Understanding the Dashboard
The Dashboard is your command center. It gives you a real-time snapshot of your tank's health at a glance — organized by priority so you always know what needs attention.
Dashboard Layout
The Dashboard is organized into five sections, each designed to surface the most important information first. Here's what you'll find from top to bottom.
- 1 Header — Tank selector, Apex sync button (if configured), and Quick Actions
- 2 Big 3 — Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium cards with sparklines and trends
- 3 Parameter Trends — Interactive chart for any parameter with time range controls
- 4 Secondary & Monitoring — Nitrate, Phosphate, Salinity, Temperature, and pH cards
- 5 Dosing Log — Your 5 most recent actions at a glance
The Big 3
Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium are the three most critical parameters for coral health. They get their own premium section at the top of the Dashboard because they need the most attention.
Each Big 3 card shows you
- Current value — your most recent reading, displayed large and color-coded per parameter
- Sparkline — a mini chart of your last 8 readings showing the trend at a glance
- Trend indicator — a percentage showing whether the value is rising, falling, or stable over the last 3–5 readings
- Target value — your configured target for quick comparison
Tip: Click any Big 3 card to jump directly to the full parameter detail view with historical charts and all your readings.
Parameter Trends Chart
The trend chart sits in the middle of the Dashboard and lets you visualize any parameter over time. It combines data from manual tests and ICP results into a single unified view.
Chart controls
- Parameter selector — Use the dropdown to switch between any of the 8 core parameters. The chart updates instantly.
- Time range — Choose from 1 Week, 1 Month, 3 Months, 6 Months, or 1 Year. The x-axis always shows the full selected period so you can see gaps in testing.
- Source filters — When you have data from multiple testing methods (e.g., Hanna and ICP), checkboxes appear so you can toggle each source on or off. This is useful for comparing results from different test kits.
- Details link — Click the "Details" button to open the full Parameters page for deeper analysis.
Reading the chart
The chart includes three reference lines to help you interpret your data:
- Target line — Your ideal target value (dashed green)
- Min / Max lines — The boundaries of your acceptable range (dashed, lighter). Readings outside these lines need attention.
Hover over any data point to see the exact value, date, and which testing method was used.
Secondary & Monitoring Parameters
Below the chart, you'll find two more groups of parameter cards. These use a different card style than the Big 3, with status badges and trend arrows.
Secondary Parameters
Important nutrients and salinity that are typically tested weekly.
Monitoring Parameters
Typically tracked continuously via controller or probe. Great candidates for Apex integration.
Status badges
Each secondary and monitoring card shows a status badge that tells you how the current value compares to your target range:
Dosing Log
At the bottom of the Dashboard you'll find a snapshot of your most recent activity — the last 5 actions you've logged. This gives you quick context on what you've done recently without leaving the Dashboard.
What shows up here
- Water changes with volume and salinity details
- Dosing additions (two-part, trace elements, etc.)
- Equipment maintenance, feeding, and other logged actions
Click View Full History to see your complete activity timeline on the Dosing Log page.
Quick Actions & Tank Selector
The Dashboard header contains the controls you'll use most often.
Tank Selector
If you have multiple tanks, the selector below the page title lets you switch between them. All parameter cards, charts, and the dosing log update to show data for the selected tank.
Quick Actions Button
The Quick Actions button in the top-right corner is the fastest way to log data. It opens a dialog where you can:
- • Log a manual water test
- • Record a water change
- • Log dosing or maintenance actions
Sync Apex
If you've configured a Neptune Apex controller in your tank settings, a Sync Apex button appears next to Quick Actions. Click it to pull the latest pH, temperature, and salinity readings directly from your controller.
New Account? Here's What You'll See
If you haven't created a tank yet, the Dashboard shows a welcome screen with a single call to action: Add Your First Tank. Once you've created a tank and logged at least one reading, the full Dashboard populates automatically.
Parameters without any readings will display -- until you log your first value. As you add data over time, the sparklines, trends, and charts will fill in to give you an increasingly detailed picture of your tank's stability.
Related Guides
Quick Start Guide
Set up your account, create a tank, and log your first reading.
Logging Parameters
Learn all the ways to log water test results.
Viewing Charts & Trends
Dive deeper into your parameter history on the full Parameters page.
Neptune Apex Integration
Auto-sync pH and temperature from your controller.