ok so here is the run down...

Thinkin i should part time do a business. Setting up, maintaining, cleaning, and fixing saltwater fish tanks for rich people, that don't have the time to clean, or knowledge to know what goes with what or for parents that want a "nemo" fish for the kids. haha. set it up for them. Recomend fish or buy them fish(with their money of course), and come clean once a week, month, however the needs may be...

Ok, where i am from there are a lot of rich people that WANT fish for looks but know nothing. I want to be a little help for them. just locally, and little by little, not trying to really make much at first. MOSTLY just cleaning tanks, at first, then start set ups and what not. this idea i have been thinking of for awhile. but a friend came to me with help and i feel like i know enough to where i wouldn't be completely lost or over my head. I have LOTS of books i read, internet, YOU GUYS!!!! lol

Just need a little help with how i would go about pricing.. what happens if a fish dies, it's my fault? i buy them a new one, or stuff like that. the legal stuff...

any websites or personal knowledge... KEEP IN MIND, i only know saltwater so i wouldn't be doing fresh water at first, and since it's just a side project, no rush, i'm realizistic about it...

AND this side project will help me get the knowledge so i can get to my evenual goal of opening up my own fish store.

I think you would probably want to be bonded at the very least, I mean going into someones home and tinkering with equipment that can run into thousands of dollars could be a scary prospect. aside from just cleaning you may at times need to adjust a skimmer or other equipment which can be tricky and if not done right can easily cause a flood which would damage other things in the home. then you would also want to think about what if you inadvertently caused a system to crash there would be more involved then just replacing one fish or coral it could quickly become the entire stock and we all know how expensive that can be. so are you thinking more along the lines of helping people out with a FOWLR system or a full blow reef? will these tanks you maintain be reef ready or just a simple setups? I know when I leave and have someone watch over my tanks I usually choose someone that I have known in the hobby for years and even then I worry simply because each system is unique and has different requirements.
are you going to perform weekly tests? water changes? are you going to keep track of when the RO/DI filters need replacing as well as the light bulbs on a system every 6-8 months?if so you may want to keep a journal of each clients tank so you can write down dates of everything that has been done and why especially if there is a problem you are working to correct. I do this with my tanks otherwise I could never keep track of how old my bulbs are and when my filters were last changed, what I dosed and why etc and we all know what havoc old bulbs and/or RO/DI filters can play on a reef plus keeping track of the cal,mag,alk each week and correctly dosing these elements if needed. to answer the question if something were to happen on your watch I would say yes you would be responsible. I did a little researching and the going rate for maintenance can run 60.00 per hour you supplying the basic materials and the charge for emergencies/holidays can run 100 per hour depending on your area. I believe there is a legitimate need for these services because sadly there are people that want to keep these Aquariums but lack even the basic knowledge to do so properly. I really think it all boils down to how involved you want to get and how prepared you are to deal with some of the issues that can and probably will arise. these are just a few things I would be thinking about. if all go's well your motto could be "great Aquarium maintenance doesn't cost it pays!"

If you are doing something like this then you need to have a insurance that way when the fish , coral ect die insurance covers it. Most "rich" people want a business that has insurance.

I have learned something in doing your own business. If you are going to keep it simple and under the radar then do just that. but if you want to go big then you need to do everything that requires starting an actual business. Tax ID, DBA, Insurance, ect ect. $$$$$ The Goverment want's your money that way they can spend it aka throw it away.

I was thinking of doing this once I have more knowledge and experience keeping fish, so I will be keeping a close eye on this thread.

Good luck with your business adventure. Fish loss are the customers problem. You charge per gallon plus service charge. Fish are sold at your cost plus profit. The only problem is your on call 24/7. You will definitly need insurance.

My thoughts exactly.

Where would you get insurance for something like that and how much would it cost you? ((Not to hijack your thread, sorry!))

Go to an Indepent insurance agent. Tell them what you want and they will find it for you. Cost depends on how much coverage you want. Also where you live.

I have been servicing aquariums and rentals 21 years. If a fish dies because of your actions you should replace it. Sometimes it's hard to prove that you had nothing to do with the fish dying and you feel you should replace it or give credit just to save the account. To protect yourself and your family you should Incoporate or get a LLC. Insurance will not replace dead live stock whether you killed it or not. Insurance will protect you if you cause damage to property of if someone get hurt. Start slow, with a few account and grow from there. When I first started I had to buy from the LFS because the wholesalers would not sell to me even though I had my business license, Fed ID and sales tax #. You should be able to find info online from you local city government on starting a business.
Good luck

Very good points on getting you started. I know your preference is Saltwater Setups for your business... but, have you considered starting the maintenance business as Freshwater Tank maintenance since they are more forgiving! As you gain your confidence with customers fish and their tanks... gradually move into maintaining SALT as well...

PS dont forget "RICH People" as you identified are not as forgiving as WE are, LOL

thanks for the help and tips and tricks. I was wondering how i would do my pricing? I researched online and everyone offers free estimates but no online pricing... so it's hard for me to figure my prices if i have nothing to go off of.