Why should I keep logbooks?
• Logbooks are a good way of gathering information in an attempt to control fluctuations in your aquarium.
• The more you know about your water chemistry, the more ability you have to control it.
• A logbook can be a useful tool especial for saltwater tanks, which require a more stable environment.
• It is advisable to fill in your logbook about once a week.
• The idea is to fill in all the levels you intend to test and make a negative observation which if you fixed may make the aquarium better (e.g. my leather coral looks sick).
• Note in the comment section what you did to improve the observation (e.g. I put the leather coral into a position with greater water movement). Make sure that the next week or more you document its progress. So the observations column is for every thing you see and the comments column is for every thing you do.
• If you don’t understand something that you observed ask someone that does.
• By doing this, you are always improving your mini ecosystem, your awareness of conditions within your tank plus your own knowledge.
• You can even refer back to this information if the same problem arises.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing your water is always good because one day it won’t be and by the time you realise it, it may be too late.

How do you set up a logbook?
• A good way to set up a logbook is in a standard exercise book.
• Rule up the left-hand page for all the tests you intend to do and rule up the right-hand page rule in half for observations and comments.
• You can buy logbooks.
• You can create them on a computer.

Example R.H.S
Date_Time_Salinity_Temperature_pH_Alkalinity_Ammonia_Nitrite_Nitrate_Phosphate_Calcium
Even Redox or Copper

Example L.H.S
Observations_Comments

• Most aquarium problems are mainly concerned with water chemistry.

by Paul Talbot