A big update, and an open invitation for feedback

This update is a big one. Version 2.2.2 adds several major new systems designed to make reef keeping easier, especially for newer reefers who are still learning the flow of testing, cycling, dosing, and daily tank care.

A lot of these features are brand new and some are still in beta-style early release. That means they are ready for people to try, but I am also actively looking for feedback. If something feels confusing, gives you a result that seems off, or needs a better explanation, please let me know. Reef Trak is getting smarter every week, and real tank feedback is how these tools get better.

New: Guided Onboarding and Guided Setup

Reef Trak now has a much better first-run experience for new users. Instead of just dropping someone into the app and expecting them to know what to do next, the new guided setup walks reefers through the basics step by step. It helps new users choose their experience level, start setting up a tank, understand where they are in the process, and continue from where they left off.

This is especially important for brand-new reefers. Reef keeping can be overwhelming at first, and Reef Trak is starting to act more like a guide instead of just a logbook.

  • A new welcome flow for first-time users
  • Experience-level selection
  • Guided tank setup
  • Equipment checklist flow
  • Water status questions
  • Beginner-friendly cycle guidance
  • Resume banner so users can leave and come back later
  • Better handoff from setup into the main app
  • Improved guidance around saltwater, salinity, and starting the cycle

New: Beginner Cycle Assistant

The new Beginner Cycle Assistant is built to help users get through one of the most confusing parts of starting a reef tank: the nitrogen cycle. This assistant is designed around safe fishless cycling and does not simply tell users "you are good" before the tank is actually ready. It looks at the cycle process more carefully and helps newer reefers understand what is happening with ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as the tank matures.

This is one of the biggest beginner-focused features added to Reef Trak so far.

  • Guided cycle tracking
  • Fishless-cycle safety logic
  • Fish-in cycle safety handling
  • Progress UI
  • Tank Today check-in card
  • Restart and reset options
  • Help and Guidance controls
  • Localized support across the app

This feature is new, so feedback is very welcome. If you are cycling a tank and something does not line up with what you are seeing, I want to know.

New: Color Match Testing

Color Match has been expanded in a big way. Reef Trak now supports a more guided visual testing experience for supported kits, helping users compare test colors more clearly and log results with less guesswork. This is especially useful for color-based kits where reading the card can be a little subjective.

  • Visual color matching walkthroughs
  • On-screen backlight support
  • Tune-one-color matching
  • Interpolated color anchors
  • Calibrated ammonia support
  • Selectable parameters
  • API saltwater recalibration
  • API phosphate support
  • Hanna digital direct-entry
  • Calcium and KH titration drop counter support
  • Better kit tabs and improved scrolling

This is a huge direction for Reef Trak because testing is one of the places where reefers can easily make small mistakes that turn into bad decisions later.

New: Guided Testing and Test Assist

Testing has also received a major upgrade with Guided Testing and Test Assist. Instead of every parameter being treated like a simple number entry, Reef Trak is starting to understand how different test kits actually work. Some kits are color match. Some are titration. Some use syringes. Some use drop counts. Some are digital checkers. The new Test Assist system starts building around those real-world differences.

  • Kit-aware test logging
  • "Testing With" kit selection
  • Titration Assistant
  • Syringe-first test flow
  • Hanna checker entry support
  • Compact Color Match inside normal parameter logging
  • Verified kit handling for selected brands
  • Reagent refill and floor warnings
  • Drop count kit support
  • Larger wet-hand Quick Add buttons
  • Cleaner kit picker
  • Removal of ghost or incorrect kit selections
  • Fallback to manual entry if a kit selection becomes stale

This is another area where I want feedback. Test kits are messy in the real world, and I want Reef Trak to support the way reefers actually test, not just the way a clean spreadsheet thinks testing works.

New: Dosing System Setup Flow

Dosing setup has been rebuilt into a more guided system. The new setup flow is designed to help users explain how their tank is being dosed so Reef Trak can make safer, more useful recommendations later. This includes support for simple setups, advanced setups, and method-based systems like Triton, Balling, Kalkwasser, calcium reactors, All-For-Reef, Reef Moonshiners, ZEOvit, and more.

  • Basic and Advanced setup paths
  • Triton-style setup flow
  • Support for multiple dosing methods
  • Safety model foundation
  • Conflict detection
  • Role-resolution UI
  • Dosing system details included in TrakAI export

The goal here is not just to log dosing. The goal is to understand what each dosing system is supposed to be doing so Reef Trak can help prevent bad combinations and confusing recommendations.

New: Guided Dosing Adaptive Engine

The dosing engine is also getting smarter. Reef Trak now has the foundation for adaptive dosing guidance. Instead of only following a static schedule, the app can start working with assisted dose recommendations based on the product type, test history, and the role that product plays in the tank.

  • Product behavior classification
  • Dosing rule data
  • Assisted daily dose support for selected product types
  • Accepted assisted dose logging
  • Bottle depletion based on accepted dose
  • Paused pill status
  • Source and confidence badges
  • "Ignore until next test" option
  • Engine tests and safety checks

This is powerful, but it is also new. Please treat assisted dosing recommendations as guidance, not magic. Double-check anything that feels wrong, especially with a live reef system.

New: Verified Two-Part Planner

Two-part dosing also gets a major upgrade. The new verified two-part planner uses real manufacturer product data instead of made-up placeholder products. It helps calculate dosing more clearly and gives users better visibility into why Reef Trak is recommending a number.

  • Verified product registry
  • Real manufacturer products only
  • Today's Dosing Plan card
  • "Why This Number" explanations
  • Block messages when dosing should not proceed
  • Per-parameter product assignment
  • Guided dosing readiness checks
  • Finish Setup deep links
  • ICP Lab routing
  • Real ICP freshness handling

This is one of the most important dosing safety improvements in the app because the math only matters if the product data is trustworthy.

More new features in 2.2.2

  • Equipment warranty groundwork: Reef Trak now stores warranty information for aquarium gear behind the scenes and syncs it across devices, with full warranty screens rolling out in an upcoming update
  • Siri support expanded with one-shot parameter queries, feeding follow-up support, and an in-app phrase guide
  • Android OS-level maintenance reminders, plus Snooze and Skip Once options inside the app on both platforms
  • TrakTone Black Level and Structure controls in a cleaner 5x2 control grid
  • HYDROS users can now exclude specific parameters from import
  • Email Updates now support choosing your preferred send time

Performance improvements

  • Faster cold start work
  • Better scrolling and memory behavior
  • Thumbnail-first species images
  • Download-on-view improvements for fish, coral, and invert images
  • Cheaper recompute on busy dashboard and dosing surfaces
  • TrakTone analysis memoization so knob changes do not keep re-analyzing the image

Important fixes

Version 2.2.2 also includes a large number of fixes across dosing, maintenance, controller imports, testing, photos, localization, and app stability. Some of the bigger ones:

  • Fixed a critical Apex tank assignment issue that could orphan tank data after a bad launch
  • Fixed multiple duplicate tank ID crash paths
  • Fixed equipment custom attribute crashes
  • Fixed livestock edit and delete sync issues on iOS
  • Fixed feeding date sync mismatch across platforms
  • Fixed controller auto-pull toggle persistence
  • Fixed dose completion so it logs the entry and decrements the bottle correctly
  • Fixed double bottle decrement after dose completion
  • Fixed iOS dosing schedules resetting to daily in some cases
  • Fixed pause, stop, and resume behavior for linked dosing reminders
  • Fixed correction dosing so it ramps over days instead of dosing the full correction at once
  • Fixed bottle gauge live refresh after logging a dose
  • Fixed maintenance start-date handling
  • Fixed Android custom weekday next-due logic
  • Fixed iOS maintenance reminders firing at midnight instead of 9 AM
  • Fixed Apex conductivity probes so they map correctly as salinity
  • Fixed Hanna checker unit handling so ppb is not stored as ppm
  • Fixed salinity calculator RO start and salt dosing math
  • Fixed stale "Testing With" kit selections
  • Fixed TrakTone photo import on iOS
  • Fixed guided onboarding scrolling issues
  • Fixed unreadable forced dark mode behavior on Android
  • Fixed missing localization keys and backfilled English UK strings
  • Fixed email update settings save rules
  • Fixed photo recovery storage rules

Web portal updates

The Reef Trak web portal also received major updates. The landing page was rebuilt with a new hero, improved app panels, better FAQ structure, real community stats, and improved download links. The blog was redesigned into the Reef Trak Knowledge Hub with archive pages, better layout, app preview visuals, and stronger article structure. The web version of onboarding, Cycle Assistant, and Color Match is also now functionally complete and localized.

Final note

This is a large update with several brand-new systems. Some of these features are still early and will improve quickly with real-world use. If you try Guided Setup, Cycle Assistant, Color Match, Guided Testing, or the new dosing tools, please send feedback. I am especially interested in anything that feels confusing, inaccurate, hard to follow, or not quite reef-safe enough.

Reef Trak 2.2.2 is all about making the app more useful, more guided, and more helpful for both brand-new reefers and experienced reef keepers who want better tools. Love Your Reef, Trak it.