LFS and plugs???

[wds21921]

I've not noticed any of our LFS carrying any of the frag plugs. Does anyone know of any carrying these or would I have to most likely order them from TPP or somewhere else?

 

[Gordonious]

I'm still a little new as you know, but have spent enough time in the LFSs. The only time I have ever seen a plug in person was in a LR rubble pile. I actually didn't know much at the time and brought it home with some other pieces. Figured out later on what it actually was.

 

[kaptken]

dave, you can just make your own, I have in the past. nothing more than aragonite or crushed coral and a little bit of portland cement. not too much. you dont want to fill in all the spaces between the grains of agregate. you can form them in little molds or ice cube trays, or make drop cookies like i did that look a bit more natural. then you have to cure them in a tub of fresh water with vinegar and an airstone for a few months to knock down the high alkalinity of the portland cement. then drop them in your sump to get bio-activated.

GARF has a DIY on how to make em and cure them. they make their own live rock too for all their tanks.

 

[wds21921]

Living in an apartment doesn't afford me many DIY projects lol. For the cost and the time involved it'd be more practical for me to simply buy them.

However, in the future when the housing situation does change .... GARF

 

[kaptken]

well, you can always use rubble rock, which most stores sell at a discount. pick out a pound or two of nice little chunks with grooves and iregularities on them . soft corals take root better. perhaps i should make a batch of plug rock and cure them for the fall season.

 

[Gordonious]

I need to find some portland cement. I look into DIYS LR occasional, just have to much time going on right now. If you would like to make some reef clubs we could make them here at my house. I have some aragonite we could use and space. The drying cement doesn't smell too bad does it?

I've also been watching for some good rubbermaids for fish breeding. I have seen some at Home Depot that were pretty tough, long and skinny. I think they were 37gallons and about $11.00. I have a pair of fresh water angels that go out it often. I would also like to get some more guppies going and shrimp for feeders. I don't like going to the LFS and brining home food all the time. When I make my own guppies I know they are save and disease free.

Though for live foods I have yet to find a place better then Just Fish. I have never gone in there and they ran out of something. They also have the tanks right there in front of you holding most of it and you can see there is minimal die off.

 

[kaptken]

yeah , unfortunately portland is usually sold in 90 pound bags. ive got one opened in the garage rocking up from the humidity the last couple years. although i think its still good. just grind up the lumps before mising. only used a pound or two. i think next time i will try the white portland cement. GARF says it seems to be al ittle less caustic and thus nutralizes sooner in a tub of water. and looks a little better. they sell some at HD in the tile section in 5 pound boxes. much better. just make sure its one with plain old cement only. most of them are blended with chemical aditives , plastecizers, and thickeners.. fibers. dont want that stuff.

tubs are ok, but they bow out when full of water,and are brittle. but if you build a small wooden frame around them to hold the sides in place, no problem. live food is good. i hatched brine shrimp eggs everyday when raising cardinal fish. a good place for brine shrimp eggs and other foods is brine shrimp direct.
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/
a pound can of their cheapest BS eggs lasted me a year.

 

[conefree]

That Pet Place carries frag plugs, check them out.

 

[nanoreef16g]

Yeah, TPP does sell them, just don't have them ship the damn things because they break every one...twice...

 

[conefree]

lol, that's horrible. Thank your local carrier.

 

[wds21921]

lol I just got a PM from a club that's making them and selling them. I'd much rather my money go to them. I'll also check on the packaging for the shipping ahead of time.

 

[conefree]

Good luck