Aquarium Operations

Call Michael Immediately If You See This

Also call him for anything on the emergency list further down this page.

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.

The Meter

Use the same meter for both, every time. If you use a different thermometer, the numbers will not match from one day to the next and we cannot tell a real change from a different tool.

Salinity is entered in ppt, for example 34.0.

Do not enter specific gravity. If you write something like 1.026, that is the wrong number for this form.

Test between 11:00 and 12:00, every day

These numbers move through the day on their own. pH in particular is different in the morning than it is in the evening, on a healthy tank, with nothing wrong.

If the readings are taken at a different time each day, we cannot tell a real problem from the time of day, and the whole log becomes much less useful. Testing in the same hour every day is what makes one day comparable to the next.

If something makes it impossible to test in that window, test as close to it as you can and write the actual time in the Observations box.

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 → Hanna meter, in Celsius, like 26.4. (Every tank, every day.)
5. Salinity → Hanna meter, in ppt, like 34.0. (Every tank, every day.)
6. dKH → RS200-2 and CADE-800 only. Every other tank, leave it empty.
7. NO3 and PO4 → Tuesday and Friday only, and only RS200-2 and CADE-800.
8. AFR Reservoir (L) → CADE-800 only. How many liters are left, like 3.4. Every other tank, leave it empty. (See AFR on the CADE-800.)
9. Fed → leave empty. Michael fills this in himself.
10. Observations → anything you noticed.
11. Tap Submit, then do the next tank.

Which tanks need dKH, NO3 and PO4?

Only two: RS200-2 and CADE-800.

pH, every tank, Tuesday and Friday

Measure pH with the Hanna pH pen on every tank, in the same 11:00 to 12:00 window as temperature, salinity and alkalinity, and record it in the Parameter Log.

pH is taken on all six tanks. It is not a reef-tank-only test. On Tuesday or Friday, a blank pH on any tank is a missed test. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday a blank pH is correct.

The dKH Retest Rule

Compare today's dKH to the previous test on the same tank.

If it has moved more than 0.5, test it again before writing it down. Test kits give a bad result sometimes, and a retest costs two minutes.

• Second test agrees with the first → record it and tell Michael.
• Second test is close to yesterday → the first test was bad. Record the second one.

AFR on the CADE-800

AFR is dosed into the CADE automatically by a pump, out of a 5 liter reservoir. Your job is to record how much is left every day, and to mix and refill it every Friday.

Every working day: record the level

1. Look at the AFR reservoir.
2. Read how many liters are left. Full is 5.0.
3. Enter it in the Parameter Log, in the AFR Reservoir (L) box, to one decimal. For example 3.4.

Read it the same way every day, from the same position and the same marking, so that today's number can be compared to yesterday's.

The number must go down every day

This is the whole reason we record the number. A doser can hum, click and look completely normal while delivering nothing at all. The only way anyone finds out is the reservoir level.

Normal use is about 0.1 liters per day, so from one day to the next the drop is small. That is expected. What matters is that there is a drop at all, and that over a week it adds up.

• Today's number is lower than yesterday → good. Nothing more to do.
• Today's number is the same as yesterday → that is a fault. Call Michael the same day.
• The reservoir is empty → call Michael the same day.
• It will not last until Friday → call Michael the same day. Do not wait for Friday to come around.

An empty reservoir means the corals and the clam get nothing, and nobody finds out until the dKH has already dropped. By then the damage is done.

Every Friday: mix and refill

AFR is a powder. You mix it with RO water and pour it into the reservoir.

The mix is 6 scoops of AFR powder per 900 mL of RO water. That is the same as 1 scoop per 150 mL.

1. Work out how much you need. If the reservoir has 1.5 L left, you are adding 3.5 L, so mix 3.5 L.
2. Use RO water only. Never tap water.
3. Add the powder to the water and stir until it is completely dissolved. No powder at the bottom, no cloudiness, no grit.
4. Pour it into the reservoir, up to 5.0 liters.
5. Log it in the Maintenance Log, tank CADE-800, action AFR refill.
6. Record the new level in the Parameter Log as normal, which will be 5.0.

On Tuesday and Friday, also

The Equipment Check asks you two AFR questions. Answer both by looking, not from memory:

• Dosing levels dropping → has the reservoir actually emptied since the last check?
• AFR tubes clear → check the tube at the sump end for a clog.

CO2 Media on the CADE-800

The skimmer pulls air through a reactor packed with CO2 absorbing media before that air goes into the tank. The media strips carbon dioxide out of the air. When the media is used up, it stops absorbing, and the skimmer starts pushing CO2 straight back into the water.

There is no colour change you can rely on and no smell. You cannot tell by looking. That is why it goes on a fixed weekly schedule instead of being changed when it "looks done."

Every Friday: change the media

1. Change the CO2 media in the skimmer media reactor on the CADE-800.
2. Change all of it. Do not top up the old media with new media on top.
3. Put the reactor back and confirm the skimmer is running normally afterwards.
4. Log it in the Maintenance Log, tank CADE-800, action CO2 media change - skimmer reactor.

Then check the stock bucket

After you have refilled the reactor, look at the bucket of spare media.

New media has to be ordered and shipped, and that takes time. Half a bucket is enough warning to order and have it arrive before you run out. An empty bucket on a Friday means the media does not get changed that week.

Answer the CO2 Media Stock question on the Equipment Check as well. Telling Michael does not replace recording it.

On Tuesday

Nothing to do. This is a Friday job. Leave the CO2 Media Stock box empty on a Tuesday. A blank there is correct and is not a missed check.

MicroBacter7 on the CADE-800

MicroBacter7 comes in a bottle. This is a stock check, so we always know how much is left and can order a new bottle before it runs out. It is not a fault check. The level going down is normal and expected.

Every Friday

1. Pick up the MicroBacter7 bottle. Read the bottle itself, not the box it came in.
2. Work out how many milliliters are left.
3. Enter it in the Equipment Check, in the MicroBacter7 (mL) box. For example 420.

Below 250 mL

A new bottle has to be ordered and shipped, and that takes time. Telling him at 250 mL means the new bottle arrives before the old one runs out. Telling him at zero means a gap.

Still record the number in the form as well. Telling him does not replace recording it.

On Tuesday

Leave the MicroBacter7 box empty. This is a Friday job. A blank MicroBacter7 on a Tuesday is correct and is not a missed check.

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
   • Roller fleece change
   • Interior clean: glass + in-water surfaces
   • Exterior clean: glass, rims, overflow, lids, cabinet
   • AFR refill (CADE-800 only, Fridays)
   • CO2 media change - skimmer reactor (CADE-800 only, Fridays)
5. Notes → only if something was unusual.
6. Tap Submit.

Form 3: Equipment Check

Once for every tank, Tuesday and Friday.

The form lists every component. Go down the list and mark each one:

If you mark anything Not OK, write in the Notes what you saw and what you did about it.

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.

G2 Nanos: check the overflow while you refill

While you are refilling, look at the overflow with the float valve UP and confirm it is not leaking. The float valve being up is the position where it is supposed to be holding, so anything getting past it is a leak.

Look with your eyes. Do not assume. Check it on all three nanos, on every refill.

If it is leaking, tell Michael straight away. Water leaking anywhere is already on the call list at the top of this page.

Your Daily Routine

Nobody works Saturday or Sunday. Those days should be empty.

The week has two shapes. Tuesday and Friday are the busy days. Every water test except temperature and salinity, plus skimmer clean, roller check and the full Equipment Check, happens on those two days. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are essentials only, with nothing else scheduled.

Every working day (Monday to Friday)

• Hanna meter: temperature and salinity on every tank, between 11:00 and 12:00. Both come off the same dip (see Test between 11:00 and 12:00)
• CHECK every skimmer: running, cup not overflowing, actually skimming
• Refill the ATOs (all tanks except the CADE) → check the level went down. On the G2 Nanos, also look at the overflow with the float valve up and confirm it is not leaking (see G2 Nanos: check the overflow while you refill)
• CADE-800 only: record the AFR reservoir level in liters → it must be lower than yesterday (see AFR on the CADE-800)
• Clean inside the tank: all four panes plus every piece of equipment in the water (see The Cleaning Rule)
• Clean outside and above the water: all four panes, rims, overflow and lids, trim, cabinet, no salt creep (see The Cleaning Rule)
• Watch the fish, write anything unusual in Observations
• If any fish are receiving antibiotics: dose ammonia neutraliser into that tank or bin at 10:00, 14:00 and 18:00. Antibiotics kill the filter bacteria, so the neutraliser is doing the filter's job (see Treating a Fish)
• Tick everything off in the Daily Checklist

Tuesday and Friday: the busy days

Water testing, all of it between 11:00 and 12:00, in the same session as the temperature and salinity reading.

• Hanna pH pen: pH on every tank
• Test dKH on RS200-2 and CADE-800 only
• Test NO3 and PO4 on RS200-2 and CADE-800 only

Then the equipment work.

• CLEAN the skimmers
• Check the rollers on every system: advancing, fleece left on the roll, not bypassing
• Full Equipment Check on every tank

Friday also

All three are CADE-800 only.

• Mix AFR and refill the reservoir to 5.0 liters, even if there is still some left, and log it (see AFR on the CADE-800)
• Change the CO2 media in the skimmer media reactor, then check the stock bucket → tell Michael the same day if it is less than half full (see CO2 Media on the CADE-800)
• Measure the MicroBacter7 bottle in mL and record it → tell Michael the same day if it is below 250 mL (see MicroBacter7 on the CADE-800)

Every other Friday: water change

Starting Friday 2026-09-11, then every second Friday after that: 09-25, 10-09, 10-23, and so on. If you are not sure whether this Friday is a water change Friday, the notice at the top of this page will say so, and if it does not, ask Michael. Do not guess.

First working day of the month

• Change the carbon

Anything That Goes In More Than One Tank

This covers nets, scrapers, magnets, siphons, buckets, tongs, turkey basters, thermometers, your hands, and anything else that goes into the water. Disease moves between tanks on wet equipment. A net that looks clean is not clean.

How to do it

1. Fill a cup with freshwater.
2. Add 10 drops of Betadine, the yellow bottle.
3. Put the tool in and leave it for at least one full minute. Time it. Do not guess.
4. Rinse it thoroughly in tap water before it goes anywhere near the next tank.

A quick dip does not work. The minute is what does the job. The rinse matters just as much: iodine must not be carried into a tank on the tool.

When

• Between every tank, every time
• Before a tool goes into a quarantine or treatment container, and again when it comes out
• If you are unsure whether a tool has been done, do it again. Doing it twice costs a minute. Missing it once can cost a tank.

The Cleaning Rule

Cleaning is two separate jobs. Both are done every working day, on every tank.

1. Inside the tank

• Every pane of glass on the inside: front, left side, right side, back
• The overflow box, the part that sits under the water
• The return pump and the flow pumps, and their brackets and mounts
• Any other equipment sitting in the water that you can reach. The heaters cannot be reached, so they are not your job. Skip them.

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

2. Outside the tank, and everything above the water

• Every pane of glass on the outside: front, left side, right side, back
• The top rims and the top edge of the glass
• The overflow box, its lid, and the lid cover
• Any screen top or lid
• The trim, the bracing, the light mounts and the light itself
• The silicone along the rim
• The top of the cabinet and the front of the cabinet
• The white salt line at the water surface

The standard

When you finish, nothing should be visible on any surface anywhere:

• No food and no food residue
• No salt creep and no dried salt spray
• No white haze
• No grime, no film, no smears, no swirls, no streaks
• No dust and no fingerprints

Not on the glass. Not on the rims. Not on the lids. Not on the cabinet.

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
• Eggs laid on the glass or on a rock
• 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

• Any reading in the red column at the top of this page
• A fish is dead or looks like it is dying
• A fish has a wound that is getting worse
• The water feels hot or cold, or the temperature is outside the range in the red table above
• The return pump has stopped
• The ATO is blocked and you cannot fix it
• The AFR reservoir is empty, will not last to Friday, or the level is the same as yesterday
• 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.

Arrivals from Sustainable Aquatics

This is a prophylactic treatment: medicine given before there is any sign of disease, to stop it starting. Do not wait for a symptom. Do not skip a fish because it looks fine.

Who this applies to

• Fish from Sustainable Aquatics: always, every shipment.
• Fish from anywhere else: follow the Acclimation page as normal. This rule does not apply to them unless Michael says so.

How to do it

1. Acclimate the fish exactly as the Acclimation page says.
2. The fish stay in their acrylic containers, floating in the quarantine bin, exactly as the Acclimation page sets them up. Dose the bin, not the containers. Work out how many litres of water are in the bin and use the dose table under Treating a Fish. It is already 6.5 mg/L, so use it as written: 10 L of water is 65 mL of stock, 20 L is 130 mL, and so on. Make the stock as in Making the Medicine. The air line stays in the bin, never inside a container.
3. Keep the daily checks and the 48 hour water change and redose from Treating a Fish for the whole course, done on the bin.
4. The course is five days. Day 1 is the day of the first dose. The course ends after day 5.

Five days, not seven to ten

The 7 to 10 day course on the Treatment page is for a fish that is already sick. This is different: a healthy arrival gets five days. If a fish shows any of the signs listed under Treating a Fish during those five days, it is no longer a prophylactic case. Follow that page instead, including its full 7 to 10 day course.

What Changed

Newest at the top. The notice at the top of this page always shows the date of the newest change.