Reefing Programs
 

I'm looking for a free (or very cheap) computer program to help remind me of maintainance tasks. It would also be cool if i could log and graph water chemistry. Know of anything available?

Check out Current Usa,you know the company that makes aquarium supplies.
I believe the have a free program you can download for free

There is Aqualog!
There is also Reef Con LT

I'll write a program that'll do that if there's an interest from the community. An open source project that anyone can contribute to. Either through assisting with the planning, art, programming, or testing. And it would be open source so it would be free and people can take up the project and improve if they so chose.

Let's compile a list of features we'd like to see, then we can prioritize them, then I can get to work. I'm allways itching for new software to write and this sounds like a good idea.

Here are some features I'd like to see, myself:

• Common conversion tools compiled into the one software package
• ability to log changes in our reefs, and chart the changes
• ability to keep record of the things contained within our reef, when they were added, and record changes for each thing (fish, inverts, rock, various corals, etc)
• Ability to attach pictures to general updates, as well as attach pictures to individual object logged in the reef
• Most important features of the program quickly accessible to make logging quick, and not a chore
• Ability to upload information to a website for remote viewing
• Simple web interface to change a few things for the website log
• Ability to export log to other file formats (excel, xml, database, etc)
• Able to enter various consumables one may use, and how long each type lasts, to give a monthly/yearly budget and provide reminders on when to purchase new chemicals, bulbs, etc etc.

Anyone else have ideas on what they'd like to see, and maybe some elaborations on how they think it would be intuitive to interact with the software? The key to software that's used daily is it must be fast and intuitive or else it won't be used by many people.

I've looked at some of the software packages mentioned above, and I already have some ideas on how to possibly improve them. Mainly in their interface design.

How about a scheduler. That would be nice if you have someone else looking after your tank while away. It would give exact instructions on what has to be done daily/weekly and how much to do. :) It would also be handy to remind us of things like bulb replacements.

http://www.reefland.com/ has an online aquarium log that is pretty good.

Can't you do that all with Excel?

Doug