frag plugs...

[gooch Verified Sponsor]

I have started making square tiles for customers by special request. 2",3" and 4" squares as well as 3" circles. I will probably never add them to my product line but they are available when I have time to make them. I have to make them one at a time so I really don't advertise it too much. I have to say anything over three inches seems to take up to much space. When we were having all our molds made we asked for feedback on size and everyone we talked to liked the size we offered. I did experiment with smaller molds with plugs as big as 1.5". At that size the breakage before I could fire them was over 50% so I do not see ours getting any bigger. Our process will not allow it.

As far as magnetic plugs there is something in the works for those but not by me. The guy making them will use our plugs with it but from what I understand the plugs will be interchangable allowing people to use other stemmed type plugs.

I have also been working magnetic frag stations as well but am struggling to find the time.

 

[Reef Goddess]

I used to make tiles and just hand cut them, not sure if this would be too labor intensive for you guys. Could you use a square cookie cutter type of thing? I can see you might have cracking problems because your disks are pretty thin, tiles might come out better if they were a little thicker. How long does it take for the plugs to be ready for firing after you pour them?

We bought some interesting magnetic acrylic plug racks from someone off of ebay awhile ago. They work pretty well even though you can only fit about 12-15 plugs on them.

I think for the average hobbyist the main problem is how to attach plugs to their live rock so they won't get knocked off by their fish/hermits. If you can create a "self drilling" plug then you'll corner the market. ;p

 

[gooch Verified Sponsor]

Thing is the stem on the plug sheers off real easy with a bone cutter or wire cutter. I can snap the stem off the disk with my fingers.

The time it takes to make them until firing them varies a lot. I do about two to three fires a week and have products in various stages of drying. I do a batch every day and it takes about three days of work to fill the kiln. There is always something ready to be fired or packaged.

We also have a product called the "Frag Station." Nice place to keep your plugs safe until you have that special place you want to mount the coral. These are really starting to sell good for us. To us they look so much better than egg crate in a display tank. Egg crate in a frag tank looks OK but not in the main tank. It takes away from the beauty of the display and why we got into reef tanks in the first place. These coralline up real fast and blend in pretty nice after a short time. We feel that if you are going to grow out frags in your display tank they should 1. Be safe, they stay pretty snug. 2. It should look nice.


You can get a lot of coral in a small place with the disks too.

The Frag Station.

 

[Saltysteele]

I use a band saw and slice pieces of tonga branch if i want a flat disk. I absolutely despise the boston plugs so i've switched back to pieces of live rubble.

this is my favorite type of media to receive frags on. it makes it easy to place in permanent position, as it lays flat on the rock

 

[Reef Goddess]

Hey Gooch you have any Tubs for sale?

 

[gooch Verified Sponsor]

That is not my system. It belongs to one of my vendors.

 

[Reef Goddess]

darn! hehe

 

[flricordia]

I have started using the cramic tiles from Lowes that come on a sheet. You soak them for a time and remove the paper backing, rinse them and use the rough side to mount the frag to. What I especially like is they break in half and quarters smoothly and cleanly with a pair of bone cutters. Cheap too. I think 100 for $3, something like that. Different colors too.