65g red sea max

jenzo1 · 01/05/2015, 04:58 PM

i have a question. my tank has been a mess for about a year. i have been paying for a service and one thing after another i have very few fish and coral remaining. once beautiful part of my home is now an eyesore and a very expensive one at that.

the tank is full of green hair algae, fish die quickly, and i am about to give up. all the beauty is gone.

service man is:
changing 10 gallons a week
lights on 8 hrs a day
feeding 1 cube every 2 days ( only 4 fish )
crabs and snails have been added
i am being told all nitrate/nitrite levels are low
all the chambers were cleaned.

what should i be asking or getting to determine what levels are out of whack?

any direction or suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

thanks,

jason

joshky · 01/05/2015, 05:15 PM

Sounds like the guy doesn't know what he's doing. Any chance you could put in the work to learn the hobby and do your own maintenance? You would grow to appreciate it much more, and you wouldn't have to worry about some shady guy conning you into buying things you don't need so he gets more money.

fearyaks · 01/05/2015, 05:20 PM

Silly questions -
1. If you have a service man coming once per week to do water changes, what kind of water is he using? Do you know if the saltwater is mixed with tap water or RODI (Reverse Osmosis/Distilled water)?
2. Does he at least remove the algae when he visits?
3. Next time he comes ask him to do full tests and write down the levels so more experienced folks here can comment.
4. Have you considered getting someone else to help maintain? I'm sure you could call someone and they'd come by for free as a first visit. Are you in a remote location with a lack of options?
5. Did this person help setup the tank too?

It sounds to me like you're being scammed.

Atf22 · 01/05/2015, 05:29 PM

Ask what the levels are, watch him test, and make sure he does maintenance correctly. I'd agree with the others... it sounds like he's using you to make a quick buck. Maintaining quality isn't that hard, once you learn it becomes habit... i'd fire him and learn how to do it yourself, that way you can actually see what's wrong and fix it for a minimum...Good luck

Reef Frog · 01/05/2015, 06:06 PM

How complex was the tank? What kind of corals & fish? I agree 100% on doing the maintenence yourself. But if you have to have a maintemece service this guy sounds like a dud. There are some folks on RC who do this for a living and sound quite skilled & responsible. They could probably give you good tips on how to interview for the right person or service. However, they are unlikely to pick up on this thread with your title.

But keeping a stony coral tank healthy & thriving with a run of the mill aquarium service seems near impossible to me. I would Shoot for a tank with only a few hardy fish and corals like softies or zoas for example, if you were going to continue to use a service. To be successful with the service I would think that you need to understand all of the issues and constantly interact with the service person.

Or you topping off the tank with freshwater to account for evaporator? If not your salinity could be changing drastically which would account for your problems. Also, the RSM skimmer needs a constant water level to operate properly and there is no need to clean the back chambers on a frequent basis. good luck, I hope you get things sorted out.

01/05/2015, 04:58 PM	#1
jenzo1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1	65g red sea max i have a question. my tank has been a mess for about a year. i have been paying for a service and one thing after another i have very few fish and coral remaining. once beautiful part of my home is now an eyesore and a very expensive one at that. the tank is full of green hair algae, fish die quickly, and i am about to give up. all the beauty is gone. service man is: changing 10 gallons a week lights on 8 hrs a day feeding 1 cube every 2 days ( only 4 fish ) crabs and snails have been added i am being told all nitrate/nitrite levels are low all the chambers were cleaned. what should i be asking or getting to determine what levels are out of whack? any direction or suggestion would be greatly appreciated! thanks, jason

01/05/2015, 05:15 PM	#2
joshky Acros & Wrasses Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Central KY Posts: 2,546	Sounds like the guy doesn't know what he's doing. Any chance you could put in the work to learn the hobby and do your own maintenance? You would grow to appreciate it much more, and you wouldn't have to worry about some shady guy conning you into buying things you don't need so he gets more money. __________________ Josh My 80g: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2677031

01/05/2015, 05:20 PM	#3
fearyaks Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 374	Silly questions - 1. If you have a service man coming once per week to do water changes, what kind of water is he using? Do you know if the saltwater is mixed with tap water or RODI (Reverse Osmosis/Distilled water)? 2. Does he at least remove the algae when he visits? 3. Next time he comes ask him to do full tests and write down the levels so more experienced folks here can comment. 4. Have you considered getting someone else to help maintain? I'm sure you could call someone and they'd come by for free as a first visit. Are you in a remote location with a lack of options? 5. Did this person help setup the tank too? It sounds to me like you're being scammed.

01/05/2015, 05:29 PM	#4
Atf22 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Encino, CA Posts: 104	Ask what the levels are, watch him test, and make sure he does maintenance correctly. I'd agree with the others... it sounds like he's using you to make a quick buck. Maintaining quality isn't that hard, once you learn it becomes habit... i'd fire him and learn how to do it yourself, that way you can actually see what's wrong and fix it for a minimum...Good luck

01/05/2015, 06:06 PM	#5
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	How complex was the tank? What kind of corals & fish? I agree 100% on doing the maintenence yourself. But if you have to have a maintemece service this guy sounds like a dud. There are some folks on RC who do this for a living and sound quite skilled & responsible. They could probably give you good tips on how to interview for the right person or service. However, they are unlikely to pick up on this thread with your title. But keeping a stony coral tank healthy & thriving with a run of the mill aquarium service seems near impossible to me. I would Shoot for a tank with only a few hardy fish and corals like softies or zoas for example, if you were going to continue to use a service. To be successful with the service I would think that you need to understand all of the issues and constantly interact with the service person. Or you topping off the tank with freshwater to account for evaporator? If not your salinity could be changing drastically which would account for your problems. Also, the RSM skimmer needs a constant water level to operate properly and there is no need to clean the back chambers on a frequent basis. good luck, I hope you get things sorted out.