The Reef Doctor

I had a highly disappointing experience with The Reef Doctor LLC. Initially, Robert Deitz provided excellent biweekly aquarium maintenance services, including 20% water changes and detailed reports on water element levels. After Robert and David Rizkalla dissolved their partnership in April 2024, David took over, and the quality of service drastically declined. Despite being under contract until December 2024, I decided to terminate the service on June 25, 2024, due to consistent substandard service. The Reef Doctor LLC immediately charged me a $1350 early termination fee, which was not clearly outlined in the contract. When I contacted David to reverse my decision and continue the service to avoid the fee, he refused without reasonable justification. Furthermore, David’s communication was unprofessional and threatening. He claimed I had breached the contract by adding livestock against his advice, a term not explicitly stated in the contract, and threatened to charge an additional $2000 and recover attorney fees if I disputed the charge or reported him. Recently, I received an invoice for $3486.50, including charges for services and goods not clearly communicated or agreed upon. This invoice was sent as retaliation after I disputed the $1350 fee, seemingly to coerce me into accepting the initial charge. This approach is manipulative and unethical. Charging an early termination fee is very uncommon in fish tank maintenance services. This fee felt like a trap, especially when I was unhappy with the service. Customers should have the freedom to walk away without facing unreasonable penalties. The state of Tennessee has consumer protection laws to guard against unfair contract terms. The contract from The Reef Doctor LLC is heavily one-sided, providing no consumer protection, and penalizing clients unfairly for terminating the service due to dissatisfaction or financial constraints. I have reported David Rizkalla to the Tennessee Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs, for his unprofessional conduct. My review is an honest account of my experience. I urge potential clients to be cautious.

The Reef Doctor is the man. No one would help with my tank (because it has a turtle in it) and he was super quick to respond and come out to look. Instead of trying to upsell me a UV light for the filtration system (easily could have because I had bad algae problem), he gave me a cost effective solution that cleared the water up in 2 DAYS for a fraction of the price!! He ran a diagnostic and also gave me remedies for my chemical imbalances. It went from dark green to crystal clear after weeks of trying to fix it myself (countless hours re cleaning tank that I cannot get back). He will be my go to man from now on, and is always fair with pricing and you can tell that he is passionate about what he does. 10/10 highly recommend to anyone!!

Excellent service! David was very knowledgeable about a wide variety of things having to do with my tank issue. He was able to guide me through a very intense process of cleaning, which helped me feel confident in what I was doing. He also went above and beyond to aid in helping me complete the task. I now have a happy tank and turtle!! I would highly recommend this business. They are really passionate and care about the life of the tank and animals. It makes all the difference.

If your looking to have some help either designing or maintaining your salt water acquarium hands down the reef doctor is your guy !

Large selection