Frequently Asked Questions

1.) What kind of services do you offer?

O Sea D offers an ever-expanding catalog of professionally-personalized services: cash-saving consults, aquarium acquisition, installation, customization, “remodels” and liquidation...glass augmentation aka “drilling”...community building and population management...disease control, management and prevention...nuisance control, eradication and management...custom and regular habitat build-outs where possible...custom blend foods...live, locally aqua cultured plug free coral inserts...authentic, weathered freshwater Art-Deco inserts (Submerged Driftwood / Pottery)...keeper / owner education...after hours emergency service, etc. Let’s discuss what it is you want or need. After, let me show you visually what it means to be O Sea D; The work will speak for itself.

2.) How much do your services cost?

Service prices are variable as they incorporate things like distance, residential or professional, frequency, aquarium size and type, etc. Please inquire for a service quote.

3.) How often should I have my aquarium maintained?

Fish only, Freshwater aquariums in a professional setting, bi-weekly. Residential, monthly; however, bi-weekly is recommended. The second visit cost-wise is fractional, comprising roughly 20% of the service quote. The more often the aquarium can be observed w/ additional water changes the clearer a picture can be painted for how the aquarium functions from outside variables ranging from owner feedings to seasonal light changes.

Freshwater Planted. Bi-Weekly. “Planted” aquariums like coral reef systems require more time dedicated to nuances ranging from growth management to chemical introductions.

Saltwater, Fish Only or “Bullet-Proof and Beautiful” Coral Reefs, Residential or Professional, bi-Weekly. In the case of higher maintenance coral reef systems, like those that are small-polyp stony “heavy”, weekly is recommended.

For more details please inquire.

4.) Can I help you design or build a custom aquarium? Of course. Design-wise, the sky is the limit from livestock population to plumbing and filtration types. However, let’s discuss custom. What does that mean to you? Generally speaking, the O Sea D effort is to take a mass-manufactured product, augment and turn it to GOLD. The purpose, SAVE BIG and still get a product unique to you. A true custom build...glass to stand, even for those with the resources can be excessively absorbent. Regardless, custom builds like the latter can be done. Instead of in-house work the work is often out-sourced and put together onsite. Special Note: O SEA D does not build “glass boxes”.  Building aquariums for a small business is a liability nightmare, aquariums are purchased through outside, large producers. O Sea D can and will “augment” an aquarium, typically this means that holes can be drilled to utilize different modes of filtration provided the aquarium is made of glass that is not tempered. Additionally, while acrylic is seamless O Sea D recommends against their purchase unless the size is in excess of 300 gallons. Acrylic, even under the most exceptional care scratches and the fix is often time consuming w/ the additional facet that the dust produced during “buffing” is also carcinogenic. Contact for more details.

Note: The entire O Sea D “Shop” Aka: The DarkHorse, is custom...designed, built or augmented by the proprietor. Other examples are included as well. Why “The DarKHorse”? Because every “coral cowboy” needs a horse to ride.

5.) Can I repair your existing aquarium? Repairs are subjective in most cases. What type of repair? Cracked or leaking fish tanks, the advice is to spend the money and replace rather than incur a huge liability potential for a repair that may or may not fix the problem. Acrylic, it can be fixed by way of buffing out scratches. While O Sea D is capable, time is money so the task would be outsourced to an acrylic professional to save both. If the equipment you have is base-line and purchased from a standard outlet like Petco or Petsmart repairing the product rather than replacing it is not advisable. We live in an age of planned obsolescence meaning even the highest quality product is designed to break so fixing most things isn’t recommended. There are things that can be fixed such as stands, pumps, sumps/trickle filters, etc. If its sensible and safe, O Sea D, can and will fix. Let’s talk about it.

6.) Can you work on any type of aquarium? If it lives in a glass or acrylic box, filled with water or not, O Sea D has an expansive working knowledge on how to exceptionally manage your “captive or captives” who come from a myriad of environments while also being able to fine tune the “life support” mechanisms, ie. filters, heating, lighting, pumps, etc.

7.) Where does O Sea D get coral from? To date, everything is produced from stock purchased years ago, 5-15. All coral purchased from local sources or from top-selling internet vendors.

8.) What are coral inserts? O Sea D does not sell or distribute coral on frag plugs. Coral Frags and colonies are still available but on surfaces more sustainable and manageable than “plug surfaces”. Live rock and shells are utilized as grafting surfaces. The latter are utilized because they are easier to manage and without exception, exponentially more attractive. “Frags” and colonies are healed and grown for maximum presentation value with durability and cost consciousness being built into every piece “designed”.

9.) Is O Sea D licensed and insured? O Sea D has been licensed locally and federally and insured since 2005. Please inquire in regard to liability coverage and what that means to you as the consumer.

10.) If O Sea D had to define his client base how would he do that? O Sea D is a professional that works for and with professionals from all walks of life at all levels.