Service one
Dosing Pump Bays
A dosing pump bay is the part of the range that most directly carries the word dose. We stock two, three and four channel peristaltic heads together with the tubing sets, roller assemblies, motor mounts and mounting brackets that keep them running. Every head we ship has been run on our own bench against a graduated cylinder, so the volume delivered over a timed interval is known before the housing is packed. Where a buyer has ordered a replacement head for an existing doser, we confirm the tube size and the connector type first, because a head that fits the bracket but uses the wrong tube will either under dose slowly or split within a fortnight.
Tubing is sold separately and in cut lengths, and we label the material on each length. Silicone tubing is soft and quiet but takes a permanent set over months, while Norprene style tubing holds its shape longer at the cost of a slightly harder squeeze. For keepers who dose very small volumes we also carry reduced bore tubing, since a standard bore pump running for two seconds will often deliver more than a peristaltic head can meter reliably at the low end of its range. If you are not sure which of these applies to your system, describe the tank volume and the daily dose in millilitres and we will suggest a starting point.
The bay service also covers calibration after delivery. A dosing head that was accurate on our bench can drift once it is mounted at an angle or fitted with a longer run of tubing, so we include a short calibration card with each pump. The card explains the timed catch method and the arithmetic needed to convert a measured catch volume into a pump setting. Keepers who prefer to have the work done for them can book a calibration review with the unit in hand, and we will record the delivered volume at three settings so the schedule can be built from measured figures rather than guesswork.
Service two
Test Kit Runs
Test kit runs exist because reagent expires. We hold alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and ammonia test kits in both full and refill form, and we rotate the stock on a fixed calendar so that the oldest box is the first one out of the door. Every kit we ship has its manufacture and expiry information visible on the outer packaging, and if a kit has a shorter remaining window than we would like, we tell the buyer before dispatch rather than after. A kit that arrives with two months left is still useful, but the buyer should know that when the decision is made.
Beyond the shelf, a test kit run is a short piece of advice. Many reading errors come from technique rather than from reagent, so we include a printed method card with each run covering sample volume, shaking time, drop counting and the light under which the comparator should be read. For nitrate and phosphate kits in particular, the difference between reading a card by daylight and reading it under warm room light can be larger than the change a keeper is trying to detect. We describe the conditions each kit was designed for and note where a buyer might reasonably choose a different kit for a particular range.
For shops and service technicians we also run periodic kit bundles. A bundle groups the tests a maintenance visit typically uses, with quantities set against the number of tanks on the round. Bundles rotate on the same calendar as individual kits, so a technician who orders once a month will never be handed the same ageing cluster twice. If a buyer wants a custom bundle, the restock order sitting is the right place to build one, since it looks at consumption over a quarter rather than at a single purchase.
Service three
Controller Part Desks
Controller part desks stock the electronics that sit above a reef tank and slowly absorb salt creep. Boards, power supplies, relay modules, temperature sensors, display panels, communication modules and the connectors that join them are held as separate lines, because a single failed relay module should not force a buyer to replace an entire controller. Each part is listed against the model family it fits, and where a family has revised its connector layout between generations we note the revision on the label and on the packing slip.
A part desk order begins with a photograph of the existing board and a description of the fault. If the fault is a dead display but the controller still switches outputs, the display panel is the likely part; if the controller resets when a heater engages, the power supply or the relay module is the more probable culprit. We are careful to say when we are not certain, because a buyer who replaces the wrong module has spent money and gained only information. Where a fault looks like it belongs in warranty, we say so and point the buyer back to the original vendor instead of selling a part that may not be needed.
We also carry a small selection of enclosure parts: gaskets, gland nuts, blanking plugs and cable entries. These are the pieces that keep salt air out of a controller cabinet, and they are frequently the cheapest fix available. A controller that has been reliable for years and then starts to glitch after a humid week often has a tired gasket rather than a failed board. Replacing the seal and re-seating the cable entries costs very little and can postpone the more expensive repair by years.
Service four
Water Parameter Windows
A water parameter window is a reference conversation rather than a product. We walk a keeper through target ranges for salinity, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate, and then map those targets onto the dosing schedule that the installed hardware can realistically support. The aim is not to impose a single correct number on every tank. A mixed reef, a soft coral tank and a fish only system have different needs, and a target that suits one can be a slow problem in another. What matters is that the keeper knows why a range was chosen and what will happen if the tank drifts outside it.
The window also covers the practical side of measurement. How often should alkalinity be tested when a dosing schedule is stable? Which parameter should be checked after a water change? What is the sensible response when a single reading is out of range but the coral looks healthy? These are the questions that turn a set of numbers into a working routine, and they are best answered with the keeper describing the tank rather than with a generic article. We take notes during the conversation and send a short written summary afterwards so the decisions are not lost.
We are explicit about the limits of this service. It is guidance for hobby and small commercial systems, not veterinary advice and not a substitute for a laboratory analysis when one is genuinely needed. If a system shows signs that suggest contamination or a failing piece of equipment, our advice is to isolate the cause before adjusting chemistry. Adjusting dosing to compensate for a hidden fault is one of the most common ways a small problem becomes an expensive one, and a window conversation is a good place to catch that early.
Service five
Probe Calibration Reviews
Probe calibration reviews cover pH, salinity, oxidation reduction potential and temperature probes. A review starts with the probe history: how old it is, how it has been stored, when it was last calibrated and what the readings have been doing. From that we can usually tell whether a probe needs fresh reference solution and a careful calibration, or whether it has reached the end of its life and should be replaced. The distinction matters because a keeper who keeps recalibrating a failing probe will keep correcting against a drifting reference and will slowly push the tank away from where it should be.
Where a review ends in replacement, we supply the probe together with the correct storage cap and a bottle of storage solution. This is not an upsell. A probe shipped without storage protection can dry out before it reaches the buyer, and a dry probe is a probe that will drift from the first day of use. We would rather include the cap and explain its purpose than sell a probe that disappoints. For salinity probes we also discuss the difference between a refractometer reading and a conductivity reading, since the two can disagree in a way that is informative rather than alarming.
The review includes a simple drift log format that a keeper can maintain on paper or in a spreadsheet. The log records the date, the reference solution used, the reading before adjustment and the reading after. Over a few months the log shows whether a probe is stable, slowly drifting or failing outright. That record is also useful when a controller or probe is replaced, because it gives the new owner a baseline. We keep the format deliberately simple so that it is actually used, since an elaborate log that nobody fills in is worth less than a plain one that is kept up to date.
Service six
Restock Order Sittings
A restock order sitting is a scheduled review of what a bench consumes. It is designed for small shops, service technicians and large home systems that go through consumables steadily enough to justify planning. The sitting looks at a quarter of usage rather than a single order: how much tubing was replaced, how many reagent kits were opened, how many probe caps and calibration solutions went out, and which parts sat unused on the shelf. From that picture we agree a minimum shelf quantity for each line and a rotation order that puts the oldest stock first.
The output of the sitting is a single restock list with lead times attached. Each line carries a realistic delivery estimate based on our current stock position, and any line that is not held locally is marked so the buyer can decide whether to plan around a longer wait or choose an equivalent. We do not pad the list to increase the order. A sitting that produces a smaller, better tuned list is a success, because it reduces both emergency purchases and quiet waste from expired reagent. The plan is reviewed at the next sitting and adjusted against what actually happened.
Sittings can be held by email, by phone or in person at 12/F Elite Centre, 22 Hung To Rd, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong - 999077, Hong Kong (HK). Most buyers prefer the first two, and we are happy to work from a spreadsheet export of past orders if one is available. The important thing is that the conversation is anchored in real consumption rather than in a memory of the last busy week. Benches that plan this way tend to spend less overall and to have fewer surprised weekends, which is the outcome we are aiming for.