How do you keep track of your parameters, and how often?

[RobB'z Reef]

Hey all, how do you keep track?
Share the wealth, I can use it.

I’ll start, lately I been using only a white board, but it has been becoming harder to keep track of trends. The reason for this post.

I use the built in feature from apex. If you don't have a controller like that excel is a perfect tool. In fact I've been thinking of switching to that myself as I think long term it would work better. As for how often that depends on what you're measuring and how your tank is. Alk and pH tend to be measurements most tanks benefit from being monitored most frequently. If you have a really high population of sps you might throw in ca in the same frequency. As for nitrates and phosphates and salinity etc, you'll have you evaluate your tank age and fish population as well as your water change schedule and top off methods.

For example, I can't remember the last time I measured salinity as I haven't done a water change since I started my tank in September and I only measure my nitrates and phosphates about once a month. I measure my pH daily via my prove and would even if I didn't have one and I measure my alk once a week, ca once every two. However I don't have a ton of corals yet so anectodaly I know my demand for this are fairly low. I think it's just a learning curve as you get to know your tank and it's progressions. When you add a bunch of stuff whether it's fish or corals, and what type of corals you've changed the balance and you should measure more frequently until you've established the new norm.

 

[boacvh]

Aquarimate. It also syncs with my apex and can export everything to excel so makes it easy.

 

[rfrankle]

I like to track trends using a .numbers spreadsheet and then post the most current results on a white board in my fishroom.

 

[Dkmoo]

The free calendars that you get from Chinese supermarkets (esp around lunar new year now) - free with every 50 dollar purchase

not sure if it's just a NYC chinatown thing tho...but that stuff has just enough space for your to right all your params and notes directly on the calendar.

 

[alexandre4100]

+1 Aquarium Note.
I like the charts to see the parameters along the time.