Support

Welcome, and thank you for using Colony Manager.

Colony Manager is a free app for managing laboratory-animal colonies (mice, rats, and zebrafish): breeding and litters, pedigrees and genotyping, procedures, project licenses, welfare scoring, dosing and breeding calculators, reference tables, and EU and German compliance exports. It works offline and syncs privately through your own iCloud.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes. The App is completely free. There are no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, and no adverts.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no login. Syncing uses your own iCloud (your Apple Account) and is handled by Apple; the developer never sees your data.

Does it work offline?

Yes. The App is offline-first. When you are back online, your changes sync through your private iCloud to your other devices.

How do I back up my data?

Open More (or Settings) in the App and use the CSV export to save a copy of your records. Keep your own backup of anything you cannot afford to lose. iCloud Sync and iCloud Backup also keep copies in your own iCloud.

Which species are supported?

Mice, rats, and zebrafish. Zebrafish are managed as counted tank or line group stocks, with the option to promote individuals when you need them.

Why does it ask for camera access?

Only to scan cage and tank barcodes and to let you attach photos to records. Barcode scanning runs on your device; no images are uploaded. You can decline or revoke camera access in your device Settings.

Important: Colony Manager helps you keep your own records and reports. It does not certify regulatory compliance and is not veterinary, legal, or regulatory advice. Dosing values, welfare scores, and reference tables are aids based on published defaults; always verify them against current authoritative sources and your veterinarian, and follow the law and your institution's requirements where you work.

Contact

Questions, feedback, or corrections: fervour-rambles-9b@icloud.com. We aim to reply within a few days.