Adverse effects from floor tile?

H@rry · Mar 10, 2010

Has anybody had any problems with acros that they can relate to using pieces of floor tile to mount frags that go on the sandbed? We have several pieces of leftover tile from a bathroom project and I took a hammer to some of it to mount some Acans and Chalices. Since then I've had several acros RTN. I've had another issue with low Alk at the same time so I can't pin it on the tile but I'm a little suspicious.

Mariner · Mar 10, 2010

H@rry,
I have no experience using tiles for plugs, and not near as much experience as yourself with acros, but I do know that the only times I've ever had problems with RTN it was either low alk or low calcium.
FWIW,
Mariner

Paul_N · Mar 10, 2010

I have two or 3 tile pieces in my tank with no adverse reactions.

ReeferGoalie · Mar 10, 2010

I have a bunch of frags on tiles, though no SPS, and have no problems.

110reef · Mar 10, 2010

Some ceramic items have heavy metals, especially lead, in the clay or the glaze, may be what is killing the corals. See below -

While the majority of lead poisoning is suffered at the workplace, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that dangerous lead exposure can also come from some very unlikely sources. Things like tableware and traditional Indian medicines, as well as other unsuspecting sources have been cause for concern. The agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report journal outlined two unusual cases of lead exposure.
In one instance, 12 people became ill on separate occasions after using ayurvedic medicine, which are traditional healing products derived from India. The majority of the victims ended up in the emergency room just days after using the medicine with vomiting and severe abdominal pain. The lead found in their blood was far above what the CDC considers safe. One woman in particular was taking an ayurvedic pill for the purposes of increasing fertility when she had a miscarriage and an extremely high level of lead was found in her blood.
The other CDC report was about a boy that went in for a routine examination that uncovered high levels of lead in his blood. When the source of lead was not found anywhere in his house, the French ceramic dishes he was using to eat were examined. Defective glazing or firing allowed lead to leak from the dishes, which is a more common occurrence in tableware made from Mexico or Latin America.

returnofsid · Mar 10, 2010

Low Alk is a very common cause of RTN. I've had several floor tile frags in several of my tanks, over a period of at least a year. I have experienced RTN, in the past, but it's always been blamed on low alk, I was experiencing at the same time. I've had RTN, with low alk, at times when no floor tiles were present.

rossco · Mar 10, 2010

I have had a few frags I traded for come on floor tile, but usually pieces of natural stone not ceramic glazed tile. I would stay away from ceramic for the reason listed above. I had one frag on a natural stone tile have a rust colored spot between the super glue and the tile when I popped it off.

therman · Mar 11, 2010

I see that rust colored stuff on the frag plugs from chiefreef. I wondered what reaction was causing that, they seem to be made of concrete.

aharrow · Mar 14, 2010

I was doing a test on tumbled marble. I put a 8" square in my frag tank to see if it promotes algae growth like the frag plugs that I receive. so far nothing after three weeks. Tumbled marble is cheap and a natural stone. Not the slick shiny polished marble. It is very dull and can be bought at lowe's or homedepo cheap.

I have a thread on the chemistry forum about it.

On another note, I have used travertine stone tile on several plugs with no problems. Stay away from any ceramic like OP said

johnanddawn · Mar 14, 2010

i have a natural granite floor tile for my tank bottom (in place of starboard) i like it but agrred i would stick with natural tiles or stone - although properly fired ceramics should be inert

gooch · Mar 14, 2010

We have been making ceramic plugs and disks going on five years now. Telling people to stay away from ceramic is BS. Its the glaze more than anything giving you the problems. And that is if you can trace it to that. We do not put glaze on our products. The kilns were purchased brand new and have never seen glaze or kiln wash. We have a strict firing schedule and if anything we fire our products much higher than we need too.

We also use the purest clay we can get. We have made over 400,000 plugs and disks and have never heard of any of the issues people have with other products. It costs us more and our process is physically demanding. We don't take short cuts.

Our products are in thousands and thousands of systems. Many large systems have thousands of corals growing out on our products at all times. We may cost more but there is a reason for it.

When you are buying stuff from a hardware store do you really know what you are getting?

Troylee · Mar 14, 2010

I have heard of alot of people using it with no problems... I have never tried it personally I normally use live rock rubble.. I even remember reading that people cured it in a toilet so every time you flush it gets a water change.. Lol

butts182 · Mar 28, 2010

+1 on the natural stone...it works great

BlazinNano · Mar 28, 2010

gooch said:
We have been making ceramic plugs and disks going on five years now. Telling people to stay away from ceramic is BS. Its the glaze more than anything giving you the problems. And that is if you can trace it to that. We do not put glaze on our products. The kilns were purchased brand new and have never seen glaze or kiln wash. We have a strict firing schedule and if anything we fire our products much higher than we need too.

We also use the purest clay we can get. We have made over 400,000 plugs and disks and have never heard of any of the issues people have with other products. It costs us more and our process is physically demanding. We don't take short cuts.

Our products are in thousands and thousands of systems. Many large systems have thousands of corals growing out on our products at all times. We may cost more but there is a reason for it.

When you are buying stuff from a hardware store do you really know what you are getting?

I am with Gooch. My parents own a ceramic company. They just make like pots and dishes but My mother is very strick about her kilns, all 4 of them. Each kiln is only used for a certain thing. The kiln she uses just to do the first firing with no glaze or paints is the kiln I have been using for a year to make my own plugs. Everything plugs or disk or even the frag rocks I just made the size of my hand have never given me a problem. It is not ceramic that is the problem it is all the extra crap they do to it. Tiles come from a wharehouse, covered in dust, been sitting around for who knows how long, have had peoples hands all over them. Most ceramic paint is lead bases unless you use "food safe" that is lead free. But floor tile is not "food safe".

BlazinNano · Mar 28, 2010

troylee said:
I have heard of alot of people using it with no problems... I have never tried it personally I normally use live rock rubble.. I even remember reading that people cured it in a toilet so every time you flush it gets a water change.. Lol

I would not use the back of the toilet. I would use RODI water. You are curing the rock with tap water. The rock will absorb what is in the water then you will put it in your tank. Tap water in the tank

At least i would not my tap had a TDS of about 350 - 400. You can smell the cholorine coming out of the sink.

msman825 · Mar 28, 2010

BlayzinNano said:
I would not use the back of the toilet. I would use RODI water. You are curing the rock with tap water. The rock will absorb what is in the water then you will put it in your tank. Tap water in the tank

At least i would not my tap had a TDS of about 350 - 400. You can smell the cholorine coming out of the sink.

lol that would mean dead rock, good way to get rid of hair algae or tashia