AquaStatix - Aquarium Log (for iPhone & iPod touch)

[C Jerome]

I have never been a big water tester, the real test for me is if everything looks 'happy'. However with the addition of a RKL with PH probe and a Clam recently I have been testing a little more and wanted to keep track of the results. I considered making a excel but I work with that all day so I thought maybe the iPhone could hold a solution, I was right. There are really just two apps and after reviewing both I felt that AquaStatix was clearly the better of the two.

 

By clicking HERE you can go see the app in the app store, note it will open in itunes. The cost of the App is just $1.99 which I find to be a fair value.

 

Summary:

AquaStatix will let you log the results of your water tests indefinitely. A important feature is that you can have an unlimited number of aquariums (as you can see below from the tests) it can be used for both fresh and salt water great for you Bi-Aquaria keepers! The graphs show results from the last eight weeks with time on the X and test values on the Y axis.

There are thirteen tests that I think cover everything: Temperature, Nitrate, Nitrate, Ammonia, pH, Carbonate Hardness, General Hardness, Calcium, Copper, Salinity, Phosphate, Magnesium, Iodine.

When setting up the tank you set the name, volume, choose between Gallons/F and Liters/C and type fresh, salt, reef.

When you click to add test data the date the time is automatically set to the present moment, however there is an option to change the date if you wanted to enter historical data. There is also a option to add notes.

 

Places for improvement:

This app does the logging really well but there are a few things I think that could be added to make it a 5/5 stars.

Temperature range being tightened up, right now its from about 45f to 200f obviously to large, maybe 50 to 90. (I checked out a site and it looks like some people who keep cold water reefs are in the mid to upper 50s.)

Select the parameters that you want for a tank. When in the window setting up the tank have a option to select the parameters you want to be visible for that tank. I don't test for all 13 listed above so I don't really need to see them. If I decide to buy a copper test kit then I can always go and toggle it on.

Change the seahorse button on the tank page to a notes button so you can read the notes easily.

Also related to the notes when you access them this way it would be better if it was a running dated list of the notes so you could just scroll up or down to see previous ones instead of having to go the date and then into the notes. This could then be used to log tank maintenance stuff like added hardware, water change, supplements etc.

If you could add a place to log inhabitants, like one for fish and one for inverts so you could see on a graph okay the last time i added a fish was 8/15/09 its been a month I am good to add another.

I know there is not enough screen space to add all these buttons but if you give the option as I suggested above to toggle the ones you use I think it would fit because the majority of people do not test for everything and some of the added ones will fill the empty spots.

 

 

Conclusion:

I would get this app now and start using it. I have only entered a few days of tests so far but is working great and I can see how it will become more valuable over time as I get more data entered and can look at trends. As improvements are added it will be my go to place for my tank info.

I contacted the developer via the e mail link in the app with my suggestions and he wrote back within 24 hours and said he was already working on some of them and appreciated my other suggestions to improve the app.

After using it if you have other ideas please post below.

 

Jerome

 

Photos (credit to developer site):

 

Again by clicking HERE you can go see the app in the app store

[Deleted User 6]

I looked into this - interested in the full finished review.

[mokeyz]

I have been using AquaStatix since its release and I find it an invaluable tool in keeping records. The improvements in version 1.1 such as being able to add historical data have made it even better. This app would be a bargain at a much higher price, how many things in our hobby can you buy for $1.99??? Maybe some airline tubing!

 

Get AquaStatix, you won't be disappointed.

[C Jerome]

Thanks for saying again about the price, I was going to emphasize that at the end, I mean really the last thing I bought for the tank that was less than $2 was a PVC fitting. No, actually it was some nylon nuts and bolts to attach cooling fans to my feeding door and come to think of it they were like 40 cents a piece so that came to more than $2 since I needed 8 sets!

[spencers]

Great idea!

Definitely will be purchasing the app when I have my tank up and running.

 

Further ambitious expansion idea: build an electronic water tester that submits the params to a cloud server, which can be viewed on the App

[BlackPerl]

Hi All,

 

I just wanted to let everyone know that version 1.2 of AquaStatix is now available. They've added six tests and improved the precision.

[spencers]

So after a little mucking around last night with the app, I ran into some things.

 

- When adding an entry in the logbook, some parameters are already set at a minimum value. It would be wise to make those values null so they aren't plotted on the graph. When plotting on the graph, it will throw the scale out of wack.

For example, if I take measurements of only pH and temperature for my tank on a certain day, I only want those parameters to be recorded. So, Temperature happens to be one of those that the minimum value is 32. Well, what happens if I don't take a temperature measurement that day? It still records it as 32 and throws off the graph. Same goes for pH. See what I mean?

This also goes for the date. If my first log entry happens to be today (Nov. 24), then start the graph at Nov. 24 and not some random October date.

 

- The scale of the graphs could also be improved. It would also be wise to make each graphs scale automatically adapt to the new additions.

I haven't exactly tested this with multiple log entries, but I can only assume the scale stays the same.

For example, when temperature was added, the scale read from 70F to 90F.. With my temperature being dead in the middle.. Over time, the scale should adapt to 76F to 82F, and incrementally smaller as more plots are added, due a roughly consistent temperature.

If you look at the original post at the temperature graph. It goes from 50 to 194F. Are you f'kin kidding me?

 

- It would also be really nice for buttons to NOT show up (or be grayed out) if there are no recorded measurements for a particular parameter.

 

- Perhaps you could use Apple's (+) button for making additions to the log, instead of the current one.

 

All in all, a good app. But it is not living up to its $2 price tag. Currently, it should be a free app. But since I paid for it, I more than expect to see these additions made.

[dsn112]

I am frustrated with this app. I put in a few params the day I downloaded it.

 

Now I go back in to add new results, and it let's me change them but the date never changes, it just stays the first day I downloaded it.

[C Jerome]

I think you might be modifying your past entry instead of starting a new one. Try this: open the app, select the tank you want, then click the little book at the top right, then click the plus sign at the top right, that should lead you to a new entry window to enter todays test results or if you need to enter them from yesterday click on the little clock just below save and you can adjust the date for the tests.

Hope that helps

Jerome

[Hawaii_Bio_Cube]

I got it. Exactly what i was looking for. Thanks.

[ropate]

does anyone know of a good app like this one for android phones?