Ok here is the deal lol. I have a client whose 90 gallon aquarium has been experiencing a problem with HA. It was a takeover account some years ago. Since then I've replaced the substrate won't get into that. The filtration is in the basement which I've upgraded along with the skimmer. Over the years the aquarium has done very well. So well in fact with exact words, "since it is doing so well I will have you come once a month, rather than twice". Now he does not want to put any money back into this set up even though I said otherwise last year. I added a new clean up crew, hermits snails etc even a sea hair which does great just not enough. Water parameters cal mag alk etc are all in ideal range. Phosphate and nitrate are both non detectable but this hair algae continues to persist. He thinks there is an answer in a bottle. I run carbon and ferric oxide both replaced once a month. He looks at me as I'm on drugs when I mentioned carbon dosing "vodka!?" So to keep this client I know money is going to come from my pocket to help rectify this problem. Oh and yes he over feeds stating he doesn't when I'm sucking up the lovely pellets he feeds along with frozen food. So.. I was going to add on a rdsb for starters hoping the additional bacteria may help. Kent magnesium will be the new mag supplement as well as lowering the photo period. I have a filter sock on the system which def will be changed more after he complains about the proposition as all the collected organics are of course causing a nutrient sink.Yes the bulbs are all just a few months old if anyone asks. Won't even allow a top off as he does it manually. So any suggestions? I am at wits end as I mentioned last year the other things that need to be done and he won't put the money into it and is questioning everything I say after 4-5 yrs of service and fixing previous problems from 3-4 other maint. companies.
Beloved hair algae
- Thread starter Arthur1
- Start date
Jambi40-6&2
New member
Did you already say you are raising the mag level?
jeepguy242
New member
not to sound like a jerk here, but if money is coming out of you pocket, then does it really make sence to keep this client, he doesnt want to spend the money on his tank and he is questioning everything you do, after you have fixed problems that were created by other maint companies, seems like a headache that would drive anyone nuts.
if it were me that he was doing this to then i would politely as possible explain to him what you are trying to do and if he dont like it then let him tell you what he wants and when it doesnt work, move on..
just the fact that you are here asking about it and probly on your own time, not getting paid for it, shows that youve got quality and pride in your service, and that you truly care about the tanks you maintain, not just out to make a buck, like many people in this hobby, loosing this one account probly will lessen your headache and with the quality youve displayed her you wont have a hard time picking up other accounts from people that will be willing to listen to your suggestions..
just my .02 cents
if it were me that he was doing this to then i would politely as possible explain to him what you are trying to do and if he dont like it then let him tell you what he wants and when it doesnt work, move on..
just the fact that you are here asking about it and probly on your own time, not getting paid for it, shows that youve got quality and pride in your service, and that you truly care about the tanks you maintain, not just out to make a buck, like many people in this hobby, loosing this one account probly will lessen your headache and with the quality youve displayed her you wont have a hard time picking up other accounts from people that will be willing to listen to your suggestions..
just my .02 cents
is it a reef?
For a reef : I would say scrub/suck out as much as possible, and remove as much rock as you can that has no coral on it and put that in a bucket to cure with no light. Then throw a blanket or two over the tank for 4 days. No light except to feed the fish once every other day and thats it.
If its a FO tank, just take all the rock out and put it in a dark container to cure without light for a week. Do a big water change on the tank and replace the rocks.
After that if you see any growing you know its from him over feeding, and I would suggest an auto feeder for pellets and tell him EXACTLY how much frozen to feed and when.
Feeding is the hardest thing to control with 99% of my clients, which is why i make them use autofeeders. But if you can do the above and its successful then you have a client who will trust you when you tell them to spend some $$$ on something. If it doenst work, yeah ditch him and move on or just let the tank be and keep it going if he doesnt care.
There are worse clients like the ones who want you to make their tank perfect and dont want to pay for it...he just sounds frustrated.
For a reef : I would say scrub/suck out as much as possible, and remove as much rock as you can that has no coral on it and put that in a bucket to cure with no light. Then throw a blanket or two over the tank for 4 days. No light except to feed the fish once every other day and thats it.
If its a FO tank, just take all the rock out and put it in a dark container to cure without light for a week. Do a big water change on the tank and replace the rocks.
After that if you see any growing you know its from him over feeding, and I would suggest an auto feeder for pellets and tell him EXACTLY how much frozen to feed and when.
Feeding is the hardest thing to control with 99% of my clients, which is why i make them use autofeeders. But if you can do the above and its successful then you have a client who will trust you when you tell them to spend some $$$ on something. If it doenst work, yeah ditch him and move on or just let the tank be and keep it going if he doesnt care.
There are worse clients like the ones who want you to make their tank perfect and dont want to pay for it...he just sounds frustrated.
Business = making money for yourself.
I appalude what you are trying to do however if you are going to loose money by helping him it would be much better for you to stop your services with him and find another client that is willing to listen.
I wonder why you are the 5th person to care for his tank?
If the tank was several thousand gallon one then it may be worth it to keep him but seeing someone once a month for a 90 not so much.
If I were you I would tell him why he is having issues and how they can be addressed and at what cost. If he does not agree then tell him you take too much pride in your work to offer him sub par service. This is of course to feed his ego not to bash yours.
Instead of dosing vodka how about the N/P pellets people are experimenting with? You could put them in and they would be pretty much hands off for 6 months.
I appalude what you are trying to do however if you are going to loose money by helping him it would be much better for you to stop your services with him and find another client that is willing to listen.
I wonder why you are the 5th person to care for his tank?
If the tank was several thousand gallon one then it may be worth it to keep him but seeing someone once a month for a 90 not so much.
If I were you I would tell him why he is having issues and how they can be addressed and at what cost. If he does not agree then tell him you take too much pride in your work to offer him sub par service. This is of course to feed his ego not to bash yours.
Instead of dosing vodka how about the N/P pellets people are experimenting with? You could put them in and they would be pretty much hands off for 6 months.
First thank you jeep, this is one thing I do better than most and I do take pride in it as well. Ender, I stopped by yesterday and what I have been doing is slowing the algae down as I can see it has so far receded. BTW it is a reef. I've had this account for 4 or 5 yrs and all of a sudden he started questioning me as I have had to clean up/fix other peoples wrong doings. Getting him to add a measured amount of alk buffer once a week has him btching even though he didn't complain when one of the other maint. companies had him dosing the two part b-ionic supplements. I know for a fact he over feeds b/c I vacuum pelleted food out of his tank each time I clean it. But as he says "they hit the food before it gets two inches below the surface."A different client I have is a very wealthy client that does not want to pay for anything as you mentioned and sorry to say it is a "show" tank. He won't install a kalk stirrer or calcium reactor on a 180 "full blown" reef and questions me how much alk buffer and mag (which he wasn't even testing mag) I use as well as the test kits b/c "i never used that much when I was taking care of it". PITA everyone wants a reef tank and does not want to pay for it or calls me to fix it and complain about the money after the fact. As long as the algae keeps receding and nitrates/poshphates are undetectable to my kits I'll continue to do what I've been doing and install an auto feeder that will feed almost nothing besides the frozen food he feeds on top of it. Thank you for listening to me vent lol and your input as well.
jeepguy242
New member
maybe you should get him on here, and he can see what alot of us are saying, i spend about 1000. every couple of months on my tank (125 mixed reef). most of it is in corals purchaced, then fragged and sold to other hobbyists, as im am in pursuit of the "perfect chalice" im sure most others out there spend the same. you need to let him know that this is a HOBBY, and if he doesnt like the price them maybe ther are other hobbies out there moree suited to his budget. and remember, at the end of the day its still just a box of water with fish in it, nothing to get bent out of shape either, ther is no exact sience to it and everybody needs to be able to adapt and overcome, if one is not willing to take the good with the bad then they have issues other than a tank.
soulsigma
New member
Me too :lol:
What he/she is saying is they no longer need your services and for that you should be thankful and very grateful and know in your heart that "FREEDOM IS A GOOD THING"
jeepguy242
New member
my green hair algae is such a pain
Id rather work out in the rain
but when i look at my tank tho
it just becomes so much a blow
to see this stuff not want to go
and all my efforts are just in vain!!!
Id rather work out in the rain
but when i look at my tank tho
it just becomes so much a blow
to see this stuff not want to go
and all my efforts are just in vain!!!
jeepguy242
New member
please please, no appluause, your too kind!!! LOL
CleveYank
20 Years and Over
Post it in the main reef topic room as a poem or sonnet.:dance:
jeepguy242
New member
not that good, it was just for fun. most of my poems start with there once was a man from nantucket LOL
CleveYank
20 Years and Over
Do you know why rich people are rich?
It is because they are cheap. Just because a person has money does not mean they are going to spend any more than necessary. I am not defending just explaining my experiences on the matter.
My company works on the lake and we have members whose lake front property are worth several million dollars. This may not seem too high in some parts but these houses are 10x the cost of an average house. They will pay $100 a year as a member and expect us to take care of an issue on site. An issue may take 20 hours worth of work to fix but do you really think that the job can be done for $5/hr?
They think so. Or some will ask for work stating they will join and yeah the check is in the mail.
It is because they are cheap. Just because a person has money does not mean they are going to spend any more than necessary. I am not defending just explaining my experiences on the matter.
My company works on the lake and we have members whose lake front property are worth several million dollars. This may not seem too high in some parts but these houses are 10x the cost of an average house. They will pay $100 a year as a member and expect us to take care of an issue on site. An issue may take 20 hours worth of work to fix but do you really think that the job can be done for $5/hr?
They think so. Or some will ask for work stating they will join and yeah the check is in the mail.
fishoutawater
New member
Kudos for the effort and dedication, however, it sounds like nothing you have done or could do will ever satisfy this customer. Maybe they need a dose of reality? It is really not very satisfying to do a great job for someone and be that unnappreciated. What do you hope to gain by trying to stick it out? Is this customer somebody who constantly hooks you up with referrals? If you aren't making money, you are losing it. Sounds like this is an account you will never make any money on, so why keep doing it?
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