TankBud in your assistant · MCP server

Ask Claude or ChatGPT about your tanks, with TankBud's numbers.

TankBud runs an MCP server for your account. Connect it to Claude or ChatGPT and the assistant can log water tests, add fish and plants from the catalog, and keep reminders and plans. It also searches the public catalog, checks tank mates and runs the stocking calculator. Every answer links the TankBud page it came from.

Free for hobbyists · Sign in required

The address

Paste this address wherever your assistant asks for an MCP server or a custom connector. The assistant sends you to TankBud to sign in and approve the connection once. It then acts as you in every workspace you belong to.

https://app.tankbud.com/mcp

Add it to Claude

  1. Open claude.ai, then Settings, then Connectors.
  2. Choose Add custom connector.
  3. Name it TankBud and paste the address above. Leave the advanced fields empty.
  4. Click Add, then Connect. TankBud opens; sign in and choose Connect Claude.
  5. The connector is available in new chats on the web, in the desktop app and on your phone.

Custom connectors work on every Claude plan, and a free TankBud account is enough.

Add it to ChatGPT

  1. Open ChatGPT on the web, then Settings, then Apps and connectors.
  2. Under Advanced settings, turn on Developer mode.
  3. Choose Create, name it TankBud, paste the address and pick OAuth.
  4. In a chat, enable TankBud from the plus menu and sign in when it asks.

Developer mode is available on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education plans.

What you can ask

  • “Log pH 7.4 and 78°F on the 40 breeder.”
  • “What is due on my tanks this week?”
  • “Add six neon tetras to the 20 gallon.”
  • “Is the 40 breeder overstocked?”
  • “Switch the 29 gallon to the blackwater guidance profile.”
  • “Start a service report for Blue Reef Dental's tanks.”
  • “What water does a neon tetra want?”
  • “Can I keep amano shrimp with a betta?”
  • “Find peaceful freshwater fish under two inches for a 10 gallon.”
  • “What is KH?”

The assistant picks the tool. A tank mate answer follows the same rule as the catalog pages. TankBud recommends a pair only with positive evidence, and says so when it has none.

The tools

GroupWhat it does
Workspaces and tanksLists your workspaces and tanks, shows a tank's dashboard, creates and edits tanks, including the guidance profile.
Water testsLists, logs and corrects water tests.
Livestock, plants, equipment, materialsAdds species and plants linked to their catalog entries, or as plain records when the catalog lacks them. Adds equipment, substrate, hardscape and decor, and edits what is there.
Reminders and logsLists what is due, creates, edits, completes and snoozes reminders, and keeps the tank log.
PlannerLists plans, adds and edits planned items, and converts a plan into a tank.
Clients and reportsFor a business workspace: clients, service reports, and sending a report.
InvoicesFor a business workspace: reads invoices. Nothing here drafts, sends or changes one.
ArchivingArchives a record after the assistant asks you. The app can restore it.

The eight catalog tools answer from the public catalog, with the same numbers the species and plant pages show.

ToolWhat it does
search_catalogFinds species and plants by common, scientific or trade name.
find_speciesLists species by traits: water type, temperament, adult size, minimum tank, family and more.
find_plantsLists plants by light, CO2, placement, growth rate and difficulty.
get_speciesReturns one species' care ranges, group size, varieties, recommended tank mates and page link.
get_plantReturns one plant's light, CO2, placement, ranges, cultivars and page link.
check_tank_matesGives a verdict for every pair in a group, with the reason, by TankBud's tank mate rules.
estimate_stockingRuns the stocking calculator for a tank size and a stock list.
define_termReturns a glossary entry with its definition and link.

What it does not do

It never deletes a record, and it never drafts, sends or changes an invoice. It archives a record or sends a service report only after you confirm, because neither can be undone. The eight catalog tools read the catalog and change nothing. Retailer links stay on the species pages, and the assistant never adds one to an answer. It works only in the workspaces you belong to, signed in as you. Disconnect it under Settings, Connected assistants, and its access ends.