How much light and flow does Pineapple coral need?

Stony coral · LPS, low light at roughly 50–80 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with low flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.

Will Pineapple coral attack neighbouring corals?

It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.

Does Pineapple coral need feeding?

Yes. Photosynthesis alone will not sustain it; feed planktonic or finely chopped food regularly, little and often. Overfeeding fouls the water faster than underfeeding.

What water parameters does Pineapple coral need?

24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

Is Pineapple coral a good beginner coral?

Difficulty: moderate. Growth: slow. Place it in the foreground / midground. Spacing: place it low or in a shaded crevice; strong light bleaches it outright. Eight centimetres to neighbours is enough.

G-03 / 13Marine

Pineapple coral爆仗花珊瑚

Blastomussa wellsi · Plerogyridae

Pineapple coral: large polyps in saturated colours, but it grows very slowly and hates strong light and flow.

Illustration to come

G-03 / 13 · Pineapple coral Blastomussa wellsi

SpecificationsCoral atlas

Name: 爆仗花珊瑚
Scientific name: Blastomussa wellsi
Family: Plerogyridae
Origin: Reefs and sheltered spots of the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef
Type: Stony coral · LPS
Light: Low light
PAR: 50–80
Flow: Low flow
Aggression: No aggression
Feeding: Feeding required
Alkalinity: 7–9 dKH
Calcium: 400–450 mg/L
Magnesium: 1250–1350 mg/L
Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
Growth: Slow
Placement: Foreground / Midground
Level: Moderate

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–26 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.024–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Spacing: place it low or in a shaded crevice; strong light bleaches it outright. Eight centimetres to neighbours is enough.
2Flow: low to medium — in strong flow the polyps stay retracted and stop opening.
3Feeding: required — the polyps are large with visible mouths, so feed shrimp or dedicated pellets weekly.
4Water tolerance: unfussy about higher nutrients, but recovery from tissue loss takes months — leave it alone while it heals.
5Growth form: buds slowly from the base, adding only a few heads a year — a focal piece rather than filler.

Frequently asked questions

How much light and flow does Pineapple coral need?: Stony coral · LPS, low light at roughly 50–80 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ PAR, with low flow. Light and flow must match: high light with weak flow burns tips, strong flow with weak light thins the tissue.
Will Pineapple coral attack neighbouring corals?: It shows no real aggression and can sit close to neighbours, though it still must not be shaded from above.
Does Pineapple coral need feeding?: Yes. Photosynthesis alone will not sustain it; feed planktonic or finely chopped food regularly, little and often. Overfeeding fouls the water faster than underfeeding.
What water parameters does Pineapple coral need?: 24–26 °C, specific gravity 1.024–1.026, 7–9 dKH, 400–450 mg/L calcium, 1250–1350 mg/L magnesium. That is only 2 dKH wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
Is Pineapple coral a good beginner coral?: Difficulty: moderate. Growth: slow. Place it in the foreground / midground. Spacing: place it low or in a shaded crevice; strong light bleaches it outright. Eight centimetres to neighbours is enough.