Aquarium Operations

The Most Important Rule

Every time you do something, you write it down.

If it is not written down, it did not happen.

Your name goes on everything you write down. This is normal and it is good. When you do good work, everyone can see it was you.

The Three Forms

Tap the one you need. Answer the questions. Tap Submit. That is all.

How to Pick the Right Tank

Every tank has a label stuck on it:

The first question on every form asks which tank. Tap the box and a list appears. Pick the one that matches the label on the tank you are standing in front of.

Do not guess. Do not go from memory. Look at the sticker on the tank.

If a tank has no sticker, tell Michael.

Form 1: Parameter Log

Once for every tank, every working day.

1. Tap Parameter Log.
2. Tank → pick the tank code from the sticker.
3. Logged By → pick your own name.
4. Temperature → type the temperature in Celsius. (Every tank, every day.)
5. Salinity → type the number, like 1.026. (Every tank, every day.)
6. dKH → coral tanks only. No coral, leave empty.
7. NO3 and PO4 → Tuesday and Friday only, coral tanks only.
8. Fed → leave empty. Michael fills this in himself.
9. Observations → anything you noticed.
10. Tap Submit, then do the next tank.

Which tanks need dKH, NO3 and PO4?

The coral tanks. If unsure, look at the tank: corals in it, test them. Only fish and anemones, skip them.

Skimmers: Check Daily, Clean Twice a Week

The Daily Skimmer Check

Every day, on every tank, confirm all three:

1. Is it running? Switched on and actually working. Look for bubbles.
2. Is the cup overflowing? It must not be full or spilling. If it is close to full, empty it.
3. Is it set too low? No foam and collecting nothing means it is not doing its job.

If anything is wrong and you cannot fix it, tell Michael. If you emptied the cup or fixed something, record it in the Maintenance Log.

Form 2: Maintenance Log

Fill this in right after you finish a job, not at the end of the day.

1. Tap Maintenance Log.
2. Tank → pick the tank from the sticker.
3. Logged By → pick your name.
4. Action → pick what you did:
   • ATO refill
   • Water change
   • Carbon change
   • Skimmer clean
   • Filter sock change
   • Glass clean (interior, algae)
   • Exterior glass clean
5. Notes → only if something was unusual.
6. Tap Submit.

Form 3: Equipment Check

Once for every tank, Tuesday and Friday.

For each item pick OK, Not OK, or N/A:

The ATO Rule: Read This Carefully

Look at the ATO water container. Is there LESS water in it than last time?

• Yes, the level went down → tick OK. Good.
• No, the level is the same → the ATO is blocked. Tick Not OK.

A blocked ATO looks completely fine from the outside. The only way to know is to check that the water level moved.

1. Try to clear it.
2. If you cannot clear it, tell Michael straight away.
3. Never tick OK just because the ATO looks fine.

Your Daily Routine

Every working day (Sunday to Friday)

Nobody works Saturday. Saturday should be empty.

• Test temperature and salinity on every tank
• Test dKH on the coral tanks
• CHECK every skimmer: running, cup not overflowing, actually skimming
• Refill the ATOs (all tanks except the CADE) → check the level went down
• Clean inside glass, all panes: front, both sides, back
• Clean outside glass, all panes: front, both sides, back
• Watch the fish, write anything unusual in Observations
• Tick everything off in the Daily Checklist

Also on Tuesday and Friday

• Test NO3 and PO4 on the coral tanks
• CLEAN the skimmers
• Change the filter socks
• Full Equipment Check on every tank

Twice a month

• Water change

First working day of the month

• Change the carbon

The Glass Rule

Clean EVERY pane of glass, not just the front.

• Front
• Left side and right side
• Back
• The inside AND the outside of every pane

Algae grows most on the sides and the back, where nobody looks. Those are the panes people forget.

When you are finished, look at every pane. There must be no swirls, no streaks, no film, no marks on any pane, inside or outside. The glass should look like it is not there at all.

What to Write in Observations

Write anything you notice, even if it seems small. Especially:

• A fish is hiding, not swimming normally, or sitting on the bottom
• A mark, spot, wound, or damaged fin on any fish
• Two fish fighting or chasing
• Uneaten food left in the tank
• An anemone has moved, shrunk, or looks different
• An anemone has come loose or is drifting
• The water looks cloudy
• Anything that is different from yesterday

Short sentences are fine. Example: "Small white spot on the black clownfish, near the mouth."

Call Michael Immediately

• A fish is dead or looks like it is dying
• A fish has a wound that is getting worse
• The heater is broken and the water is hot or cold
• The return pump has stopped
• The ATO is blocked and you cannot fix it
• Water is leaking anywhere
• The power is off to any tank
• An anemone is being pulled into a pump
• Anything that frightens you

If Something Goes Wrong With the Form

• Will not submit → check the tank and your name are filled in. Both are always required.
• Picked the wrong tank → submit anyway, then tell Michael which entry was wrong. Do not fix it yourself.
• Cannot find the tank → check the sticker. If it does not match anything, tell Michael.
• Forgot to log yesterday → log it today and write in Notes that it was for yesterday. Do not skip it.

Changelog