Aquarium Maintenance/ Service Companies

REGIONAL AQUARIUM OR POND PROFESSIONAL MAINTENANCE/SERVICE COMPANIES.

This will be a growing list for those who would like to promote their professional aquarium (or pond) maintenance companies.
We will research wherever possible, but please note that often we will be trusting the submissions portfolio/resume

CALIFORNIA

*American Aquarium Design & Maintenance
*Phone: 909-592-4467
*Location: San Dimas California
*Over 25 Years Professional Experience
*Only taking new Aquarium Maintenance customers at this time (no new pond customers)
*Largest Client: Coaster Company of America; corporate headquarters, officer’s residences, satellite offices (over 30 aquariums/ponds with this client alone)
*Saltwater and Freshwater


*All Aquatics USA
*Phone: 818-518-7529 or 818-812-9416
* email; info@allaquaticsusa.com
*Location: San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly hills.
*Important clients include: Stanford Hospital & Saratoga Retirement Homes
*In business since 1998
*Aquarium maintenance, custom design, set up, break downs, and also pond maintenance.
*Area of Expertise; Aquarium custom design.
* Website: All Aquatics USA; Aquarium Maintenance

OC-FISH
• Phone: 714-948-FISH (3474)
• info@oc-fish.com
• Website: http://www.oc-fish.com
• Address: 9842 Research Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
• 15 Years in Retail and Maintenance
Honda of America, Polk Audio, SoundUnited, TaylorMade, • Southern California
• Custom Aquariums, aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Moving, Aquarium Leasing, Sales, Setups, Tear Downs, Relocations, Overhauls, Consultations, Planted Aquariums, Vacation feeding and tank sitting.
• Planted Aquariums and SPS and LPS Aquariums
• Using Technology is our unique Advantage



DELAWARE, EASTERN MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY

*TerraReef Aquariums

• 302-690-0614
• Blogging@TerraReef.com
• Delaware, Easter Maryland, Philadelphia, New Jersey, South Easter PA
• Company has been in business 3 Years (many more years experience behind us though)
• Freshwater or marine, design, installation, and maintenance
• Emergency service available 24 hours a day

www.TerraReef.com

MICHIGAN

* AquaMaid Services LLC
Phone: 810-488-0531
Email: mike@aquamaidservices.com
Address: AquaMaid Services LLC
PO BOX 611324
Port Huron, MI 48061
Years in business: 7 months (I owned an aquarium maintenance business a few years ago ran it about 6 years.)
Referral: Here you go Mike

"Mercy Health Center located in Fort Gratiot loves Aquamaid Services. Mike does a wonderful job in servicing our 150 gallon fresh water aquarium. We get compliments every day from patients and visitors on how clean our tank looks. Many people think it is a salt water tank because it is so colorful. I would highly recommend Aquamaid for all your aquarium service needs."

A satisfied customer
Lynn Burgett
Administrator Mercy Health Center

Lynn Burgett
Administrator of
Lakeshore Surgery Center
Mercy Health Center
Mercy Family & Surgical Care and People's Clinic
4190 24th Avenue
Fort Gratiot, MI 48059
phone (810) 989-7733
fax (810) 989-7652
email Burgettl@trinity-health.org

Area of Service: St. Clair County in Michigan
Type of Services: Fresh water, salt water, reef aquariums, garden and farm ponds
We specialize in salt and reef aquariums
AquaMaid Services is bonded and is insured. We maybe starting out but are a professional company. Any questions please feel free to call us. Thank you for you consideration.

Mike Blair
Owner


*Sherwood International Marine
Phone 248-978-7170
• sherwoodaquariums@yahoo.com
• 832 Pine Tree Rd W
Lake Orion, MI 48362
• 18 years in business
• Any referrals or clients that can be used as a resume
• Counties Serviced: Oakland, Macomb, Lapeer, Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston
• Custom Aquariums, Aquarium Maintenance, Aquarium Moving, Aquarium Leasing, Sales, Setups, Tear Downs, Relocations, Overhauls, Consultations, Plumbing/Re-plumbs, Vacation feeding and tank sitting.
• Specializing in reef aquariums
• Emergency service is available 24 hours a day
Sherwood International Marine

NEW JERSEY

*New Jersey Aquarium Service LLC

• Toll Free: 1-855-FISH-TNK
• 855-347-4865
• email; services@newjerseyaquariumservice.com

• Established in 2003, NJAS offers professional project planning, design, installation and maintenance services, rare livestock sourcing and aquarium supply sales.

• Our expert staff have over 20 years of public aquarium, hobbyist, aquarium retail and service experience.

Website:
New Jersey Aquarium Service

CANADA

*Aqua Lease LTD
*Phone: 403-225-2348
*Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*Over 24 Years Professional Experience
*Aqua Lease has been around since 1986 and has since acquired many maintenance contracts, both residential and commercial. Tanks from 10 gallons to 1000 gallons are maintained as well as many ponds. Aquariums are either privately owned or leased out by David Sheremeta, the president and CEO. Fish can also be supplied by the company.
Dave is the largest maintenance company in Calgary and also works directly with the SPCA rescuing and re-homing unwanted and sick fish. Clients often require Aqua Lease to indoor house pond fish through the tough Canadian winters.
Samples of Dave’s work can be found at: AquaLease



If interested in a listing for your area of aquarium or pond maintenance please comment on this blog (the comment may or may not be kept) with this information:
• Phone number,
• email (if available),
• Address (this is not required as many maintenance companies prefer not to have a listed address)
• Years in business
• Any referrals or clients that can be used as a resume
• Area of service
• Types of service offered
• Area(s) of expertise
• Only full time companies are accepted

Please understand that we reserve the right to not list maintenance companies that we feel are not truly professional maintenance companies or known feedback is poor.

Recommended Aquatic Sites for Information, Products


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By AAP AquaRay, the TRUE leader in aquarium LED Lighting


Aquarium Fish Keeping Forum





AcroPower Amino Acids for SPS Corals

Two Little Fishies new formula AcroPower supplies essential amino acids that corals need to build their skeletal architecture





Hydor Smart Wave Controller
• The "Smart Wave Controller" promotes a healthy reef aquarium or similar aquarium environment where wave action is desired by recreating natural currents found in nature
• Simple to use synchronous program for currents typical of barrier reefs and alternate for tides



Aquarium Light Information, Help
The most in depth and regularly updated article available FREE on the Internet!


Aquarium UV Sterilization; Complete Sterilizer Use Information


AQUARIUM AND POND ANSWERS

*PUR vs PAR in Aquarium Lighting

*Aquarium Silicone Applications

Copyright; Carl Strohmeyer

Yahoo Answers Hall of Shame, UV Sterilizers

Aquarium Forum/Yahoo Answers Hall of Shame #7; UV Sterilizers for Aquariums (Again) Part 2

Once again Yahoo Answers allowed a plagiarized post to stand as a best answer (even with multiple complaints).

In this answer, a person plagiarized and pasted points out of context from my UV Sterilization Article. He even contradicts his opening comments by using my material.

First I will post the Yahoo Answers so called “best answer” (with my plagiarized content in italics), followed by corrections:

UV sterilizers are good in multi-tank systems where risk of parasites and disease are great. In the average tank, it will destroy all the beneficial bacteria and tiny critters that are needed to maintain healthy life.

One on the big drawbacks of using one is that not all of the water and organisms will pass through the sterilizer, making it somewhat ineffective to control the problem.

UV sterilization will not cure infected fish of bacterial or fungal diseases. A UV can aid in cure by killing bacterial pathogens in the water column and fungal spores, also by improvement of the Redox potential and general water quality.

A UV sterilizer will not kill ich trophozoites already on the fish (but then medications don’t either), but UVC can again slow the spread of ich tomites in the water column (but usually not out right kill ich tomites).

A UV sterilizer will not kill beneficial bacteria such aerobic bacteria, as this bacterium is effective when attached to a surface of high water flow such as the sponge of a sponge filter, not when in the water column. It is best to turn off a Sterilizer unit when introducing bacteria to seed a new aquarium.

UV Sterilization will not remove or destroy algae growing on tank or pond sides, rocks, decorations, etc.

UV Sterilization will NOT make up for poor aquarium maintenance practices such as over crowding, over feeding, inadequate filtration, poor cleaning practices, improper water parameters, and more.

For me its not worth getting one not worth the cost I myself never use one...

Comments;
*First of all he contradicts the opening paragraph by pasting my content in paragraph #5, as he is dead wrong when it comes to real research.

*Second he does not even allow the asker to read the article for himself by referencing the article from which he plagiarized content (which is supposedly a rule in Yahoo Answers)

*Third, shame on Yahoo Answers for not removing clearly plagiarized content that was used to deliver incorrect information to an asker after this was called to Yahoo’s attention by several persons.
Yahoo Answers is CLEARLY not interested in providing useful information for its readers/askers by allowing this to stand after being notified of the issue.
BTW, if Yahoo were to claim that this is a matter of opinion, my response is twofold; Wrong, these are facts; Two, and more importantly this material was plagiarized and NOT cited/referenced for the readers to make up their own mind.

I will not provide a direct link, as I do not want to lend any credit to Yahoo Answers, so please paste this link into your browser if you would like to read the full thread (including comments made after the answer was awarded best answer):
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091020203346AAGk6s0

The bottom line is; a properly set up UV Sterilizer is not essential, however it is a major piece of equipment for any aquarium or pond keeper that is serious about disease prevention and water quality (UV Sterilization improves Redox too). If you do add a UV Sterilizer to your aquarium, it is important to provide regular maintenance of your UV Sterilizer as well such as changing the UV Bulbs on a regular schedule for maximum effectiveness.

Please see these articles for much more about UV Sterilization:
*UV Sterilization

*UV Sterilizer Articles/ Posts

*Aquarium Forum/Blog Hall of Shame 5; UV Sterilizers Part 1

Chloramines in local water supply

Pet expert says fish owners will need to adjust treatment- By Kelli Williams E-E City Editor

Area fish owners will need to adjust the dosage of treatment used to declorinate their fish water once the City of Bartlesville begins to add chloramines to its water treatment process, local pet store owner Kathy Keim told the Examiner-Enterprise recently.

Keim, who owns and operates Classic Pets in Bartlesville, said that all water added to existing fish habitats as well as new tanks must be treated for chloramines.

Otherwise, “the fish will die,” she said.

“You need to make sure that you treat any water you add to your fish bowl, aquarium or garden pond because chloramines does not dissipate like chlorine,” Keim said. “You normally would need to either change water treatment or double the dose of what you’re currently using.”

The city is expected to switch its current disinfectant system from free chlorine to chloramines in order to meet EPA regulations.

For the full article, click on the link above.

Comment:
Many municipal water districts are switching from chlorine to chloramines due to the stability of Chloramines as compared to chlorine.
Unfortunately the advice given is not totally correct (depending on the product being used). Doubling the dose of a standard water conditioner that is designed to removed chlorine (usually the active ingredient is Sodium Thiosulfate or similar) will not remove the ammonia that makes up chloramines. Chloramine is ammonia and chlorine combined and the standard de-chlorinating product will break this bond releasing the ammonia and neutralizing the chlorine. This ammonia can be removed by bacteria in an established aquarium if water changes are small enough (20%), however this is often not the case in smaller tanks or bowls where larger water changes are the norm. In these cases products such as Prime should be used.

In tanks over 20 gallons, smaller more efficient water changes are the answer as there is less toxic ammonia released in a 20% water changes that cannot be removed by bio filtration. Using a gravel vacuum is an efficient way to remove mulm and water.
The Eheim Sludge Remover is excellent for between "Water changes" cleanings and is an excellent way to control organic mulm build-ups

For even larger aquariums (over 60 gallons or more) I would also suggest the aquarium cleaning machine as this device can perform an efficient water change, then be set to re-circulate and further vacuumed while the water passes through micron filters that can even trap diatoms and similar size organic debris or contaminants.


For more information about water conditioners, please see this article:
AQUARIUM WATER CONDITIONERS

Or this article about Tap Water:
What should I know about tap water for my aquarium? From Chlorine and Chloramines to Phosphates

Another dead-koi puzzler in Fresno

-As in 2001, officials perplexed at Shinzen Garden.

By Cyndee Fontana / The Fresno Bee01/19/07 04:55:54

In late 2001, about 200 colorful koi fish died in a single bad day at the Shinzen Friendship Garden in Woodward Park.

Fresno city officials labeled it a catastrophe and spent thousands of dollars searching for the cause. Was it a virus? Contaminated water? Faulty pond filtration? A lightning strike?

The mystery was never solved. And today, almost exactly five years later, koi that replenished the pond after that calamity again are dying at an alarming rate.

Of the 50 or 60 fish once swimming around, by city estimates, only seven were left Thursday morning. The die-off that began around Christmas — before the bitter freeze — is another puzzle.



Comment:
This is a really sad story, to which there is not much more I can add as the water has been tested for poisons and more.

My only observations based on my pond keeping experience and research is two fold;
It is possible there were Ichthyophthirius multifilis tomites present in the water, and considering the severe cold wave that hit Fresno in the last week may have stressed the fish brought this infestation.

The other possibility was something stirring up the muck on the bottom of the pond (even a small earthquake!), causing the Hydrogen Sulfide in the muck (a by product of anaerobic bacterial decay and the Nitrogen Cycle) to be suddenly released.

More information about the Nitrogen Cycle:

NITROGEN CYCLE AND AQUARIUM CYCLING; How the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Works


For more information about Ichthyophthirius multifilis tomites:
Aquarium or Pond Ich: Ichthyophthirius multifilis, treatment, identification, and life cycle

Carl