Cheap Aquaria Chems and Ferts

[ppanther]

Some people have been trying to sell chems like Potassium Nitrate for $30 PER KG.... It is available Australia wide for under $2 per kg and I'm getting sick of these people trying to take advantage of peoples inexperience.

Potassium Nitrate, as well as many other agriculture chemicals routinely used in PMDD for planted aquaria is available for under $2 PER KG from ELDERS - a chain of ag supply stores across Australia. One of their stores located in Castle Hill. This is water-soluable Potassium Nitrate powder and I have been using it for over a year now - it has chemical components on the bags (from memory 99.7% KNO3 by volume - the rest being water as it is hygroscopic.

Additonally, as Potassium Nitrate is an strong oxidiser it falls under the prohibited items listings (check www.auspost.com.au for details) for postage via Australia post. Courier is the only option for this substance however considering it is available so cheaply across Aus anyway there is little to no reason to buy it at extremely elevated prices from kids trying to make a quick buck.

I do advise anybody who is looking for a specific chemical for aquaria to check out places such as Elders before paying prices from private sellers as it appears that people are trying to take advantage of the lack of knowledge - which is pretty much the opposite vibe that these forums are suposed to encompass!

Check the Elders website to locate a source close to you - if not try other agriculture suppliers before paying excess.

[GTR73]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm always pleased to see people doing their consumer homework and flowing this onto others.

So allow me to get on my soap box:

Unfortunately our market system means that business can continuously take advantage of people who are happy to "pay whatever" for convinence, or thru good marketing. Apple's Ipod is a great example of an average product that sells like hot cakes because of excellent marketing.

Next time you go to the Supermarket check out how products are shrinking in size but the prices stay the same - ceral packets are a fine example. It's all good marketing. So when some bozo goes to sell Potassium Nitrate as "Supergreen Aquarium Plant Food" for $30/kg, the bloke in the 4WD Porche Cayenne doesn't care when buying some for his kids aquarium.

I thought it was just me that is forever trying avoid being bent over a barrell by the market.

Thanks again for keeping us informed.

[[RK]]

Do you have their castle hill contact?

All i can find is some real estate place.

[[RK]]

okay, jut called them. theyre cheap. but they only sell by 25kg bags :S

[D6C1]

Hey GTR73,

TT (Today Tonight) talked about it a few weeks ago. I shop smart and usually compare weight to price rather than packet size :D

It maybe a new look box, and bigger, but less actual content and more $$!

Hey RK, I could get a KG or two off you. Let me know how you go.

[D6C1]

Where in sydney are you?

[Markus13]

Sorry, but are you honestly out of your mind?

Although this compound has its place in the hobby, it is also used to make smoke bombs and detonation devices.

Is this something you really want to be selling or dealing with, being that you dont have a license to sell hazordous materials?

Before getting on the soapbox saying how much money you can save people, please think about the other implications you may be getting yourself into.

[ppanther]

Ello Markus - thanks for the thoughful reply.

I have already checked up on this as originally I was concerned about legalities regarding this, however Potassium Nitrate is not on a list of restricted sale items and as such is freely available from quite a number of sources. Whilst nefarious things can be performed with Potassium Nitrate the same can be said for petrol which additionally does not fall under retail regulations.

That said, the nitrate as mentioned is soluable and contains approx 3% water which due to Potassium Nitrates properties is fairly difficult to elimitate. This water does not pose a problem to us aquaria users nor as mentioned when I use it on our rose garden however I am sure that it would pose a problem for somebody trying to do something nefarious with it.

The hazard code that I mentioned in the original post pertains to the fact that this chemical is an oxidiser and as such Australia Post do NOT transport it.

I do not in any way endorse using anything like this for nefarious purposes and I will do all in my power to ensure that is not the outcome. I am not willing to be a middle man or supplier for people who are trying to buy quantities that would appear suspicious - and I imagine that anybody who was intrested in doing something illegal would be intrested in more than the 1kg and below quantities that people are talking about for aquaria use.

If anybody has any information to the contrary please share it as I appreciate input like this. The reason I am giving this information isnt to make money or anything like that - it is simply to inform the aquarium society so that they do not get taken advantage of by profiteers as so many of us do when we first start out... Hell its happened to me anyway ($80 per kg of ph-down when I can get it for $11.95? STFU! lol)

[ppanther]

Upon further introspection I've decided to rescind my offer of selling it in smaller quantities as it will be a pain to have to purchase extra bags of the stuff just to sell it in smaller quantities. Given the state of things at the moment I just don't have the time however I hope that somebody else can use the information I have provided to source it for themselves and then split the quantities.

Sorry!

[teflon]

Sorry, but are you honestly out of your mind?

Although this compound has its place in the hobby, it is also used to make smoke bombs and detonation devices.

Is this something you really want to be selling or dealing with, being that you dont have a license to sell hazordous materials?

Before getting on the soapbox saying how much money you can save people, please think about the other implications you may be getting yourself into.

←

Mate you can make a pretty powerful bomb from ingredients found in a supermarket such as Chlorine,snail pellets,vinegar,Bi Carb,Epsom Salt,Ping Pong balls,Foil the list is endless.

If ppanther knew of this place then chances are another 100000 people knew also and if people wanted to get the products for Ill use im sure they wouldn't do so on a public forum

Good on you ppanther for sharing with everyone!

[BlakeyBoyR]

Nice of you to offer panther, but another thing people must be aware of when creating their own fertilisers is the risks to livestock. If you're comfortable with chemistry, and are aware of the correct manner in which to store and use chemicals, then go for your life! If however, you're just trying to save a few bucks, and realistically arent that great with chemistry and dont know what goes with what and what you should mix with what, then perhaps you should stick to flourish

Yes mixing your own is cheaper, but there ARE risks involved and you must be fully aware of them before attempting to create your own fertilisers. I'd say though, that the "BE AWARE" motto pretty much applies to ANY time you're mixing chemicals at home.

This has been a public service announcement from BlakeyBoyR

[ppanther]

If you're comfortable with chemistry, and are aware of the correct manner in which to store and use chemicals, then go for your life! If however, you're just trying to save a few bucks, and realistically arent that great with chemistry and dont know what goes with what and what you should mix with what, then perhaps you should stick to flourish

I agree whole-heartedly Blakey, and I wish to stress this to anybody reading this thread that you must be comfortable and have a strong understanding on the levels and relationships of those levels in your aquarium otherwise it can spell disaster. This information is solely meant to inform that you can source your ingredients for cheaper than some others are selling on these forums - it is not meant as a 'cheap replacement' for premix ferts bought at the LFS unless you are experienced enough to use the chems seperately.

That said - it is more more beneficial than pre-mixes for advanced aquarists, not only because of the cost but additionally because you can replace only the elements that are lacking in the aquarium allowing you a much greater control over the specific chemistry of your aquarium. Potassium Nitrate especially is useful in heavily planted aquaria WHEN REQUIRED as it is beneficial to plants but not algae, so if you can keep a hold on your phosphates (which you usually cant do with premixes) you can essentially starve algae out of your tank whilst keeping the rest of the plants flourishing!