frag plugs

isistius · #1 08/08/2007, 11:15 AM

who on here buys pre-made plugs and who makes their own? why?

ThePhytoMan · #2 08/08/2007, 11:22 AM

I buy pre-made, simply out of convenience.

Boston Aqua Farms makes great ones. Home Depot has little ceramic tiles that also work well.
Some LFS have small swuare ones that are pretty good and fit well in the eggcrate as well.

Making them yourself is only worth it, IMO, if you make a ton at once. And often they need a long curing time.

J. Montgomery · #3 08/08/2007, 11:29 AM

I bought the ceramic ones from the Filter Guys. They fit into eggcrate nicely (I prefer the frag disks over the frag plugs since the disks are more stable). I didn't want to make them b/c of the effort involved.

isistius · #4 08/08/2007, 11:31 AM

thanks guys

lvpd186 · #5 08/08/2007, 11:33 AM

I make my own plastic ones. I don't really like some of the other pre-made ones because some of them make it more difficult to mount the frags in my tank after they have encrusted.

isistius · #6 08/08/2007, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lvpd186
I make my own plastic ones. I don't really like some of the other pre-made ones because some of them make it more difficult to mount the frags in my tank after they have encrusted.

how do you do that?

lvpd186 · #7 08/08/2007, 11:56 AM

I use my brother's machine shop. He made a mold for me and I use a plastic injection machine to make them.

isistius · #8 08/08/2007, 11:58 AM

that's convenient

lvpd186 · #9 08/08/2007, 12:01 PM

It always helps to have a family member with a CNC machine shop.

Send me a PM if you want more info though.

Behrmon · #10 08/08/2007, 02:53 PM

I like these, old pic though. The new ones they make have a nice "rubble" surface.

http://www.inverts.com/Merchant2/mer...Code=Frg_Sppls

coralnut99 · #11 08/09/2007, 09:51 AM

I use slate tiles from HD. The slate is quite soft. With a cheap carbide drill bit, you can make depressions / wells for the frag. I can drill a depression in the 1 inch slate square, that comes closest to the base of the frag, and in most cases, it will keep the frag upright in the plug. That way you can just put it right back in the tank to cure. If you want to move the frag later on to a display tank, you can trim the corners if needed, with side-cutters if the square shape is a problem.

isistius · #12 08/09/2007, 05:44 PM

so many options

DivaMan · #13 08/09/2007, 06:10 PM

My dad's restaurant serves mussles/clams, I use their shells, Usually I break them though, otherwise they are too big. Also the corals seem to attach to them faster and better. I boil them for 30 mins prior to use though.

aquarius77 · #14 08/09/2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lvpd186
I use my brother's machine shop. He made a mold for me and I use a plastic injection machine to make them.

I belive that i have a six pack of your plugs sitting next to me. I really do like the design and the length of the stem is nice for a float ship. I have one coral fully encrusted to one of them and it too has worked out pretty good.

I would like to have a hole drilled in 2 of the 4 "legs" that make up the X like stem, for shipping reasons, but i can drill it myself before i use the plug. I wish they were heavier over all but thats a trick using plastic, maybe make the "X" larger so if fits real snug into the square? I would also like to see them come in bigger packages.

I like the concrete plugs and large disks alot as well because they stay down and are very stable in eggcrate.

I also have some of the coral cradles, but not the ones they sell now, i belive it is a test run prototype that i got my hands on. They rock, hands down they are just sweet. The ones they produce for sale are even cooler IMO but the price is kind of high (for frag plugs), Well worth it tho.

lvpd186 · #15 08/09/2007, 07:53 PM

Kevin, glad they are working out for you and thanks for the suggestions. We were talking about making a multi-cavity mold the other day. If we do that I will look in to making the stem a little bigger around. As for the packages, send me a PM and I can help you out with that.

jasert39 · #16 08/09/2007, 11:18 PM

do you need to cure ceramic tiles before using them in your tank?

any certain type of tiles needed?

skey44 · #17 08/10/2007, 10:06 PM

buy direct from Boston Aquafarms - they have decent quantity discounts and they let anyone claim to be a farmer

aquarius77 · #18 08/11/2007, 02:21 PM

I would think that there would be no need for it to be cured. Ceramic is fired in a kiln and i think that would pretty much make it good to go but im not an expert.

aquaticreef · #19 08/11/2007, 10:56 PM

I am using FragPods. They are good because they have two different sizes and will not blow off of 1/2" deep egg creat.

Bebo77 · #20 08/12/2007, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by skey44
buy direct from Boston Aquafarms - they have decent quantity discounts and they let anyone claim to be a farmer

lol arent we all farmers..

isistius · #21 08/12/2007, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bebo77
lol arent we all farmers..

lol

ZOAKEEPER · #22 08/12/2007, 02:56 PM

These are great for the price and work well, you can get rubber bands for rics and scrooms to. http://www.aquaticodyssey.com/ 50 for 15 bucks is good.

aquarius77 · #23 08/13/2007, 09:57 PM

That is a great price.

circusordie16 · #24 08/14/2007, 01:26 AM

i use the 1" x 1" tumbled marble tiles from home depot or lowes. 144 for $13.

gooch · #25 08/28/2007, 08:46 AM

These guys have a nice variety of propagation plugs and disks.

http://www.thefilterguys.biz/frag_supplies.htm