Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

Well, after talking with my boss, Bill, at B&B, I have planted the seed of doubt about the various supplements Kent Marine sells. As a result, they are sending their head rep (for other reasons also, not just this) I have my own evidence against the direct addition of most of their supplements (strontium, iodine, essential elements) from authoritative sources. Bottom line, I need more. I need as much as humanly possible. While it won't stop manufacture, it will plant the seed of doubt in their own big wigs. It may end up being a push in the right direction.

Thanks in advance
Andrew

P.S. If you can provide links, all the better.

Hmmm, never been a fan of any Kent marine products myself. Will snoop around and see if I can find anything.

Amphiprion wrote:Well, after talking with my boss, Bill, at B&B, I have planted the seed of doubt

Instead plant the seed of doubt to Bill that his prices are too high. I cannot afford his pumps, supplements...hell I just quit buying his dog food too. His corals are 4 times higher than anyone else. I cannot see how he prices things so high and sleeps at night.

As far as supplements go I never believed in pumping that stuff in my tank. You can have a perfectly healthy growing tank with no supplements.

Here is a article on iron but the first paragraph states it all.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm
BTW snoop i am trying my hardest to try to get some prices down but i have to start with baby steps (getting him to match prices on dry goods sold localy) I have gotten a little ground with this and still fighting for more.

Just blows my mind, I think he lives in his own little world sometimes. I saw him at Wal-Mart his weekend and wanted to say something, just bit my tongue instead.

No idea on the kent supplements, I don't use them, but Pet Supplies Plus seems to have the best selection and prices on premium dog food around here.

Brandon wrote:Pet Supplies Plus seems to have the best selection and prices on premium dog food around here.

I agree. That's where I buy my dog food. I learned from several breeders that I know that http://www.jefferspet.com has better prices on chews, rawhides, etc. than anyone locally. So that's where I get that stuff for my dogs. And they are located in Dothan so your shipment gets to you withing a day or two.

Brandon wrote:Pet Supplies Plus seems to have the best selection and prices on premium dog food around here.

Quid?????

Amphiprion wrote:

Brandon wrote:Pet Supplies Plus seems to have the best selection and prices on premium dog food around here.

Quid?????

You mean prices?

Back on the kent additives, I don't have a problem with some of their additives, but some of them seem like snake-oil, like their Coral Vite, Essential Elements, Chromaplex, Coral Accel, zooplex, and those other mystery grow-juice ones. I'm not adding it if I don't know what's in it. Seems to cater to people that don't know any better.


But , I like their Calcium and Buffer aditives, and I doe use ZoeCon.

Well, a lot of it is debate on snake oil style things, among others. Much of it has to do with the addition of strontium and whether it is necessary over and above water changes--I haven't found it to be so. The rep counters that you get it in kalkwasser, which means that it is a) a low grade kalkwasser with poor Ca buffering due to presence of excess strontium or b) the rep is full of it (I think it is a combination). The second thing he counters with is that calcium balance is dependent upon strontium levels (bull). I found a study that showed that any levels of strontium in kalkwasser have a negligible impact on overall levels over time, WITHOUT water changes--thus disproving his "explanation" even more. Plus, there is evidence for the usage of strontium in only a select few organisms--it hasn't been shown to be more than coincidental in coral skeletons. Strontium even precipitates abiotically WITH calcium, so it doesn't really mean squat. The next was iodine, which I haven't gotten around to yet, as it is actually a poison to crustaceans, which forces them to molt (Shimek, I believe mentions this). They actually incorporate it and molt in order to get RID of it. I am still working on the rest of their snake oils.

Sorry offtopic here, but GermanShepherdGirl I had forgotten all about Jeffers, thank you for saying that. I needed some supplies and stuff (stuff not available locally) and was going to order from somewhere a bit higher, you just saved me some money.. thanks!

No problem!

snoopdog wrote:

Amphiprion wrote:Well, after talking with my boss, Bill, at B&B, I have planted the seed of doubt

Instead plant the seed of doubt to Bill that his prices are too high. I cannot afford his pumps, supplements...hell I just quit buying his dog food too. His corals are 4 times higher than anyone else. I cannot see how he prices things so high and sleeps at night.

I have made some more progress. Lots of the coral prices have dropped 10-20 dollars.

He is only hurting himself with the high prices. When he keeps the reef nerds away from his own place he is only chopping his nose off. His store hours are good and it is always "manned" but the reason I do not go in there are the prices.