# How much $ to charge for aquarium maintenance?



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Just a fun thread I thought I'd post...

Say someone's tank was in ruins. 

How much per hour would you charge to start all over?

I spent three hours today doing WCs, cleaning out his filters, scrubbing clado off his driftwood and rocks, etc...

Next time, I'll be vacuuming out all his old gravel and replacing it with ADA AS and then replacing alll his wood and rocks I cleaned today. I'll also be setting him up with a Tek fixture (maybe) for his lighting. 

After that, probably work on his CO2 setup...

So, how much would you charge per hour to do this all? =)


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## bristles (Mar 7, 2006)

It depends on how well you know this person, $20 per hr. if just a client, $10 per hr. for an acquittance, & free for friends (if they provide the beer )


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I called a couple 'professional' service places in the area, and they were from $45-50 / hr. I'm currently doing a 180gal project for a guy that came into our store, for $22 / hr. I'm changing it from what was a SW setup (it's had nothing in it, except water for 3 yrs) to a low-tech FW planted. This will/has included complete removal of previous substrate / decor, cleaning up precipitated salt residue, adding new substrate/decor/rock/plants/fish.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

I overheard a store manager talking to a tank maintenance guy once and he said it would cost about 800$ a month to clean it. and 2000$ to setup a tank. Not a planted tank may I add.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Holy crap. But does that $2000 include equipment or just labor?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

The local place near me said it would cost 60$ an hour for vacation maintenance.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

at our shop we do Tank Maintenance for $30 per service, usually thats every sunday and monday thats include cleaning of glass/tank,removing algae, putting supplement, conditioner etc... we make sure the tank is clean, most of the customer we do service has SW tank. $100 for 1 month of weekly service


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## T-Bone (Nov 23, 2005)

Costco sells a complete 90G saltwater setup, complete with everything stand, plumbing salt, but without live rock or fish (no live rock? can you call that complete? What do I know?) for 2299.99 This isn't the point of the post. With the tank setup you can get cleaning service for a year at $1899.99 for 26 cleanings thats $73.07 per cleaning. See here Costco Complete 90 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium Including Decorative Coral, Delivery & Set-up BTW the "decorative coral" is not real coral, its the plastic stuff, at least it looks that way. I could be wrong though.

So how does scaping someones tank work, money wise? By that I mean does the customer give you a bunch of money and you go pick stuff up? Or do you get everything then present a receipt? Do they come along with you and just charge evreything?I guess thats the most prudent option but what if you have a customer that doenst know what they want and they leave it up to you?

I'm just curious.


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## irish (Aug 12, 2006)

I have started about 10 tanks for people ranging in size from 20 gal to 180 gal. About 6 of them had an idea of what they wanted, so I did that, the others I gave them ideas based on what they said they wanted in a tank. I would draw out what the tank would look like, then they would pick a scape. I would write a list of the materials needed (or supply for extra $) then charge anywhere from $20/hr (I liked them :mrgreen: ) to $50/hr to setup. Then, I charge once a week maintenance fees in the same range.
Come to think of it, I have more tanks that I maintain for other people than tanks set up in my house. (Im still planning though  )

Irish
P.S. As long as you are lower than the 2-3 major stores that do what you do, you can charge anything really. I always show my clients quotes from my competitors. :heh:


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## T-Bone (Nov 23, 2005)

Thanks Irish  I always wondered.


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## fote03 (Oct 9, 2006)

*Tank setup trade!*

When i worked in a LPS. I setup tanks for people all the time and charged different amount. The best was one lady gave me a 125 aga with wood stand and canopy w/lights. With a 150 wet/dry. With about a 150 pounds of lava rock, 100 pounds of crushed coral in the bag never used. 2 extra mag pumps 5 and a 7. Three big boxes of parts to everything you could image. And another ton of stuff i dont even remember. I would have spent $1500 to get what i got from her if i was lucky buying it all used. Now if i would have bought this all new no telling how much it would have cost me. She told me she paid 1200 just for the tank and stand canopy combo 6 months ago. Any ways i set up her 150 and sold her some of my cichlid fry and now she calls me every once and a while to come pull babies and i get to keep whatever i pull. I pulled 2 weeks ago and i got 75 fry.


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## irish (Aug 12, 2006)

T-Bone said:


> Thanks Irish  I always wondered.


No worries man.

Irish


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## irish (Aug 12, 2006)

fote03 said:


> When i worked in a LPS. I setup tanks for people all the time and charged different amount. The best was one lady gave me a 125 aga with wood stand and canopy w/lights. With a 150 wet/dry. With about a 150 pounds of lava rock, 100 pounds of crushed coral in the bag never used. 2 extra mag pumps 5 and a 7. Three big boxes of parts to everything you could image. And another ton of stuff i dont even remember. I would have spent $1500 to get what i got from her if i was lucky buying it all used. Now if i would have bought this all new no telling how much it would have cost me. She told me she paid 1200 just for the tank and stand canopy combo 6 months ago. Any ways i set up her 150 and sold her some of my cichlid fry and now she calls me every once and a while to come pull babies and i get to keep whatever i pull. I pulled 2 weeks ago and i got 75 fry.


WOW! Sounds like I need to move to Gainsville. 

Irish


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