Do you keep notes/records?

[lujor]

Anyone else out there keep notes on water changes, feedings, behavior, water quality, etc.? I know a lot of people that breed fish tend to do so, but any non-fishbreeders? I only have 3 tanks (4th in progress), but, without my notebook, I can't keep track of when I did last WC or what foods the fish have been getting too much or too little of, etc. If you don't do this, I highly recommend it. I know almost to the gallon how much water has been changed in each tank over a given period of time. I know how the nitrate levels have fluctuated, pH, temp., etc. I also keep track of all my mad-scientist ideas and "I want..." lists for future projects or purchases. Also, if you keep notes on these types of things as well as behavior, and you unintentionally get your fish to breed, you can recreate the circumstances. Best of all, it costs next to nothing- pencil and some paper. Anyway, who else does this? What do you keep track of?

Here's a tip, though: you may not want to keep track of your expenses- it's depressing.

 

[geronimo69]

I keep track of my water changes and levels ( nitrate, PH, etc ), but not temp or feedings...

 

[Musha]

I am a breeder, so I do so with my breeders. I also not growth rate and how prone my fish are to sickness.

 

[ar0wan]

Attempting a Marine tank without notes is unpossible.

 

[Moloch]

I'm new at all this but I've just started keeping notes at least on my levels. I don't even know what else I'd really keep track of at this point:\

 

[Chromobotia]

It never occurred to me to even keep notes on anything. I just do weekly water changes on sat or sun, feed the fish what is handy and go about my business. Unfortunately the wife and kids make it nearly impossible to do much more than that. I'm lucky sometimes to even get in my weekly water change.

 

[theunytedone]

i keep profiles of each tank and its inhabitants, and lists of what i would like to have done with each individual tank.

dont measure water params really...

 

[klownh8er]

Only when cycling

 

[lujor]

I find it helpful to keep feeding records because I try to keep a lot of variety in my fishes' diets. My main community tank gets zucchini, peas, bloodworms, beefheart, 4 types of Hikari, 2 types of Omega One, shrimp, squid, brineshrimp, spirulina brineshrimp, nightcrawlers, silversides, 2 types of flake, seaweed, spirulina, algae wafers, shrimp pellets, shrimp puffs, Emerald Entree, krill, and tubifex on an informal rotation. I have to keep notes to make sure I mix it up. All that variety is probably not necessary, but it's better than just one or two foods. Plus, as I said earlier, if I were to accidentally induce spawning, I would have a better chance at a repeat if I did everything the same next time around. Or if a fish seems to have the occasional "off" day, I can check to see if it coincides with a certain food. Also, filter maintenance is easier to keep track of with records. I many different filters, and it helps me keep track of what media I have in each and which ones are due for a cleaning or need replaced. If I have to medicate a tank, I know which cannister filter has carbon in it at the moment so I don't have to search them all. (Be a lot easier to have just one big sump and an FX5... someday)

 

[moo.]

Only when cycling

This.
And i write down what canister has been cleaned on what day, just incase one goes unnoticed for a couple months.