Best source of Sea Lab #28 in Canada?

[Barncat]

A question for my fellow Canadians only: what's the best source of Sea Lab #28 reef supplement blocks in Canada? (Or, what's the best international source which won't see me spending $100 CAD on shipping?)

Amazon no longer seems to sell it and I need to buy some soon. I know that I could use FM All for Reef or kalkwasser instead if I have to, but I'd really prefer these supplement blocks as they are far more idiot proof to dose. (If I go away somewhere I can depend on my dad to plop a fresh block in my sump area without screwing up my water chemistry by accident. This is a guy whose version of cooking is cold beans out of a can.)

Hopefully this is the right forum! I apologize if it isn't.

 

[Spare time]

@Randy Holmes-Farley thoughts on these blocks?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

lol

It's the wrong forum since I do not recommend them. They cannot possibly do what they claim.

Even if I knew where to get them in Canada, i might not say. lol

But I don't.

 

[Barncat]

lol

It's the wrong forum since I do not recommend them. They cannot possibly do what they claim.

Even if I knew where to get them in Canada, i might not say. lol

But I don't.

Which is the correct forum?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Which is the correct forum?

lol

I was being sarcastic, and will again: one that gives bad advice.

Using it is bad advice.

 

[Barncat]

I don't believe that this is a laughing matter. You should not troll others for asking honest, innocent questions (which is exactly what you are doing.) Your rudeness, clear extreme bias and lack of scientific sources or even attempt at explaination for your opinion does not make you a good source of information for anyone.

Good day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't believe that this is a laughing matter. You should not troll others for asking honest, innocent questions (which is exactly what you are doing.) Your rudeness, clear extreme bias and lack of scientific sources or even attempt at explaination for your opinion does not make you a good source of information for anyone.

Good day.

I suggest you rethink your post. I was trying to help you in a humorous way, but I can see you prefer to not approach it that way, so I won’t.

I do not troll this forum. This is my expert chemistry forum and I am giving you expert chemistry advice as a recognized chemistry expert m.

I am not trolling you. I am trying to keep you from making a mistake based on false marketing claims.

I have been dealing with the false claims of Sealab 28, and the folks who fall for these claims for decades. I have discussed them dozens of times and the answer must always be the same.

It is not bias. The product cannot do what it claims.

If you want, I am happy to go through the claims one by one and show how ridiculous they are.

But in simple terms, the product simply dissolves at a rate related to flow and temperature and other factors, adding all the chemicals in it regardless of whether your tank needs them or not.

That might in some cases be better than doing nothing, but it is exactly like dosing other calcium products independent of whether your tank needs them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Here’s a copy and paste from another thread of the fundamental issue:

It dissolves, releasing everything in it, at some rate.

It certainly does not do this:

"Sea-Lab Formula 28 is a mixture of naturally occurring buffer compounds that maintains natural ocean concentrations of calcium, strontium, and all 15 essential trace elements. "

"As elements are depleted from solution, Formula 28 delivers exactly equivalent amounts to replace them."

Curiously, it makes no mention of magnesium at all. Their "product analysis" is just a list of concentration of SOME ions in seawater. If you believe their list of ingredients, it releases those over the time it takes to dissolve. . By the time it has dissolved, it has released all of these:

Sea Lab #28 Replenisher Kilo Block / Sea Lab / Additives / Saltwater / Dry Goods - Quality Marine

 

[Spare time]

I don't believe that this is a laughing matter. You should not troll others for asking honest, innocent questions (which is exactly what you are doing.) Your rudeness, clear extreme bias and lack of scientific sources or even attempt at explaination for your opinion does not make you a good source of information for anyone.

Good day.

To be fair, I didn't see his post as being rude. I read it as taking a jab at the product/company.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m sorry my humor failed. I sometimes try to make the forum more interesting than dry answers to questions. I think people sometimes remember chemistry if it seems fun rather than simple reciting of chemistry.

I also did not give all the reasons to think it an undesirable product as I assumed that would be in follow-up discussions. Perhaps that was a mistake.

Regardless, I stand by my comments about Sealab 28 and believe my comments reflect the best possible scientific analysis of the claims without any undue bias.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, someone is testing the blocks in their tank here:

Sea lab 28 experiment

Day one I will officially stop Dosing in my tank and only use sea lab no 28 I will update weekly with pictures. Alkalinity 9.5 Calcium 490 Magnesium 1410 Phosphate 1.0 Nitrate 0.9

www.reef2reef.com

 

[brandon429]

If you immediately ceased using sealab in your tank, it will continue on the same way as if you didn't cease its use

That's a neat way of framing its utility in reefing in my opinion. Whether or not sealab is used, you can't tell or test for a change in any way. It's use is neutral in reefing