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  #1  
Old 01/01/2008, 03:15 PM
tbone28 tbone28 is offline
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Which brand of frag plugs/disks are you using?

I see on Marine Depot's site some ceramic ones and ones made by Boston Aqua Farms.

I've read that the Boston ones can cause a mini-cycle. What about the ceramic ones?

I'm about to order a 30-count frag pack from Reefermadness and don't want to cause another cycle after I mount the frags.

Thanks
  #2  
Old 01/01/2008, 04:16 PM
lvpd186 lvpd186 is offline
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I've never heard of the frag plugs from Boston Aquatic Farms causing a mini-cycle. If anything they could cause a fluctuation in ph if they are not fully cured. As for the other kind I've never used them.
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  #3  
Old 01/01/2008, 04:18 PM
Lance M. Lance M. is offline
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Why don't you just use broken up pieces of lr or small pieces of dry base rock? I personally hate the look of those plugs and always put my frags on rock.
  #4  
Old 01/01/2008, 04:27 PM
tbone28 tbone28 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by lvpd186
I've never heard of the frag plugs from Boston Aquatic Farms causing a mini-cycle. If anything they could cause a fluctuation in ph if they are not fully cured. As for the other kind I've never used them.
I found it on Boston's website. Here's a link:

http://www.bostonaquafarms.com/default.aspx?page=faq

Which plugs do you use?
  #5  
Old 01/01/2008, 04:39 PM
lvpd186 lvpd186 is offline
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Hmm, I wonder what they mean by a "second shorter cure cycle?" Uncured cement based products can lower ph from what I understand, but I don't remember reading anything about them causing what we would commonly call a "cycle." As for plugs I manufacture my own plastic frag plugs & use them.
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  #6  
Old 01/01/2008, 05:26 PM
tbone28 tbone28 is offline
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lvpd186, YGPM
  #7  
Old 01/01/2008, 05:54 PM
lvpd186 lvpd186 is offline
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Reply sent !
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  #8  
Old 01/01/2008, 06:55 PM
coraljunky coraljunky is offline
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I use branching rock and slice it with a wet saw.
  #9  
Old 01/01/2008, 07:04 PM
marcus01 marcus01 is offline
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ivpd186 pm sent
  #10  
Old 01/01/2008, 07:05 PM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
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i thought these things were already cured?? if i would have known that i would have just made them myself and cured them
  #11  
Old 01/01/2008, 07:13 PM
tbone28 tbone28 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by nietzsche
i thought these things were already cured?? if i would have known that i would have just made them myself and cured them
Are you referring to the Boston ones?
  #12  
Old 01/01/2008, 07:15 PM
tbone28 tbone28 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Lance M.
Why don't you just use broken up pieces of lr or small pieces of dry base rock? I personally hate the look of those plugs and always put my frags on rock.
The rubble would look better, but it may be harder to place the frag exactly where i want it if the rubble doesn't fit well. My concern with dry base rock is the same concern I have with plugs that are not fully cured - I don't want to create a 2nd mini-cycle.

The frag pack I'm buying is going into my display tank.
  #13  
Old 01/01/2008, 07:30 PM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by tbone28
Are you referring to the Boston ones?
yes, and it wont create a mini-cycle, what's going to change (maybe) is the pH of your tank. i cant remember if it raises it or lowers it, but i think it lowers. i know when i made DIY rock for my 14 gallon it increased the pH in the tub it was in. it was super high and i had to leave it in the tub while changing out the water every week for close to a month before it was safe to use
  #14  
Old 01/01/2008, 09:30 PM
Reefski's Reefski's is offline
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cementous products are alkaline and raise the pH.

you say it lowers the pH but it raised the pH for you. ???????????

Carl
  #15  
Old 01/01/2008, 10:33 PM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
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woops, my bad i meant to say highers, sorry. pH was high after making it and was ready when it went back down
  #16  
Old 01/01/2008, 10:38 PM
lvpd186 lvpd186 is offline
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My bad too, I think I said in my second post that it would lower it.
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  #17  
Old 01/02/2008, 10:52 AM
coralnut99 coralnut99 is offline
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Go to Home Depot or Lowes, and buy a 12" X 12" sheet of 1" square slate tiles for about $11. Makes 144 square "discs" for 8 or 9 cents apiece. The slate is very soft, and you can drill custom size depressions in it to a better job of holding whatever you're fragging, and you don't have to worry about water chemistry issues at all. The slate is soft enough that once the frag has grown onto to slate, the corners can be snipped off very easily with side cutters if so desired
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  #18  
Old 01/02/2008, 12:05 PM
rustybucket145 rustybucket145 is offline
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You aren't worried about the composition of the Slate? I like the DIY frag plug concept b/c you know exactly what you are getting in your plug. Even though you have to cure them it really isn't that bad.
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  #19  
Old 01/02/2008, 12:25 PM
coralnut99 coralnut99 is offline
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I could certainly be wrong. I'm no geologist, but the slate tiles haven't caused any problems in my prop system. I've used ac ouple hundred over the last couple of years, and corals have taken to them just fine. No water quality issues either. I'm certainly not the first use them either. I'm just passing along the idea. I've also seen ceramic tiles used, but the softer slate allows more options, super low-cost, and since I practically live in HD, really convenient to pick up.
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Why can't my wife see this stuff as an investment?
  #20  
Old 01/04/2008, 01:21 AM
2thdeekay 2thdeekay is offline
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Lightbulb

Here's a good thread on DIY frag plugs if you're interested:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...diy+frag+plugs
  #21  
Old 01/04/2008, 10:22 PM
ZOAKEEPER ZOAKEEPER is offline
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frag cradle

If your throwing rubble into an existing tank or on sand its ok but if you want organization and space managment use eggcrate with coral cradles. you can put alot in a little space, even in a twenty gallon.
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  #22  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:21 AM
Reefdiver77 Reefdiver77 is offline
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I use Ocean Wonders, the slate tiles from Lowe's and just this week made my own batch. They turned out great. I used anchor cement and premature baby bottle nipples. I scored the top when they were almost set and some of them I poked a hole in the top with a bamboo scewer to insert sps, gorgonians, etc. the silicone nipples peeled right off them after about 20 minutes. They are now in the back of my commode for curing. Now to figure out what I am going to use for a mold for discs.
  #23  
Old 01/05/2008, 01:01 PM
BigAl2007 BigAl2007 is offline
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I also use Oceans Wonders for my frag plugs & disks and LOVE them. Almost to cheap but work GREAT! The last order I made was almost 1/2 the price of what I was ordering from DFS for TWICE as much.
http://www.oceanswondersonline.com/p...ge/4221106.htm

I like the idea of DIY frag supplies but I'm chicken to try it

Quote:
Originally posted by Reefdiver77
I use Ocean Wonders, the slate tiles from Lowe's and just this week made my own batch. They turned out great. I used anchor cement and premature baby bottle nipples. I scored the top when they were almost set and some of them I poked a hole in the top with a bamboo scewer to insert sps, gorgonians, etc. the silicone nipples peeled right off them after about 20 minutes. They are now in the back of my commode for curing. Now to figure out what I am going to use for a mold for discs.
  #24  
Old 01/06/2008, 11:06 AM
reef / aholic reef / aholic is offline
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OW!!!
  #25  
Old 01/06/2008, 02:51 PM
Lance M. Lance M. is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by tbone28
The rubble would look better, but it may be harder to place the frag exactly where i want it if the rubble doesn't fit well. My concern with dry base rock is the same concern I have with plugs that are not fully cured - I don't want to create a 2nd mini-cycle.

The frag pack I'm buying is going into my display tank.
Dry base rock won't cause a cycle since there's nothing on it to decay and produce NH3.
 

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