Tank of the month: February 2020

ENRICO PETRETTI

Hello, my name is Enrico Petretti.

I have always been an aquarist, since I was little: my father had a freshwater tank and, growing up, I took up this hobby. I have had many tanks, going from freshwater to salt water, then freshwater again, challenging myself with Amazon biotope aquariums but, with hindsight, the reef aquarium is unique, and the passion exploded.

My current tank is 100x60 H50, low for a DSB, but before that I had a Berlin system that crashed because of a metals problem.

Today my tank looks like this: almost all hard corals, with a few touches of LPS and some Zoanthus😃.

As for equipment, in the sump there is an UltraReef Akula 160 skimmer and a Jebao 8000 return pump run almost at maximum, as I have a 25 return and 2 home-made 50 drains; in the tank there are 2 Vortech MP40 pumps (1 WES and 1 QD) kept at minimum because of the DSB, which is unmanageable and is still one of my biggest headaches.

As for lighting, I switched from T5 to LED about 6/7 months ago with 2 GNC 466, excellent lamps, but I do not know how long I will stay faithful to LEDs.
T5s are T5s!

Husbandry is simple: I built a 6-channel dosing pump myself, with which I dose ATI Essentials PRO Balling on 2 channels, then Easy SPS zooplankton and Ocean Life Coral Elements. The other channels are for experiments.

By hand I dose a glass of phytoplankton every day, amino acids, Easy SPS and Coral Vitalizer, depending on the day.

I make 25-litre water changes every 3 weeks.

Tank values:

Density 1025

KH 7/8

Ca 470

Mg 1450

PO4 0.04

NO3 zero

To feed the fish I use dry and frozen food (Artemia); lately I am trying Vitalis dry food, soft pellets, with good results.

Fish in the tank:

1 Zebrasoma flavescens

1 Paracanthurus hepatus

1 Zebrasoma xanthurum

4 Anthias squamipinnis

1 black Amphiprion ocellaris

1 Synchiropus marmoratus

1 Wetmorella

1 Diadema urchin

Then the classic Lysmata, some wurdemanni, 2 Strombus etc.

That's all; I am not an expert, but I try to hold my own.

Thanks everyone!"

We say goodbye to Enrico, and now a look at his photo book!