let's share testing methods and ideas...

[poksal]

I’m not sure who does this, but here is how I control my testing. I label each test tube or bottle so even though I wash them thoroughly in hot tap water then RODI water I never use any test tube but for one kind of test. Also, being the caps are not glass I am careful to place them in order so they never are used on a different test tube. As you can see I have dedicated glasses for the test tank water and RODI rinse water. .. (mainly that keeps me from messing up). After cleaning the test kit I place just a little RODI water in each, and that is how you see them in this image. Before I do testing, I shake the group and dump out the RODI water. In the future I will be making a new holding fixture for my test tubes that will hold the magnesium test bottles. Also, believe it or not I have turned this one over…( OK.. I heard that.. stop laughing.. or wait for me to laugh with you… ‘cause so have you), so the next one will be a good bit wider. This one is made of synthetic wood purchased from your home fix-it package store (HomeDepot). The extra hole is because I shift them one to the left as I test (OK.. for the Test Kits For Dummies crowd that means I start with all of them shifted one to the right of what they are in the image).

I log all my tests, keep a “what the hell happened now” diary, keep bio notes, a dosing log, a water change log, an animal log, and keep a reef To Do List in an Excel work book (all these have their own sheet). The Testing Log sheet and the test tubes are arranged in the same order. When I get to it I will have my entries into the Testing Log turn red or green according to if they meet the bracketed target readings ( >= than low target… <=than high target). .. that is already on my reef To Do List.. …LOL… now.. if you know how to do the change font color thing already tell us so I won’t have to wade through syntax hell.

The labels are not anything magic or hi-tech. … just write on a piece of post-it, cut, and scotch tape them above the liquid depth mark. Being sure the scotch tape completely covers and seals the paper from getting wet… you have to do it all with one piece of tape so there are no seams… big wooopie…

I have other brands of test kits and have found that by being careful, not mixing test tubes, and doing good cleaning jobs they all read amazingly alike. If I doubt a test I first re-do it. Then if I still doubt the results I try a different brand if I have it … usually they agree…. Well, … actually I have not had them disagree to any amount that mattered.

Does anyone have some better ideas, different ways, or kool set-ups.. let’s share and all gain from each other’s methods ..seeing we are all stuck with it… we may as well make it more interesting.

-randy-

 

[bjohanson1234]

That is really nice set up you have.

To answer your question about the changing the color, just click the arrow next to the letter A that is to the right of the font size pull down menu. see:mrgreen: Or you could just type [COLOR="Red" ] Text [/COLOR ] just remove the spaces that I added before the closing square bracket.

Edit:
Oh geez, just noticed that you wanted to know how to do it in excel :lol: not in the forum.

 

[Kelz88]

Hehe I simply wait until something looks off and then i test. Never really worried about what test tube it was lol i just wash em out good when im done. Nor do I log the results.

I used to be really ocd about the testing, but that wore off after a few months :) That and im pregnant and dont feel comfortable playing with a bunch of chemicals more then i have to.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Found this for changing cell color based on the value.

Formula to print a datum in color contingent on value. - OfficeFrustration

 

[poksal]

Found this for changing cell color based on the value.

Formula to print a datum in color contingent on value. - OfficeFrustration

Good job! Got it.. sooooo. cool!!