Do you keep a log of you H2O Params?

[tonkadawg]

I have been keeping a log of all of my water parameters each time I test it, just jotting them down in a notebook. I started to think about it, and it really doesn't serve me any purpose. I can't really do any trend analysis or anything with out a lot of work. Does anyone have any software for this sort of thing? If not, I was thinking about writing a program - could be loaded onto a palm and synched with a DB or something - make some quick reports - instant trending (as long as data is kept up to date).

 

What do y'all think?

[luv2jeep]

I used to religiously. Now I am a lazy-ass!

 

I would recommend it simply because I have a crappy memory and it is nice to have problems/solutions written down in case they creep up again. For my nano, I'm not concerned, but when I set-up my 180 this summer, I'll have a log for EVERYTHING I do.

[Mnesarchus]

Mine never really changes, so it serves little purpose. If the params change significantly I jot it down on my log, but other than that, no.

[belamy]

like most of us I'm just lazy @$$.

 

I used to do it in the beginning.over time, nothing changed so I stopped logging and started watching.

 

I only check if something is out of the ordinary (creatures die, white turns milky, water stinks, etc).

[belamy]

oops i meant water turns milky... X)

[Kapelakin]

I haven't tested anything in months. I think I hate it because it's too much like baking... 3 drops of this, 5 drops of that... My animals look great, so I'm guessing params are good...

 

I actually like to use digital pics as a log instead.

[Dave ESPI]

Kapelakin posted what I feared someone would say

I haven't tested anything in months.   My animals look great, so I'm guessing params are good...  

 

 

GUESSING?

 

ya'll should be ashamed. X)

 

Get a few more years and a lot more problems under yer belts, you will understand better.

 

Testing is important.

 

IF you dont have any established levels as a "NORMAL OPERATING STATUS" then how do you know that your water is fine?

 

just by looking at it? ...U Can't tell a person has AIDS just by looking at them can you?

YES at a certain point you can "see" something is wrong, but when it gets to that stage, chances are, yer going to a Funeral soon.

 

HARSH REALITY.... POINT TAKEN ?

 

Im not saying ya have to test religiously ( which some Anal retentive reefers do.... much to my amusement), but keeping a log that you can compare and contrast with will signifigantly help to further your understanding of captive reefs... AND MAKES POSSIBLE RESEARCH & REASONS WHY THINGS REACT AND DIE/ LIVE STRONG/ OR SIMPLY DO POORLY IN YOUR SYSTEM.

 

If a minor shift in water parameters happens..... sayyyy like Phosphates start to build up due to food intake, and bacterial actions, it may take Months for it to show up as cyano or Hair algae. Once it reaches that point, yer screwed if it Blooms unchecked into a full all-out "water" war.

 

Keeping a log is easy.

 

EXAMPLES of what to record:

 

Water changes,

Temp,

Additions of animals,

Deaths,

Diseases,

MIA syndrome (Missing In Aquarium),

Additions of chemicals,

Equipment changes / swaps/ moved locations in tank for curents,

Changes in salinity or top off water evap.

Re designing rock work,

sand patching (exposed areas from digging or current escavtion),

Any nusance algaes,

Lighting changes,

GAC swaping,

Foods and amounts of feeding as a variety,

WATER PARAM.... TEST RESULTS, INCLUDING; Amm,Nitri, NO3, I2, Mg, Ca, Si, O2, B, Sr, and possibly O3 (ozone)

Water clarity (any tanins),

Algaes that flourish/ compete with the others better at times,

Etc, Etc

 

This will help to form a bar graph in the future if you need to see "why is my Ca so low?"........ "Why do I need to supplement Mg now?" "I have never had a problem with Hair algae before.. why is it growing now all of a sudden?".

THEN when you DO test, you dont look and say... "OOOHHH ###### !".. "Howd this hapen?"

 

ALWAYS remember "Murphys law."

It doesnt take much effort to keep a log.

He must love F****g with us reefers.

[cjm033]

i check my normal params every week annd temp and salenity everyday

[BCOrchidGuy]

I got into the habit of testing and keeping a log, and I tell ya, it has saved me alot of trouble... I used to keep 65 tanks in one room alone not to mention a couple in other rooms in the house. Parameters do change, subtly and constantly nitrate always builds, keeping a log can be invaluable. One day you will find you need to do a large w/c 4 months after your last one, rather than the usual 6 months... what is different? feeding more? more fish?... fish died?... I don't have that good a memory so I keep a log. Your fish spawn religiously every 28 days, but then they change to every 32 days... why? if you don't care thats too bad, but I would start to look for a reason it may be old age, or it may be a problem with the water... oh and btw, I often take a sample of my water to the LFS and verify my test kits are reasonably accurate.... Try keeping a log for 65 breeding tanks and keeping a genetics log of every breeding pair of fish you have. Keeping a log of one tank isn't so hard and it can be a great tool.

[tinyreef]

altho i agree with dave i'm actually more like kape. i gauge my (established) systems from just looking. but i do keep a running log of dosings, changes, reminders, etc. i've been using lotus organizer for my office tanks.

 

it helps to point out problems later on if i move a rock, add a fish, or my bulbs getting old. i'm a doser so a daily log help keep track.

[KevinS]

There is a site online to keep track of your h20 parameters. Best of all its 100% free

 

http://www.stugotz.net/log/index.cfm

[tonkadawg]

Originally posted by KevinS

There is a site online to keep track of your h20 parameters. Best of all its 100% free

 

http://www.stugotz.net/log/index.cfm

 

Very nice site. I am not one to try and re-invent the wheel, so for the time being I will try to use that site. Maybe at a later date I will come up with something of my own, unless dotreefers here would like an app where they would own the data. I just wanted an excuse to write a palm app (good resume material )

[Dave ESPI]

Paper is faster, and doesnt require a website. We're chained to these stupid silicon tumor boob tubes enough already. By the time it takes you to login and enter yer crap and save it, I'm done and 1/2 way to the Golf Course.

Just whip out yer pencils and get the chicken scratch fly.

Ya think my spelling is bad, try and read Hiroglyphics...

[Kapelakin]

Hmm, 3 non-loggers in the poll and 0 loggers when I voted. Dave shows me the errors of my ways, and now the poll has 9 loggers and still only 3 non-loggers? :

 

Just an observation.

[Mnesarchus]

I guess I worded my last post poorly. I check params weekly at least, I just dont write them down unless they are strange or have changed since the previous week. That site is cool.

[belamy]

i'll admit..even after reading this thread, i'm still a non-logger...

 

but i think i'll start up again especially since i'm thinking of getting more corals...