No competeton for Excel?

submerge

Junior Poster
Jul 5, 2008
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Why is that we do not have a competing product for Seachem Flourish Excel?

Is Excel a patented product or is this due to market dynamics?

Regards
Muthu K
 

Squawkbert

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Oct 20, 2008
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Another fair approximation is found in 14 day hospital cleaners such as Metricide 14, it is about 2.5% Glutaraldehyde. It is easy to find
 

Tom Barr

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Vaughn the ship cost is frigging 47+$ + 9.99. Nearly 60$.
Excel from Big Als is 37.99, but shipping is much less.
If you buy a few, then you get deals or buy other fish related stuff etc, then it's nearly free.

Excel is not 2.5% BTW either.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Tom Barr

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submerge;30257 said:
Why is that we do not have a competing product for Seachem Flourish Excel?

Is Excel a patented product or is this due to market dynamics?

Regards
Muthu K

It's likely more due to regional distributors. In Europe, Seachem has some presence, but not that large like in the USA. Overall, it would be hard to beat and eat into their established market they created. There's not much $ in this product overall and there's not a simple way to get around the local pricing for it.

You should be able to get a similar product in India for cheaper, but in the USA, once you pay for the ship cost etc, it' becomes a similar priced item.

In India however, or say Taiwan, then perhaps not.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

VaughnH

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Tom Barr;30268 said:
Vaughn the ship cost is frigging 47+$ + 9.99. Nearly 60$.
Excel from Big Als is 37.99, but shipping is much less.
If you buy a few, then you get deals or buy other fish related stuff etc, then it's nearly free.

Excel is not 2.5% BTW either.


Regards,
Tom Barr

Big Al's price is for a 4 liter jug. That ebay price is for 4-3.8 liter jugs, and I included the shipping cost in it. Big Al would charge 4 x $38 = $152 just for the Excel, with shipping cost to be added, while that ebay cost is about $60 including the shipping for 4-3.8 liter jugs. No question that the ebay cost is less, but if you have to dose 10X as much the Excel would be a better buy. That's why I asked if anyone knew how much of the ebay stuff you would dose per 100 gallons of water.
 

Tom Barr

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Well, if it's 4x 1 gallon, then yes, it's 2.5x cheaper or so.
They kill you on shipping though.

As far as dose, instead of 5mls of Excel add 3mls.
I know how to use a test kit:)

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

mi5haha

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Oct 12, 2008
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Squawkbert;30260 said:
Another fair approximation is found in 14 day hospital cleaners such as Metricide 14, it is about 2.5% Glutaraldehyde. It is easy to find
 

Tom Barr

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mi5haha;30295 said:
there is lab reagent level purity at 25% or 50%. you can dilute it with pure water. that will save a lot for the shipping. Glutaraldehyde shall be available at chemical stores.


You know what type of fumes and toxicity that implies?
:mad:

It's like handling concentrated acid, then you have to dilute it. Spill any, get any on you, in your eyes etc, that's not something I'd suggest for hobbyists to play with.

This is a much more serious safety issue, for what?
Save a few bucks........?
The transferring of concentrated chemicals and dilutions is where folks make careless mistakes and get themselves hurt.

Even at 1-2.5 %, it will cause permanent eye damage. Fumes are bad etc.
Stick with the lower concentration.

Do not play with highly concentrated biocides, few hobbyists will do common sense safety protocols for handling such toxins, and then you have the issue of the correct dilutions.

The risks are not worth the savings.
A few $ not to handle it is well worth it.


Regards,
Tom Barr
 

submerge

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Jul 5, 2008
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Chennai, India
All,
Thanks a lot for your responses. I did look up internet for a list of dealers across the globe for excel and the shipping cost was many times greater than the product itself. There is a reason why Indian aquarists use CO2 gas as the carbon source $1 = Rs 48 :) getting the gas is economical or having none is dirt cheap than staying on the middle path. I was looking for alternative products that I can suggest to the dealers to source it for me. Not that they are waiting to do it for me but atleast I will give it a try.
Aaron,
Thank you for bringing up easy carbo, We get Italian and german products in India why should the dutch be far off :)

Tom,
I second your opinion on Glutaraldehyde, I do not want to play around with it, $8 is a lot cheaper than having to deal with eye / skin problem.

Let me know if there are any other brands available, if anything atleast we would stand to gain product knowledge.

Thanks
Muthu K