# Alternative (Cheaper!) Sources For EI Salts?



## jagillham (15 Jul 2015)

Hi,

I'm looking for alternative sources for the EI salts and wondered if any of these were suitable...

*500g Mono potassium phosphate - fertilizer high grade!* (£4.49)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AU6MAAW

*1kg 1000g Saltpetre min.99.8%-assay! Potassium nitrate*  (£6.99)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010GB4GWA

*1kg Magnesium Sulphate food grade! (Epsom salt) organic 100% pure (*£3.79)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VPITEU8

P+P for the lot would be £12.50 - and I think I'd need to get the 'Chelated Trace Elements' from APF or similar.

I think there is money to be saved, but unsure what is 'aquarium safe'?


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## Jose (15 Jul 2015)

jagillham said:


> I think there is money to be saved, but unsure what is 'aquarium safe'?


They are most probably aquarium safe. "Aquarium safe" is very subjective and there is loads of opinions for this hobby.


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## ian_m (15 Jul 2015)

Well I make your cheaper source £30.66 (P&P is £15.39).

AquariumPlantFood.co.uk will do the same amounts for £24.70 +£7 P&P total £31.70.

Hardly cheaper.

I know which I would get after hearing so many stories about Ebay chemicals not being what they claim to be.


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## dw1305 (15 Jul 2015)

Hi all, 





jagillham said:


> I'm looking for alternative sources for the EI salts and wondered if any of these were suitable...


Food grade is fine, I'm pretty sure they will be the pukka item. 





ian_m said:


> AquariumPlantFood.co.uk will do the same amounts for £24.70 +£7 P&P total £31.70.


 I'm with Ian, APF can source chemicals that might be of interest to us (like magnesium nitrate), but not to cooks etc.  

It is in our interest to put the business through specialist sellers, because if we don't there won't be any.

cheers Darrel


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## alto (15 Jul 2015)

jagillham said:


> 1kg Magnesium Sulphate food grade! (Epsom salt) organic 100% pure



But no analytical lab will find any compound to be "100%" pure ...

and if you click on the accompanying certificates of analysis, the Mg SO4 is certified halal (not the same as organic in my lexicon) & not 100% anything & has been repackaged from the original 25kg bag (so likely not even halal anymore)

If you keep shrimp or sensitive fish, you want to be very careful of tank additives, especially those used long term.


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## ian_m (15 Jul 2015)

How can MgSO4 be "organic". It is an inorganic salt either mined directly or from drying mineral springs, especially like those in Epsom...which is why it is call Epsom salts.


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## alto (15 Jul 2015)

That was the first thing that caught my attention on that MgSO4 ... premium grade MgSO4 is synthetic, organic anything is least likely to be 100% "_pure_"


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## jagillham (15 Jul 2015)

ian_m said:


> Well I make your cheaper source £30.66 (P&P is £15.39).
> 
> AquariumPlantFood.co.uk will do the same amounts for £24.70 +£7 P&P total £31.70.
> 
> Hardly cheaper.



Not sure I agree with your maths...

*Potassium Phosphate KH2PO4 (500g)*
Amazon - £4.49
APF - £6.00

*Potassium Nitrate KNO3 (1kg)*
Amazon - £6.99
APF - £11.00

*Magnesium Sulphate MgSO4 (1kg)*
Amazon - £3.79
APF- £7.20

*Total:*
Amazon - £15.27 (£12.50 P&P) = £27.77
APF - £24.20 (£9.99 P&P) = £34.19

Saving £6.42. Plus this would be more if ordering bigger batches. Some of the above can buy upto 25kg buckets!


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## darthpaul (16 Jul 2015)

Random seller on Amazon v Trusted seller known by plenty of people on here.... I know which I would choose for the sake of £5.


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## jagillham (16 Jul 2015)

Got from APFUK this time around in the end as completely run out of 2 salts so in a rush. I see they lurking on this thread. May I suggest you guys look at the option of selling bigger packs or in ratios closer to the standard EI dosing please? I'd happily buy a bundle if two didn't run out when the other two are still half full.


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## MedicMan (17 Jul 2015)

I get so annoyed my mgso4 runs out faster than anything!

Please excuse grammar and spelling mistakes in this post. I'm posting from my phone/tablet.


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## tim (17 Jul 2015)

Order a few packs of the salts that run out fastest, treat yourself to some nice glassware to qualify for free shipping with apfuk and save on postage, that's what I do  Oh and don't forget to use the 10% Off code for ukaps members


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## jagillham (17 Jul 2015)

Ah bum! Didn't realise there was a discount code I could have used!


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## Lofoaquascape (29 Oct 2019)

jagillham said:


> Ah bum! Didn't realise there was a discount code I could have used!


Hi could I have the discount code please


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