Any experienced reefing professionals offering online consultations

[saullman]

Online Consultations?
I'm just curious if this service exists in the reefing community and the cost involved.

To give you some background on me. I've been reefing for about 5 years now. My current tank is a Red Sea Reefer 350 (90 gal total). It been up and running for about 3 years now. While I've had some successes, I feel I've had the same if not more being unsuccessful. Softies seem to do ok in my tank. Thats what I mainly have. LPS I struggle with keeping them alive. SPS- forget it. I won't even attempt it. I feel like I have the correct equipment to grow corals. For example my lighting is 2 x XR15's Gen 5 over a 48" wide tank. My parameters are not perfect, but a good enough to grow corals. Flow I think is ok. 1 x Maxspect Gyre on the right side of the tank.

So what is it? What am I doing wrong? Par, parameters, flow, what?

So I set out to find out about an in person consult since I live right outside of Orlando. I contacted WWC. They want $165 for the first hour. $120 for each additional hour after that plus any chemicals they use. I can't afford that. I have a wife and child that I support and money is always tight. I probably shouldn't even own a tank, but it brings me joy everyday. So what do I do? I need someone to tell me what I'm doing wrong or what I can improve without breaking both of my arms, legs, and bank account. I need something that is more personalized to my tank rather than "general info" at the lfs. I have spent way too much money over the years and I am trying to stop the bleeding if you know what I mean. Is that possible? If so, please chime in and let me know what options are out there. And if you read this far, thank you for your time and patience with me.

 

[Atalien2005]

Have you attended any of your local reef club events? I would say start there and meet some reefing friends and someone may become your mentor for free. Move people in this hobby love to help.

 

[saullman]

Have you attended any of your local reef club events? I would say start there and meet some reefing friends and someone may become your mentor for free. Move people in this hobby love to help.

Not a bad idea. I'll have to look into that. I think I can find my local reefing clubs right here on R2R.

 

[kvansloo]

There is a lot of people on here that will help. Start with posting your parameters, and any information you can give on the tank. What are you dosing if anything?

 

[VintageReefer]

XR15 is underpowered for a 90g tank. If you must use them you should be at 80%-100% intensity

Do you have a par meter or access to borrow one?

This is very possibly why:
Softy - low light - does ok
Lps - medium light - not great
SPS - high light - “forget about it”

 

[saullman]

There is a lot of people on here that will help. Start with posting your parameters, and any information you can give on the tank. What are you dosing if anything?

Here are my current parameters. Mg was just tested at my lfs 2 days ago and I believe is incorrect. I only thing I am dosing right now is NeoNitro to get my nitrates up. They have been sitting at zero for a little while now.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Here are my current parameters. Mg was just tested at my lfs 2 days ago and I believe is incorrect. I only thing I am dosing right now is NeoNitro to get my nitrates up. They have been sitting at zero for a little while now.

I would make a separate thread regarding your issue, and people will help you out! There are a lot of people on here who are very knowledgeable in the hobby. Also, getting plugged in with your local fish club is not a bad option!

 

[saullman]

XR15 is underpowered for a 90g tank. If you must use them you should be at 80%-100% intensity

Do you have a par meter or access to borrow one?

This is very possibly why:
Softy - low light - does ok
Lps - medium light - not great
SPS - high light - “forget about it”

Unfortunately, I cannot switch out the lights at this point. I was running the AB+ setting for a long time at 75%, but just yesterday I switched my light program over to ReefDudes XR15 G5 schedule. I'm not sure what intensity he runs them at.

And no, I do not have a par meter to test these lights.

 

[Slocke]

I know prestige reef on YouTube offers consultations and he’s a very good reefer who is one of the major coral sellers in the UK

 

[VintageReefer]

Here are my current parameters. Mg was just tested at my lfs 2 days ago and I believe is incorrect. I only thing I am dosing right now is NeoNitro to get my nitrates up. They have been sitting at zero for a little while now.

Parameter all seem fine for coral to me

 

[Solo McReefer]

The price from WWC for consultation is fair

Mark Levinson offers online consultation, I have not seen him here, but he's at least on YouTube

WWC has a thousand videos on YouTube

BRSTV has a million videos on YouTube

 

[Reefer Matt]

I’m not a pro, but I help where I can. There may be some pros willing to help for free on here.

 

[VintageReefer]

Unfortunately, I cannot switch out the lights at this point. I was running the AB+ setting for a long time at 75%, but just yesterday I switched my light program over to ReefDudes XR15 G5 schedule. I'm not sure what intensity he runs them at.

And no, I do not have a par meter to test these lights.

xr15 is underpowered for a 48” 75g tank and you have a 90 which is deeper

One option you have is more rockwork so lps corals have a higher mount point, closer to the light.

 

[saullman]

I know prestige reef on YouTube offers consultations and he’s a very good reefer who is one of the major coral sellers in the UK

Do you have contact info for him/her?

 

[VintageReefer]

You might be able to upgrade to more narrowly focused lenses also, for less money than a new fixture

 

[saullman]

I’m not a pro, but I help where I can. There may be some pros willing to help for free on here.

At this point, I'd take any help that I can get.

 

[brandon429]

imagine having trouble with a vehicle, not being a mechanic, but you are offered a ton of different/random parts from a bin to go home and assemble yourself in the car

though not a mechanic you get to diagnose and repair the issue based on general offers.

that's how fixing aquariums over web forums work: sixteen different fixes (parts) are offered in the bin (the forum) and the owner of the damaged vehicle selects the parts they hope will work (guesses)

it doesn't work, then they repeat until they quit.

but the opposite of that choice set is: read posters on the site, look at their tanks. find someone who owns your tank or something close, for years running with sps and lps/how you want it to be

reach out to only one person, the mechanic, work with them and do only what they say and never offer suggestions, that would make you the mechanic and the fixer, not the fixee. Fixees attempting to become fixers is where the challenge lies in my opinion.

when your own tank does what you want it to and you have logs of outbound tank fixes following only your command, that's the change to fixer

 

[Doctorgori]

IMO you need at least one more light….
added, and at least one more gyre or similar

 

[Slocke]

Do you have contact info for him/her?

Consultancy

The Official Website to buy Prestige Reef UK Coral Frags. The home of high end corals such as UK grafted montipora and UK bounce mushrooms

prestigereef.co.uk

 

[saullman]

xr15 is underpowered for a 48” 75g tank and you have a 90 which is deeper

One option you have is more rockwork so lps corals have a higher mount point, closer to the light.

Honestly man, I don't think I would want to add more rock to the tank. Here is a pic of the tank and rocks. Sorry about all the glare and as you can see the lights aren't on yet. On the left side of the tank I have some pretty high rock work I can use. Middle to right side is medium height. My Kenya tree on the left is close to the top of the water. And of course it grows well.