Guaging interest - Reef Sitting Service

[riotj]

Hey Folks

I'm fairly new to Reef Central, but not to reefing and I am considering establishing a Reef Sitting Service for when one goes on a business trip or vacation. Before I go through the expense of starting up a business, I'd like "constructive" input from you, the end user.

I am conducting a survey and have the following questions.

1. Do you see a demand and would you use such a service?

2. What would you, the end user, like to see with such a service?

Any "constructive" comments would be welcome.

Regards,

Joe

 

[WarDaddy]

Interesting idea, but don't LFS have such a service?

I was under the impression that most fish shops had a maintaince program, and they also had short term services...

If I were to employ I would like the cost to be affordable...$20 or less per trip.

Feed everything
Top off with RO/DI
Clean Glass
Clean Skimmers
Verify Tank Temp within proper range
Eyeball heath of tank'

I would expect either daily or ever other day visits, depending on how the tank is stocked.

What do you think?
Are you insured, bonded?

 

[JenDub]

seems like any person you would trust in your home while you are gone (with the keys and knowledge of the lenght of your vacation) would have to be someone with great references and an established history....

 

[sharkdude]

I usually rely on local friends, but even then they may not be fully qualified.

someone experienced in reef tank specifics would be great, ie someone that can diagnose various system problems or coral health issues would be worth the service. also someone that could reposnd and repair in an emergency situation, ie power failure, pump failure, flood, etc would give me peace of mind while away from home.

case in point:
I had a 2 month temp work assignment in fall 2004. my wife was home and knows how to feed and how the tank generally should operate. an experineced reefer friend was coming by every few days to check and maintain. while I received assurnaces from both my wife and friend that all was well, when I returned home, there was a large turf algae infestation and I lost a few corals. It took several months to get things back in sync.

It would have been worth it to me to pay a pro and not jeapordize my reef investment.

 

[riotj]

WarDaddy - Thanks for your comments. I think your requests are very reasonable. I am not a business, just guaging interest and doing a survey. If I were to start such a business I would definately be bonded and insured. I remember when I was an exec and traveled a lot on business and the associated worries of leaving the reef to friends and family who really didn't understand or cared to understand. I was fortunate though and had no loses, but I've heard horror stories over the years.

JenDub - you're absolutely right - references would be a must with anyone who has your keys. But so many service companies -house cleaning companies, pet sitters, house sitters have your keys. Another reason why it would be necessary to be bonded and insured.

 

[ghever]

i think this type of service comes down to two things... TRUSTWORTHYNESS and MONEY.

If I go on vacation for a week and leave someone with keys to my house, I need to trust them. Of course, if its a business that is insured, I am not worried.

Now comes the money question... most of the times when I go on trips, I just need someone to feed my fish or corals. My system has automated water top off so not an issue. Of course looking over the tank and making sure nothing is wrong should be part of the visit. Luckily I have my ACIII and it can email me if ever there is a prob with pH, temp, etc.... so being able to call my service tech should I get such an email and get a quick response from him to the site, that is important too.

I think for a week's worth of just watching over a tank and feeding, I think $15 per day would be worth it. If more work needs to be done, get charged at an hourly rate.

it is nice to have a peace of mind when away on trips. Is it just me or do things ALWAYS mess up when you leave town?

G

 

[JE]

i like the idea. when i went on vacation this year i let a fellow reefer who is very smart take care of my tank. he then decided to take his own vacation and dumped my tank on a person who has never even seen a salt tank. i didnt lose much but i would rather rely on someone responsible, but since my fellow reefer isnt.......I WOULD PAY A COMPANY NEXT TIME

. oh yeah, i guess since you wouldnt eat all my food and watch my tv when i am gone i would definately pay. gooood luck

 

[ScotchMaster]

Im going on vacation this weekend....Good thing I already have a reef buddy that has my back and is going to take care of my tank!

Im not sure Id trust anyone other than a reef friend or a reefing family member

 

[JE]

its a shame i trusted a friend/reefer

 

[tptp279]

I think it is an awesome idea but the main problem i see would be the cost like everyone else is stating. the thing with the cost is that you have to include mileage to and from a persons home so if you were to do this you would need several people in several areas so it would be cost effective for them to drive or you will be charging a lot more than the 15-20 like everyone wants. Unless you only plan on doing this within like a 5-10 mile radius it would be smart of an individual but ontop of that, when insurance and bonds come into play, you have to now consider to charge your customers a bit more as well because you have to be able to afford the insurance. All in all, i think it's an awesome idea. Now if you charge for mileage that will be a different story, than it may be worth it. have a set price of say 15-20 per visit plus 50cents a mile one way or something. main thing i would say is you have to calculate how much insurance is going to be and then divide it with the amount of customers you think you will have in a year, divide that, add gas depending on the car (get a yaris, lol), and see if you have a marketable profit. if you do, i would do it because I think there would be a great demand for it since soo many reefers including myself put thousands into their tanks.

 

[riotj]

Sharkdude - perfect case in point. An experienced reefer friend didn't see changes in the corals, detachment not opening? Sorry to hear about that.

ghever - guess you won't be needing such a service with the ACIII.

jjb1speed - so are you still friends?

tptp279 - Yes pricing is going to be important, and then the demand after the service has been priced. It wouldn't be cost effective to drive all over SoCal every day or everyother day for that matter for 15-20 a visit. I know tank maintainence people who charge a dollar a gallon and some who charge $65 for a visit, but that usually includes water changes which I believe goes beyond the reef sitting service concept. I know dog sitters charge $30 for a 20 minute visit and they stay local. The mileage surcharge may be a good way to go. A lot of calculations have to be made to make it a profitable business, and of course, customer satisfaction.

 

[JE]

jjb1speed - so are you still friends?[/B]

yes. and i didnt even tell him anything. its ok, hes helping me build me second tank.

 

[bromion]

I would consider using such a service if the price were right and I felt I could trust the tank-sitter. The sitter would definitely have to feed, check the thermometer, and visually inspect. For a longer trip (over a week), a tank cleaning and partial water change would be good, as I do that weekly. Making sure there are no leaks, floods, or other equipment catastrophes is also important.

I agree with tptp279. The LA area is vast, and if you run down the locations of where everyone on this board lives, you'll find separations of 50 miles or more. Beyond the cost of travel, travel time would be problematic, unless you were primarily working at night.

 

[riotj]

bromion - I guess the service will have to be customized to the needs of the individual. If you do a water change once a week then you would expect that the water changes continue while you are gone. I was thinking more like every two weeks and usually vacations or business trips don't last that long although i used to go to Japan for two weeks straight and on rare occassion 3 weeks. So yes any successful business will have to customize the service.

 

[ghever]

riotj....the ACIII doesnt mean I wouldnt need such a service... you still need people to feed the fish...my AC III cannot do that.. YET!!

G

 

[riotj]

Okay 227 views and 10 replies - I guess that means something about the interest.

 

[d0cdave]

Interest is there. A specialist (not some kid from the LFS) would be key.

A tiered fee structure should be implemented. Size of tank, FO, FOWLER or reef, and customer maintenance expectations should drive the fees. You wouldnt charge the same to maintain and change water on a nano vs a larger reef. SPS tanks would require more monitoring than a mixed reef.

Have the customer check off what they would like maintained and how often. Legally you want a signature, like a contract, and a disclosure of liability. They can purchase insurance from you separately for catastrophic problems.

Think about this... its your $XXXXX.00 investment. For some of us, its our primary interest. Its worth it to pay more to see it in good shape when you get back. Plus you dont want to worry about the tank during your vacation.

 

[gregr]

Yes I would be very interested.
Knowing how horrible it is to have to drive in this city I'd be willing to pay a little more than what others have mentioned, but then I guess it comes down to how much you value peace of mind.
A phone call or email after each visit would be awesome.
What I'd want done: feed fish, fill up the top-off bucket, check to make sure the pumps and skimmer and reactor and fans are all working, check temp/salinity and note meter readings are within range. Sing my fishes favorite song to them.

 

[jeffreylam1132]

It's great to have your Mom close by. I trained her and she took care of my reef tank for 2 weeks when I was on vacation. Mom are the best.

This is a great idea, Mr. Deuce Bigalow . Sorry, I had to say that because if you saw the movie, that was exactly his job, except for the part time gigolo. Anyway, good luck with this and I think it can work if you can established some trust and if the price is right.

 

[riotj]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7439683#post7439683 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gregr
Yes I would be very interested.
Knowing how horrible it is to have to drive in this city I'd be willing to pay a little more than what others have mentioned, but then I guess it comes down to how much you value peace of mind.
A phone call or email after each visit would be awesome.
What I'd want done: feed fish, fill up the top-off bucket, check to make sure the pumps and skimmer and reactor and fans are all working, check temp/salinity and note meter readings are within range. Sing my fishes favorite song to them.

Singing - no problem - I do a mean Frank Sinatra Karaoke.

Also, E-mail and/or phone call is a good idea and I was thinking about that