Tank of the month: January 2018
Published on 31 December 2017
GIUSEPPE DI DONATO
We could not have ended 2017, which is now leaving us, in a better way than by choosing as tank of the month that of Giuseppe Di Donato from Cerignola, in the province of Foggia.
It is a spectacular aquarium! Almost entirely dedicated to keeping Acropora.
But let him describe it: "My first experience with marine goes back to 1990, with my first 150 x 50 x 70 fish-only tank; I kept Pomacanthus and triggerfish. Five years later, in 1995, I moved to my first coral tank, specifically soft corals. The tank was 180 x 60 x 70. I kept Sarcophyton, Sinularia, Lobophytum, Zoanthus and Actinodiscus. That lasted until the 2000s. Then there was a pause, with no tank at all, for 4 or 5 years. I then started again keeping fish, surgeonfish species. Only in the last 4 or 5 years did I begin my adventure keeping SPS only.
He then continues: "My current tank measures 125 x 60 x 65 and is filled with about 80 kg of live rock. It has a 70 x 50 x 45 sump with the following equipment:
2,000 l/h return pump
2 Jecod Eco flow pumps, 8,000 l/h each
Ultra Reef UKS 180 skimmer
Ultra Reef UCS 160 calcium reactor
18 W UV lamp
Teco TK 500 chiller
Lighting: 2 GNC Bluray
As for livestock, the tank mostly holds various types of Australian and Indonesian Acropora, some Montipora and Zoanthus on the bottom.
Fish: 2 Zebrasoma flavescens, 2 Paracanthurus hepatus, 1 Pseudocheilinus hexataenia, 1 Pictichromis paccagnellae, 1 Stenopus hispidus shrimp, 2 Lysmata amboinensis, 1 Synchiropus picturatus and finally 1 Synchiropus marmoratus.
The fish are fed flake and granular food by SHG Premium, while the corals are fed SHG Snow Reef liquid food.
Instead of partial water changes, SHG trace elements (OLIGOS) are added on a regular basis".
Now let's "dive" into this beautiful home coral reef!
Happy 2018 to Giuseppe and to all the enthusiasts who follow us.
