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Where to buy supplies?
Where do you guys buy your products? Whether it be food, skimmers, ro/di units, salt, etc?
As much as I like to support local, I find the prices kind of high, online seem to be the best place? |
reefsupplies.ca pretty much wins in most cases. Great selection, prices and awesome customer service.
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Reef Supplies and JL Aquatics is who I use online, both have good prices and service. I was using Amazon to get Aquaforest salt because they had free shipping but now they don't have it so local is still the cheapest way to buy salt unless you can get free shipping on it.
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FYI Aquarium Illusions has Reef Crystals salt on for $56 which is cheaper than the two online stores I mentioned.
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How about anything to do with plumbing, like PVC parts, valves, and or Spa flex hose?
Locally, HD, Lowes, and Rona have a terrible selection. |
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Bump, I found a couple places locally for PVC and the spa flex.
Just need to know where you guys get the sch 80 gate valves, specifically 1.5". |
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Thanks |
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nothing with those guys^
Might have to bite the bullet and order from the US. Hopefully there's some good Boxing day deals, I just hate paying the ridiculous shipping costs.:x-mas: |
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Again, try Corix for the SCH80 items. If they don't carry, they can order in from Spears. SCH80 gate valves will be expensive, just a warning.
http://www.corix.com/contact-us/cont...oducts/alberta Shouldn't have to source gate valves from the US, especially in Alberta. |
I've rarely had luck finding gate valves or bulkheads at local plumbing supply companies. I have found Spears gate valves on occasion, but they cost double what LFS have them for. I'm not sure what the deal is. That's like RO filters - go to a water store of Home Depot and the filters cost at least double. The most local to you that I know of that has gate valves is Concept Aquatics in Calgary. Otherwise, our sponsors J&L Aquatics and Reef Supplies both carry gate valves.
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J&L and Amazon, along with some US companies.
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Brand also plays a part.
Spears (gate valves) and Hayward (bulkheads) just cost more than B&K or others for Schedule 80. Also, the seal type can up the cost as well. Make sure you are looking at Buna-N, not EPDM or FKM o-rings. The Spears part numbers for slip x slip, Buna-N, non-rising gate valves are below. 1" 2012-010 1.5" 2012-015 2" 2012-020 Charles |
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Bulk Reef Supply (US company) 1.5" Spears Gate Valve USD$57.99 (preferred pricing) + 15% for duties and taxes = USD$66.69 x 1.37 for exchange = CAD$91.37 + shipping...maybe you split that with other things you buy, but still, the cost is MORE than $91.37 because there is no free shipping to Canada. Reef Supplies (Canadian company) 1.5" Spears gate valve CAD$65.95 + 5% for GST = CAD$69.25 + shipping, unless you buy more goodies and get over $150 in which case shipping is free. Seems like a pretty easy decision to me. :) |
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Exchange is killing it all. Good for local businesses though. I used to always think about getting it all from the US due to higher prices here when the dollar was at par but my perspective has changed since. It was a timely change for sure... just spent a ton within the borders this year. |
Yeah, US exchange is killing us... Am buying more and more stuff from China now through AliExpress. Only problem (and a big one) is having to wait a month or more for delivery.
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I order from China/Hong Kong and have found parcels arrive to the US a lot quicker, average is around 7 days, sometimes 10 days. |
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Shipping is free to Canada, and have never been charged duty or tax. The only problem is the wait, and occasionally having to deal with a scammer (if the deal is too good to be true, then it is not). But they have a good dispute mechanism, and have never lost money. |
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