What would you do?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I maintain quite a few tanks in addition to working at a lfs... and I charge 25 a month plus supplies at cost and that is once a month anything over 50 gallons is 35 and 100+ I would charge 50 but havent gotten any large offers... (includes gravel vacuum and cleaning of filters, I bring my own buckets and siphon they supply everything else I also take apart filters and clean them) I like working with fish and it pays a lot better per hour than the lfs... I also umpire over the summer they pay me over 30 an hour but that is because i am great...
 
rallysman said:
Python: check...wet floor signs:check....Bio spira: can you give me a link? :ROFL:
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go to your lfs and tell them you want eco-start... same thing just doesn't have to be refrigerated and doesnt go old... I have found it works better stability is second best then bio spira...
 
rweedon said:
go to your lfs and tell them you want eco-start... same thing just doesn't have to be refrigerated and doesnt go old... I have found it works better stability is second best then bio spira...
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I had heard that it was only good for 90 days so I called marineland on wed to find out how to read the date code on the bio spira and they said thet it is good for at least a year.

I have never used eco-start, who makes it? why don't you like bio spira?

You aren't really charging enough to do anything other then pay for your time.... don't look at it as if your just trying to make a little more than you can make at the lfs look at it as if you were going to turn it into a business. You have to think about drive time and gas and wear and tear on your car.... you know you can deduct .48 for every mile you drive. 10 miles = $4.80. I realize your just putting the cash into your pocket but I just want to give you somethings to think about.....watch the little things and the big things will take care of themselves.

I understand where your comming from I have several lfs employes that love working for $15 an hour.... they do ok and I can still make money and pay my taxes... everyone is happy.

What happens if some of their fish die? The price I'm talking about includes me suppying the fish.... mainly cichlids and nice ones arn't cheap.

Also as I reread your post I see that you mainly do small tanks and the price would be lower.... I mainly do tanks 90gal and larger, You can put cichlids into a 55 but you are limited as to the ones that will do well in a tank that size.
 
I have a 90 in a doctors office that has a school of large gold barbs (18-20 or so) A school of neon rosey barbs (another 18 to 20) one gold severum abour 4-6", one temporalis about 4-6" , a jurapari about 4" and about 6 clown loaches. I loose a barb every once in a while, eaten I'm sure. I service the aquarium twice a month performing a water change only one visit per month. It's a pre-drilled all glass with a wet/dry. I think it looks pretty cool, a couple of large main focal points with lots of comotion from the barbs.

I have an opinion to offer about doing an mbuna tank. I have a 150 mnbuna aquarium in a doctors office (pre-drilled with a huge wet / dry) as I'm sure you all know, in order to keep some sort of peace in the aquarium I have intentially overstocked the aquarium. Other wise one dominate fish would slowly kill off his tank mates. It looks very cool!!!! But, back to my opinion.... Because it is so over stocked I'm having to perform major water changes every other week. Now on an aquarium at home this kind of maintenance is no big deal but if some one is going to be paying you to service the aquarium, might want to keep in mind what you will really need to to to keep it right and tell your customer what it's going to cost him. The prices you guys are quoting that you are charging your customers is pretty low, you don't need to be cutting major deal to get the job. Aquarium set up and maintenance is a specialty occupation, charge "em for it.
 
I charge $45.00 per hour, with a minimum of 1 hour charge per visit. I charge regular retail prices on materials and often charge a little extra on my fish because I quarentine them for a couple weeks before putting them into a service account. I'm not the cheepest guy in town but I am not the most expensive. The 90 gallon I mentioned above pays about $125.00 per month to maintain. That includes maintenance, filter pads, carbon, fish food, water tests & conditioners, etc. I visit it twice per month.
 
Do you sell the fish to the client or include them in the monthly charge. I only go once a month and I include food, fish and filter supplies. and I get $90 + tax
 
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