Reptile & Amphibian Forums

am the reptile manager at a petstore and was recently approached by a man who was interested in having someone build a terrarium/vivarium for his office.. ive done this for friends and of course for myself, but have never worked for money or for someone who doesnt know how to maintain something like this.. he really didnt have any idea what he wanted other than, "something pretty and easy to maintain"...

my first problem is, im not sure how much to charge? honestly i dont know what would be reasonable or standard for this service..

secondly, i want the tank to look nice but still be easy to take care of.. i might offer to come in and do maintenance but my current schedule is so busy, i would rather keep it simple enough that they can do it.. any suggestions?

the tank is a 46 bow and he thinks he wants a bog setup with firebelly toads and maybe some geckos..

i was thinking of a simple false bottom with a fluval or similar canister filter to keep the water extra clean..

the last problem is about actually setting it up... ive only done this in my basement with my own materials... i am not sure how to go about getting it set up in his office without disrupting his business and making a big mess.. normally i dont worry about this since its generally done in my own home, but i dont think i can transport the tank easily ... if anyone has any experience with this please give me some advice...

i have about a week before i am meeting with them to show them some pictures and give them an idea of what i want to do.. i plan on bringing a sort of portfolio of tanks ive done for myself and friends, and a list of some of the expenses, to give them an idea of what they will be spending..

any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated..
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, red eye treefrogs, chameleon treefrogs?, mossy treefrogs, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, five cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

It sounds like you are in a perdicament that many of us DIY fall into. Some spend time on the forum answering questions and never have the privlage of helping the fellow herper in ones own community.

I myself am included save for the select few people here my hobby is realativly secret, although the local delivery people have to suspect something when on a weekly basis I receive 4000 crickets and 50 pds of rats once a month.

Anyways I always do it by the KISS concept when it comes to a one time deal, or my first time with some setup. That being the Keep It Simple Stupid concept.

It sounds to me like you have a good idea of what he needs and what you are familiar working with. I would stick to what you know and what is easy to maintain.

For cost I would buy all the materials needed minus the ones you have on hand. Add the cost of everything plus what you think the stuff on hand is worth. This will give you material cost.

For Labor and mark up I never mark stuff up a lot over the cost if its a first time deal. So 40-50% above cost is reasonable to me for labor and mark up. This can vary its really up to you. Of course you can always build it then see what he thinks its worth and have him pay that, but I would at least cover my costs.

Last when it comes to building it I would build it at home than move it into the office when done. A fully planted 46gall aquarium shouldn't be a problem for 2 people to move after buisness hours.

I hop[e that helped if only a little. Let me know if I can be of more assistance.

Good Luck, and Welcome
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

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