A good maintenance schedule records each job, how often you’ve chosen to do it, when it’s next due and what happened when you did it. Start from your equipment’s instructions and what suits your own tank. A digital checklist keeps that organised; it can’t tell you the right frequency for every aquarium.
Start your free maintenance log →
Build your list from the equipment you own
List the jobs your setup needs: water changes, water tests, equipment checks, cleaning and replacing consumables. Split out jobs that happen at different intervals. “Maintenance” is too vague to tell you whether the pump got cleaned or the tests got logged.
Give each task a short, specific name, and keep details for the note you add when you complete it. If a service job depends on the model, note the exact equipment and its manual. A quick clean and a full strip-down may need planning differently, even on the same pump.
Use a template without copying someone else’s routine
This table is a template for organising your jobs. Fill in the intervals from your own routine and manuals; it doesn’t set any frequencies for you.
| Task | Decide and note | After you’ve done it |
|---|---|---|
| Water change | Batch plan, interval, next date | Date, amount changed and anything you noticed |
| Water testing | Which tests, methods and interval | Readings, units and how you measured |
| Pump or skimmer cleaning | Exact model and its service instructions | What you did, plus any noise or performance changes |
| Filter or media replacement | Product, and when it needs replacing | Part, date and what it cost |
| Review your routine | Review date and questions to answer | What changed, and the next review date |
What “every N days” means
The Companion counts each interval from the day you complete a task. If a task due on 1 October is done on 4 October and repeats every seven days, it’s next due on 11 October. You get one completion, not a pile of catch-up jobs. That’s different from a fixed weekday or calendar schedule.
Completing an overdue task moves it forward once. Undo puts back the previous due date and marks that completion as undone in your history. Editing a task keeps its earlier notes, but you can no longer undo its last completion. Pause a task when you want it out of your active routine.
Use notes to make next time easier
A tick says the job got done. A short note can say what changed: a part number, how you measured, a fiddly step or something you need to buy for next time. Log purchases separately in your spending log, so cleaning notes don’t turn into a hidden list of costs.
Set your tank’s time zone once. Due dates are calendar dates where you are, and your history keeps the exact time of each completion. In the free version, your records are only there when you come back if you saved them. Make saving part of finishing up.
Review your routine instead of collecting overdue badges
Tasks you keep missing can point to a practical problem: the interval may be wrong, the job may need splitting up, it may be awkward to reach, or the task may not match what you actually do. Work out why before changing the schedule. Pausing a task in the checklist doesn’t mean the job itself can wait.
Try the sample dashboard to see how completing and undoing work, then start your own tank in the free version. Download your records before changing browser or device. Right now, due dates show on the page; email reminders and equipment monitoring aren’t available yet.
Common questions
Does the Companion decide how often I do maintenance?
No. You create the tasks and choose the intervals and dates, based on your own equipment and tank.
What happens if I do a task late?
It’s next due on the day you completed it plus your interval. Only one completion is recorded.
Will it remind me by email?
Not yet. The free tool shows due, upcoming and overdue tasks on the page. Save your routine and come back to check it.
Sources and limits
Last checked 12 October 2026. Our worked examples use made-up inputs to show the maths. They aren’t measured costs or care targets for your tank.
Keep going
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