Why is King eds instant ocean so much cheaper?

[windcoast reefs]

Hey everyone,

Just bought a few buckets of instant ocean from king eds pets. It was $30, which is way less than anyone else!

Any ideas why?

[Aquattro]

I have some ideas :)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I think they brought in a truckload. Volume discount. Most LFS will bring in a pallet at a time at most.

Anthony

[apexifd]

Less markup? loss leader?

[MarkoD]

Free advertising on forums and via word of mouth. Brings people in the door. And then makes money on the other things they sell them

[Seriak]

Now if only someone in Calgary would do this for H2O

[Aquattro]

Less markup? loss leader?

It's below normal wholesale unless they're getting a container of it from China. And for the labour and storage of managing a container of salt, you'd think that they'd want to make a couple bucks. And most people I know just go there for the salt. Seems like a waste of time selling it at below cost.

[pinkreef]

Where is King Eds?:question:

[Aquattro]

Where is King Eds?:question:

Burnaby.

[The Guy]

Don't worry he's making a profit, that's the beauty of bulk buying.

[apexifd]

It's below normal wholesale unless they're getting a container of it from China. And for the labour and storage of managing a container of salt, you'd think that they'd want to make a couple bucks. And most people I know just go there for the salt. Seems like a waste of time selling it at below cost.

they move the salt of fast, there really isn't much storage. Also it usually goes to their yard so it's just forklift moving 48 bucket at the time.

[windcoast reefs]

Free advertising on forums and via word of mouth. Brings people in the door. And then makes money on the other things they sell them

Thats the only other thing I can think of.

[Bblinks]

That's exactly how they get you in the door. I been shopping there for years and for the most part its pleasant. I do know the owners and they not only buy bulk but they also sell below cost on IO salt. I have been using their IO salt for a long time and I have never had any isues and I usually buy 8-10 buckets at a time.

[Bblinks]

BTW, sometimes when I peel the IO label off it has another label behind it with some kind of castle and it says windsor on it.....just kidding. :mrgreen:

[windcoast reefs]

BTW, sometimes when I peel the IO label off it has another label behind it with some kind of castle and it says windsor on it.....just kidding. :mrgreen:

:biggrin:

[Aquattro]

That's exactly how they get you in the door. I been shopping there for years and for the most part its pleasant. I do know the owners and they not only buy bulk but they also sell below cost on IO salt. I have been using their IO salt for a long time and I have never had any isues and I usually buy 8-10 buckets at a time.


I guess my issue is that my bucket from them mixes at 440ppm Ca and 11dKh. Not what any other IO has mixed for me, and higher than IO states their values should be. What color castle is on that label?? :)

[Bblinks]

I talked to Greg about it last night. I don't think they can counterfeit salt but maybe.... I'll test my later and see what I get for results. When I say I'll test I meant the wife will test it for me.

[Aquattro]

Wayne got a bucket same time as mine. His tests much closer to IO. Mine is way off. So is Greg's. It concerns me that the levels are all over the place. I spoke to the Coast distributor this morning and he says they(KE) get it from a legitimate supplier, so who knows. But I've used this stuff for 20+ years and never got Ca over 400ppm!

[windcoast reefs]

Wayne got a bucket same time as mine. His tests much closer to IO. Mine is way off. So is Greg's. It concerns me that the levels are all over the place. I spoke to the Coast distributor this morning and he says they(KE) get it from a legitimate supplier, so who knows. But I've used this stuff for 20+ years and never got Ca over 400ppm!

Mine is a little above 400 for calcium level.

[tang daddy]

Wayne got a bucket same time as mine. His tests much closer to IO. Mine is way off. So is Greg's. It concerns me that the levels are all over the place. I spoke to the Coast distributor this morning and he says they(KE) get it from a legitimate supplier, so who knows. But I've used this stuff for 20+ years and never got Ca over 400ppm!

I tested mine and got high readings aswell for alk and ca mg was 1100.
Lovin IO..... So cheap and only need to top up mg alittle.

[Aquattro]

Here is what IO should be.

IO - All based on using 41.6 grams per liter and yields 35 ppt to mirror natural sea water.

pH 8.0 to 8.3
alkalinity 3.5 to 4.5 mEq/l
calcium 370 to 420 ppm (avg is right at 400 and mirrors NSW)
mag is 1250 to 1375 ppm
non detectible is phosphate, nitrate, ammonia and nitrite

[TimT]

After 30+ yrs of using IO/RC I am about ready to switch. Last year I tested some and Mag was at 1000. The last bucket I got the Alk was 12.5dkh.

[albert_dao]

IO's been mixing to a high KH for me also. Wreaked havoc with my bacterial systems.

[gregzz4]

I realize this is off topic, but I'm putting this up for all to see anyway, and so I don't have to write it down somewhere

The big 3 were tested with Elos, the kits were confirmed against J&L's kits, and I've gone through so many kits that there's no concern about old ones
My kits and test procedures came into question once, so they were confirmed @ J&L, and against 2 other reefer's kits with their own water
All matched

From when I started my LR in a tub until the bucket I opened in Sept/12, I used 6 bags of IO and 1 bucket. All bought from J&L and no batch #s

From my log book

10.5
410
1300

10.5
480
1400

10.5
480
1350

My last 6 buckets have tested;

Batch 11297 Sept 4/12
J&L
11
450
1400

Batch 12243 Opened Nov 9/12
King Ed's
11.5
450
1400-1450

Batch 12243 Opened Jan 9/13
King Ed's
11.5
460
1400

Batch 12243 Opened Mar 16/13
King Ed's
10.5
410
1450

Batch 12353 Opened June 13/13
King Ed's
10.5
410
1450

Batch 12353 Opened Aug 23/13
King Ed's
11.5
440
1450

[gregzz4]

Note the batch #s/dates from KE's
Looks like they either don't sell as much as we think, or they buy a huge amount at a time

[reeferfulton]

Note the batch #s/dates from KE's
Looks like they either don't sell as much as we think, or they buy a huge amount at a time

Or you bought them at the same time and opened one a year later ? :biggrin:

[Rice Reef]

:pop2:

[gregzz4]

Or you bought them at the same time and opened one a year later ? :biggrin:
Oops
I meant to correct that short post after the edit

I buy 2 at a time and thought I had 4 the same :rolleyes:

[jorjef]

I hear Ed the king sells salt cheap....by the sea shore.....

[steve fedyk]

just picked up 2 more today on the way home.

[windcoast reefs]

Hmm, seems to me like they may have pretty loose tolerances for the manufacturing compared to what they had before. If they are getting swings like that maybe they don't test every batch.

[don.ald]

I have some ideas :)

Don't say, "roll your bucket":wink:

[Aquattro]

Don't say, "roll your bucket":wink:

I can often be heard saying dumb things, but not THAT dumb!! :razz: