Any experienced reefing professionals offering online consultations

[saullman]

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

Altering my current XR15's?

 

[saullman]

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

I have an AI Prime HD that I'm not using from my old tank that I can setup. It wouldn't cost me a dime. I just hate programming that thing and I'm not sure how I would blend it in with my current XR15's.

 

[VintageReefer]

That is also an underpowered fixture, it would take minimum 4 primes to light a 90g. Would need to be nearly maxed. But, combined with the radions it could offer some benefit

Your Kenya tree doing well up high doesn’t surprise me

Many people are duped into thinking xr15 is enough when really they should have got xr30 from the start

 

[VintageReefer]

Altering my current XR15's?

Yes

XR15 High Intensity Radion Lens Kit (XR631) - EcoTech Marine

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Inexpensive way to squeeze out more par

 

[VintageReefer]

Yes

XR15 High Intensity Radion Lens Kit (XR631) - EcoTech Marine

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Inexpensive way to squeeze out more par

I only charge 75$ per hour for giving remote advice

And 10$ for every $100 I save you

 

[Lavey29]

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.

I have the similar tank XL300 with same XR15 lights running 3.5 years now. Very successful with coral and fish. Message me and I'll give you my number and you can call me and we will get you on the path for success. I ain't charging no fees either.

 

[saullman]

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

I get it. It's just hard on the forums and FB groups. Like you said, you get a million different people with a million different opinions and it becomes too confusing for me. During my 5-6 years of reefing, R2R and FB have been my main source of information. After so long, it just becomes exhausting mentally. That's why I was looking for a more personalized approach.

 

[saullman]

That is also an underpowered fixture, it would take minimum 4 primes to light a 90g. Would need to be nearly maxed. But, combined with the radions it could offer some benefit

Your Kenya tree doing well up high doesn’t surprise me

Many people are duped into thinking xr15 is enough when really they should have got xr30 from the start

I was talking about having 2 x XR's on both sides and one AI Prime HD in the middle. Sure it's not ideal, but it can't be worse than what I currently have. And it's free for me.

 

[exnisstech]

I don't think I've ever left here empty handed when I've needed help or advice and it's all free. Sure you have to learn how to cull the misinformation but that just takes a little time hanging out here. I recognize names of people who I don't feel the need to question. Others I like to read through some of their posts, maybe look at their build thread and decide if I trust thier advice. Who's to say a paid consultant won't just quote something they read online or saw in a video. There are so many knowledgeable people here willing to help I see no need to seek assistance anywhere else. No youtube, FB IG etc for me this is one stop shopping when I need help.

 

[saullman]

I have the similar tank XL300 with same XR15 lights running 3.5 years now. Very successful with coral and fish. Message me and I'll give you my number and you can call me and we will get you on the path for success. I ain't charging no fees either.

Will do. I'll message you.

 

[ti_lavender]

I’ve seen a few of YouTube reefers recommend a mentor. I think that’s what you’re looking for and it seems a few great leads came from this post.

 

[VintageReefer]

I was talking about having 2 x XR's on both sides and one AI Prime HD in the middle. Sure it's not ideal, but it can't be worse than what I currently have. And it's free for me.

I completely agree and would suggest this setup as well, and have blues and violet on all fixtures turned up to 80-90% and whites around 10-30 depending on your preferences

 

[saullman]

I only charge 75$ per hour for giving remote advice

And 10$ for every $100 I save you

Interesting. I didn't even know this product existed. Thanks for the info.

 

[VintageReefer]

Interesting. I didn't even know this product existed. Thanks for the info.

You’re welcome! It will focus the beams to be more narrow, increasing intensity. But the overall coverage area will reduce.

But, you can add the prime to the middle, and should be able to figure out a combination that increases par and still gives good coverage

 

[Kactai]

Will do. I'll message you.

This is the way ! Someone who is successful with similar equipment who can also help you tweak your set up has offered to help and I love seeing that in this hobby. Take heart, you're at the cusp of success and you've done the right thing by asking for help. The third light (ai prime) might be very useful in this instance. I won't offer any advice other than to stick with it. Keep using your aquaticlog app (I use it and it's awesome). Stay diligent on your maintenance and husbandry and you'll pull through. You got this!

 

[saullman]

Thank you for the encouraging words!!!

 

[brandon429]

the medicine applies to me as well, I gain great relief at times from meeting with the folks I want to meet with about a reef issue.

just last year I posted panicked in Randy's thread asking if my cat litter box might be poisoning my tank with free ammonia

this is coming from someone who spends nearly all free time arguing about ammonia dynamics in reefing, well that day I was stumped about my own reef/it was bleaching/didn't want to lose my 18 yr old corals.

in my opinion no book can touch the info transfer that forums can facilitate, you just have to prefilter it all the right way. turned out it wasn't ammonia harming my reef the light was set way too bright and it was burning it.

 

[MW319]

I have the similar tank XL300 with same XR15 lights running 3.5 years now. Very successful with coral and fish. Message me and I'll give you my number and you can call me and we will get you on the path for success. I ain't charging no fees either.

I think this is your best option.

 

[wccbr1]

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.

Reefbum offers consultation services too but I haven't looked at pricing. You can find it on his website reefbum.com under learning center.