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View Full Version : What Plaster is safe in aquariums?

ProdigalPoster
10/29/2004, 07:11 PM
Is there any plasters that are particularly safe for the SW enviroment?
xeon
10/29/2004, 08:48 PM
Are you using plaster in the surrounding area (i.e. ceiling)... or what is the application? I am having a hard time figuring out what you might be using the plaster for.
ProdigalPoster
10/30/2004, 03:05 PM
I want to use plaster to make frag plugs.

or is cement better?
chad508
10/30/2004, 04:45 PM
cement has to cure for like 6 months before it can go in a tank. go to garf.org they have a agrocrete mix they use to make all there rock.
ProdigalPoster
10/30/2004, 05:45 PM
I wish they had prices on their site instead of requiring a phone call.

I'll have to find time to call them it seems.
mylittleocean
10/31/2004, 09:38 AM
usually takes 6 weeks not 6 months.
MarkS
10/31/2004, 12:18 PM
I do not know of any plaster that will not turn to much at the slightest mention of moisture.
MessyRoadKil
10/31/2004, 04:00 PM
I was thinking about Resin, I heard that is ok to use. I just dont know if corals would attach to it.
ProdigalPoster
10/31/2004, 04:35 PM
So, cement is ok if it cures for 6 weeks?
daytona955
11/01/2004, 06:31 AM
They use a specific cement...Portland white type 1 cement. They use argonite sand as a mixer and or crushed coral. I recently made a large batch and it took around 3 months to cure completely. I aided the process with vinegar and epsum salts. For small things like frag plugs, an excellent idea I saw for curing was put it in the holding tank (the back part) of the toilet in a mesh bag. This way it constantly gets new water to leach into. I was making over 150 lbs so this was not an option. But for frag plugs it would work great.
Scott Wilson
11/01/2004, 10:23 PM
Originally posted by SeanCallan
I wish they had prices on their site instead of requiring a phone call.

I'll have to find time to call them it seems.

they charge 25¢ a plug
xeon
11/01/2004, 11:30 PM
Originally posted by scottwilson@mac.com
they charge 25¢ a plug
At that price, it is hard to justify making a plug if you are a small time or hobbyist aquaculturer. I will have to remember that. I think I've seen plugs on E-Bay before too. Might have been Garf too.
GARFVolunteer
11/02/2004, 10:46 PM
in a pinch, I mixed up marine epoxy and rolled it around in crushed coral. Then I shaped it like I wanted and let it cure. Worked pretty good. I make my own plugs using an egg carton and GARF's aragocrete mix.

Thanks,

Scott
MarkS
11/02/2004, 10:51 PM
Originally posted by GARFVolunteer
in a pinch, I mixed up marine epoxy and rolled it around in crushed coral. Then I shaped it like I wanted and let it cure. Worked pretty good. I make my own plugs using an egg carton and GARF's aragocrete mix.

Thanks,

Scott

HEY! That's not a bad idea!

Why not take a styrofoam egg carton, fill each cup with crushed coral and then pour enough mixed 2-part epoxy in each "cup" to just cover the CC. It would be dry in about 24 hours.

Or better yet, mix up a thick slurry of epoxy, sand and CC and pour it into the egg cartons.

I can get a 2 quart kit of marine grade epoxy at Home Depot for $20. That would make a ton of frag plugs.
GARFVolunteer
11/02/2004, 11:41 PM
Gotta watch the epoxy. Many of them are not water safe...
MarkS
11/03/2004, 11:15 AM
Originally posted by GARFVolunteer
Gotta watch the epoxy. Many of them are not water safe...

Yeah, but I'm building a large plywood tank, so I know where to get it.
Pyrojon
11/03/2004, 01:23 PM
Check out www.bostonaquafarms.com for plugs. They gotta get some better pics on their web site though.

Here is a pic of some that I have. The disk on top is about 1" in diameter and the peg fits perfectly into egg crate in the frag tank, then when the frag is ready I pop it into a hole in the rock. I actually drill 1/2" holes all through all my new rock now.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/9358plugs.JPG