Speeding Blasto growth?

[insanefishguy]

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I just bought these two blastos. They are now my two favorite corals. The wellsi has such bright red and purple strips and neon green mouths. It is def my new favorite lps(the purple tipped green frogspawn is still a close second).

I have read that they do best without intense light. if the light is intense to tip the polyps out instead of up. I am lighting the tank with t5s. 216wats over a 55. I dont think of my lighting really as "intense" but I kinda propped them on their side anyway.

What are the tricks to gettingblastos to grow quickly? I tried to feed it, but it really didnt seem that interested? What should I feed (tried a mixture of mysids and cyclopeeze)? At what time of day (lights on/lights out/or actinics)?

 

[gh0st]

Most Blastos are considered pretty slow growers, especially the Merlettis.

Just give them good conditions and time.

 

[acrodave]

Keeping your ca and alk in line along with feeding and bright lights

 

[dendro982]

Feeding and light for blasto merletti:

What was left on polyps - too big. But my blasto recovered this way quite good:

Food: cyclop eeze, smallest mysis and brine, fine chopped seafood, they are ready to eat within 15 min after feeding fish.

 

[Sula]

For what it's worth, I've noticed that my Merletti seems to eat during the day and my Wellsi eats at night (only realized it because it is downstream from my Acans )

 

[Coderabit2]

I don't feed mine anything and I started with 3 polyps about a year ago.

 

[dendro982]

I see now, it's light - you have 600W total (2x250W + 2x54W), right?
Mine was under 72W PC +sun, 12" tank depth.

 

[Coderabit2]

More light would definetly increase your growth from a 72W PC. Where do you get a 72W PC? I've never even heard of those as far as aquariums go.

 

[dendro982]

AH Supply retrofit kit, 2x36W.
Now changed it on DIY 70W MH 14,000K - much brighter with the same wattage.

 

[Coderabit2]

Ah of course its too bulbs hehe. A MH will give you better growth by having a higher par.

 

[dendro982]

Done, DIY MH, the same 70W. Much brighter.
Was very difficult to find the cheap supplies (I know, I know, the cheap me ).