How much should I charge?

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R

rmorse

Gr8 Stalker
MFK Member
Feb 14, 2008
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Great Mills, Maryland
Hey guys,

A guy at my work got a new 100 gallon tank, wants me to set it up for him, he will pay me. One problem: No clue what to charge him. It is freshwater, that is all I know. I am not going to do a planted tank. If he wants a planted tank, I am going to tell him to find someone else. However, for a community or cichlid tank, I will absolutely set it up for him.


How much should I charge him though? Also, if I come by weekly/every other week, and do tests and water changes, how much should I charge him?


Thanks!
 
Look up one of your local aquarium maintenance companies and ask them.
I don't even want to tell you how much the company I work for charges......
 
I would probably tell him 30 bucks an hour labor to set it up and do a monthly pricing on the cleaning. like 60-80
But that's just off the top of my head...
The place I work charges WAY more than that. Plus other things like water. $1.10 a gallon.
Think about that. I do 50% water change on a 300 gallon every week. thats 600 dollars just on water. PLus the cost of filters
carbon, all that good stuff. It';s just nuts. But the tanks I clean belong to people worth millions.
So they dont really care i guess.
 
Not a friend, don't even know the guy...

Just a guy who came into my work.
 
Depending on if he is a friend, and distance you have to travel, and how much time and effort you have to put into it. All things to factor in when you come up with a price. If your talking monthly maintanance then I would give him a little better price, like $40 to $50 bucks monthly fee would be reasonable IMO.
 
As said, if he's a friend, cut him some slack and price. The company I use to work for charged $63 an hour. I'm not in a big market area for fish, so it could be higher elsewhere. Maybe you could just tell him a flat rate on setup, and then a flat rate per visit. If anything serious needed done other than that, put that on an hourly.

edit....you beat me to the post, just read he's not a friend.
 
rob him blind!! Id say $50 to set it up sounds fair. and maybe another $60 or so per month for maintenance
 
jcardona1;2677269; said:
rob him blind!! Id say $50 to set it up sounds fair. and maybe another $60 or so per month for maintenance
Click to expand...

If that's robbing, then I guess, in comparison, the company I work for robs you, kicks you in the groin and insults your grandmother....
 
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