No more instant ocean online?

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

Just went to DrsFosterandSmith to buy my usual cheap, instant ocean 200g box (spent several hundred $ the last year) only to find it jacked up in price. Initially I thought it was b/c they're now pushing their own brand. But they told me the MFR upped the price on them. So then went to BulkReefSupply (who I love) and THEY told me they're no longer allowed to sell it online. So something's up and its somewhere inbetween.

I have a 300g system and buy my salt based on budget. Cant afford the expensive stuff and havent yet decided I need it.

Any recommendations for a good, low budget mix?

ebushrow · Oct 4, 2017

They jacked the price to make their new salt less expensive and making you buy that instead....just marketing scam.

ReefinND · Oct 4, 2017

I buy my instant ocean off of amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...b36-1cfa214b5b2f&pf_rd_r=FA87F1S5VMSVMSEK5AJQ

I guess I don't know how much it was from Dr. F&S but when I had done a price check a few months ago, it was cheaper than Marine Depot. Also not sure if this will be a long term solution, since I see MD doesn't carry it either.....wonder how long it will take Amazon to run out.

blkhwkz · Oct 4, 2017

ebushrow said:
They jacked the price to make their new salt less expensive and making you buy that instead....just marketing scam.

Actually BRS already came out and said that Spectrum, who owns IO, was trying to get away from online sales and raising the price. Even Amazon prices went up and they don't have their own salt to sell.

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

Ok good stuff. didnt know any of that. Starting to make sense now.

So I've been buying IO 200g boxes (not reef crystals) from DFS for a long time, checked my orders from the last year+ and it was a stead $39.99.

Now gotta find an alternative!

Pntbll687 · Oct 4, 2017

blkhwkz said:
Actually BRS already came out and said that Spectrum, who owns IO, was trying to get away from online sales and raising the price. Even Amazon prices went up and they don't have their own salt to sell.

I can tell you with a fact that this is true. I work for a distribution company that sells instant ocean to independent stores. Spectrum will not let my company sell to certain stores because they turn around and sell it online for cheap, some times taking a loss just to get other business.
Spectrum includes
Instant ocean, marineland, and tetra on the aquatics side. There are some other small companies they own but those are the big ones.

You will probably see a push in the near future for map pricing on almost all brands. This is a Floor price that no one can sell below. It will help the independent stores compete with online sales.

Amazon is tricky, if a company sells TO amazon they cannot control the price of goods, amazon owns the product and price it how they see fit.
If a mfr lets stores sell ON Amazon then it is a third party seller who sells and ships. They just put it in an Amazon box and pay Amazon a commission.

Just some info I'll pass along.

Pntbll687 · Oct 4, 2017

bh750 said:
Ok good stuff. didnt know any of that. Starting to make sense now.

So I've been buying IO 200g boxes (not reef crystals) from DFS for a long time, checked my orders from the last year+ and it was a stead $39.99.

Now gotta find an alternative!

Check your local stores! Some larger independent stores will be close to that price.

AllSignsPointToFish · Oct 4, 2017

Well, that freaking sucks! After having Reef Crystals kill a bunch of my frags, I don't want to change to anything else other than Instant Ocean. This really aggravates me and makes me not want to use IO at all, but I'm gun-shy due to the bad experience with Reef Crystals.

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

Pntbll687 said:
I can tell you with a fact that this is true. I work for a distribution company that sells instant ocean to independent stores. Spectrum will not let my company sell to certain stores because they turn around and sell it online for cheap, some times taking a loss just to get other business.
Spectrum includes
Instant ocean, marineland, and tetra on the aquatics side. There are some other small companies they own but those are the big ones.

You will probably see a push in the near future for map pricing on almost all brands. This is a Floor price that no one can sell below. It will help the independent stores compete with online sales.

Amazon is tricky, if a company sells TO amazon they cannot control the price of goods, amazon owns the product and price it how they see fit.
If a mfr lets stores sell ON Amazon then it is a third party seller who sells and ships. They just put it in an Amazon box and pay Amazon a commission.

Just some info I'll pass along.

Great info! Had no idea about all of this. Very interesting as to how it all works. Thanks for the insight.

Pntbll687 said:
Check your local stores! Some larger independent stores will be close to that price.

Hmmm, I've stopped buying any dry goods from local stores b/c the prices are so much higher. I feel bad for them b/c they're losing but that's the reality. In fact there's only one store left I buy ANYTHING local from.

Since this is how I operate, I quickly did a survey of what else is out there. I know its not all about price but this helps me decide.
(Crazy I did a similar exercise in 2012 and still have the data. Where applicable I added in the price increase since then)

Sorted by salt name

By store

By lowest cost per gallon - Check out Coralife? Anyone use that?

BZOFIQ · Oct 4, 2017

Looks like amazon's price is up slightly too...I didnt pay those prices awhile back...but then again; everything went up.

Mike N · Oct 4, 2017

AllSignsPointToFish said:
Well, that freaking sucks! After having Reef Crystals kill a bunch of my frags, I don't want to change to anything else other than Instant Ocean. This really aggravates me and makes me not want to use IO at all, but I'm gun-shy due to the bad experience with Reef Crystals.

Time to switch to red sea. A bit of a price difference, but the stability,consistency, mixibility(made up word) is on point.

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

Conclusion. I'll probably by an order of the new DFS salt (b/c they give a $25 gift cert) then use the gift cert to buy some of the normal IO Salt I usually get before it's no longer available.

After that?

A little nervous to try the Coralife. Maybe Red Sea?

AllSignsPointToFish · Oct 4, 2017

I used to only use Coralife about 10 years ago. Never had any issues.

BZOFIQ · Oct 4, 2017

PetSolutions has the 200G Instant Ocean on sale at 42.95; you have to buy 2 boxes to get free shipping but that seems to be the cheapest.

https://www.petsolutions.com/C/Aqua...MIvNijpNvX1gIVCZRpCh1LZgjxEAYYAiABEgLfq_D_BwE

Amazon is at 46.98 with free shipping for prime members.

tankstudy · Oct 4, 2017

bh750 said:
A little nervous to try the Coralife. Maybe Red Sea?

Probably should look at your parameters first and then buy the salt that is closest to it.

Guess I'll buy x2 200 gallon boxes of IO salt. Only $46.98 atm on Amazon with Prime, while a 25 gallon mix is $31.85.

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

Sorry error in my lists above. The DFS IO stuff I usually buy is a 200g box, not 150. Changes the price per gallon.

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

AllSignsPointToFish said:
I used to only use Coralife about 10 years ago. Never had any issues.

Oh thats great to know. Maybe I'll buy some of that if I actually have the price right.

tankstudy said:
Probably should look at your parameters first and then buy the salt that is closest to it.

LOL didnt even think about that!

bh750 · Oct 4, 2017

xoomercom said:
PetSolutions has the 200G Instant Ocean on sale at 42.95; you have to buy 2 boxes to get free shipping but that seems to be the cheapest.

https://www.petsolutions.com/C/Aqua...MIvNijpNvX1gIVCZRpCh1LZgjxEAYYAiABEgLfq_D_BwE

Amazon is at 46.98 with free shipping for prime members.

This is great. Both of these are better options!! Both Amazon and Pet Solutions. Here's my updated list - looks like after I spend my GC at DFS I'll go buy a bunch of these from Pet Solutions before its no longer available. Then maybe switch to Coralife after some more research.

AllSignsPointToFish · Oct 4, 2017

I found the Coralife salt to be pretty benign. Plus, they used to stuff a t-shirt in each 150 gallon bucket

. I mostly bought it because it was readily available and it worked fine for me.

Pntbll687 · Oct 4, 2017

AllSignsPointToFish said:
I found the Coralife salt to be pretty benign. Plus, they used to stuff a t-shirt in each 150 gallon bucket . I mostly bought it because it was readily available and it worked fine for me.

Instant ocean did the same with the shirts for a while. I think I have 4 or 5. I buy my salt in bulk, usually 5-6 buckets at a time.