Home made frag plugs

Saltwater Fish & Invertebrates Discussion
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bluwtr
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Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:31 am

Just thinking to myself and was wondering if plaster of paris could be used to make frag plugs. They could be shaped into better designs that would blend in much better; shorter stems; larger or smaller bases etc. Has anyone ever tried this?

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by octopus » Mon Jul 29, 2013 5:17 pm

Both of those will disolve in water

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bluwtr
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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Mon Jul 29, 2013 7:27 pm

Both of what? I only said Plaster of Paris.

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by Shadow1 » Tue Jul 30, 2013 5:41 am

Fired ceramic is the way to go, plaster of Paris will dissolve and make a mess.

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bluwtr
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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:02 am

True, but the ceramic looks like crap. That's why I was considering the thought. :D

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by Shadow1 » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:00 pm

get colored clay and then make what you want.

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by Gerwin » Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:54 pm

just buy them....

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bluwtr
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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Thu Aug 01, 2013 11:36 am

Yeah, but plugs are ugly as hell. That's why I was wondering about making them as you could shape them into a more natural form etc. I already have the PoP for something we had (don't remember what). I'm going to make a few and put them in water and let them sit and see what happens. Never know--may turn to crap or it may work. I may be on a goldmine!!!! :shock: :roll:

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by Gerwin » Thu Aug 01, 2013 6:41 pm

ok , so just come and get some broke live rock pieces, they make great frag mounts and are FREE :thumbup:

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bluwtr
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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Sat Aug 03, 2013 10:58 am

Hey G-man. I went ahead and have made one of the plugs. Looks good, took about 5 minutes and it's sitting in water right now checking to see if it dissolves. What the hell; one more thing for me to piddle with!

Regardless of what happens, I've got some old live rock in the garage that I can get nuggets from so I've always got that backup! :D

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by Scott Allen » Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:46 am

I know a guy who built his whole rock structure and then drilled out holes for frag plugs in it just to hide the ugly things! I typically broke my frags off the plugs and epoxied the base into the rock anyhow. Then drop the encrusted plug on a rack and let it grow back up for sale.

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by octopus » Tue Aug 06, 2013 2:48 pm

Make it out of ceramics

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bluwtr
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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:59 am

The plug I made out of the PoP last Thursday has been sitting in water since about 30 minutes after I made it. Several times a day I swirl it in the cup to see if anything has happend, and nothing yet. The plug looks the same and there is nothing in the water (no cloudiness) or any particulate in the bottom. I'm going to make a second one and let it soak in SW and see what happens as well.

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bluwtr
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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by bluwtr » Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:02 pm

One reason I'm also trying this is because, as you mentioned Scott, is the looks. I wouldn't mind plugs if they would encrust better but mostly because I had using the epoxy. I know it is all listed as reef safe, but I still have to wonder. Many skimmers freak out after using the stuff (Ask Pete), so you have to wonder. If these plugs I'm trying will encrust with coraline algae etc while the frag is growing, then super glue may be the easiest way to go. Just me exploring other ideas--it's how stuff happens, right? :D

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Re: Home made frag plugs

Post by octopus » Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:09 pm

but is it leaching anything in the water?

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