the water for about 20 minutes if you can. I don't allow my lights to go out until just before bed so I feed my tank about 30 minutes before lights out. The halides have gone off and it's just actinic lights. The corals seem to know when feeding time is and begin to extend their tentacles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 i have mine on sandbed in moderate flow. they stay opened about the size of a dime. 400wMH-8 bulb T5-and 2/24" VHO Superactinics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Just to back up the above. I have 2 frags of blastos (merletti) on frag plugs down in my sand bed. Both have more than tripled in number of heads in the last few months. I spot feed cyclops and reef roids and they are in a medium-light indirect flow under 150w MH in a nano. As a note I had them in higher flow and higher up and almost lost the frag when I first got them. Put on the sand bed and they have been just going gangbusters since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonSequitur Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 Thanks for all of the replies. I'm pretty sure these are b. merletti, since the polyps are pretty small, about the size of a dime when fully extended. I moved them to a lower flow area to see if they like that better. Tonight after the lights went out I target fed some mysis mixed with some reef roids. They didn't come out, but then I did just move them, so I'll try again tomorrow. (The other LPS corals really seemed to enjoy the extra meal) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzobob Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Oddly, my B. merleti were not doing well low in the tank but really pepped up when I moved them closer to the lights. (130 watts pc lighting moved from about 12" to 6" slightly, very slightly higher current) They've really taken off. My B. wellsi is on a frag rack under 175 watts MH with low current doing well. I target feed 3 times a week rotating cyclopes, rotifers, brine and mysis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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