Frag Plug Sizes?

#1
I'm trying to get a feel for the most common sizes of frag plugs used by the members of this site. i intend to pre-drill my rock for plugs and need to know what size holes to drill.

Thanks
 

FishTV

Sting ray
M.A.S.C Club Member
#2
Most of the fraggin people I compare notes with, including myself, prefer and usually try to buy 3/8 stems, but as soon as you try to plan for that, you will end up with all 1/2" stems. If your trying to plan for disk size, it will get more complicated, and unpredictable. I have probably 5 different disks with stems, and 4 or 5 different flats (square and round) depending on what I'm cutting, and how long I plan to keep, and grow it.
 

CRW Reef

Blue Whale
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#3
What Dane said for sure! I would plan for half inch stem and if they are smaller plan to add some reef safe epoxy or super glue to the hole and push frag plug in :)
 
#5
I was planning to fully recess the entire plug. I could easily plan for 1/2" stems and compensate with glue, but don't want to drill for the largest disk size, and have that gap. Are there any general common sizes? Maybe I could account for the more common ones, and swap a few corals onto new plugs for the less common ones?
 

CRW Reef

Blue Whale
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#6
No no I say stick with the plan for sure. You can always cut the new frags off the plugs or disks that don't work or just glue a stem from a plug size that fits for your holes and well..... Wa la as they say lol
 

DyM

Sting ray
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
Epoxy sandwich method:
(1) Have a small bowl with your tank water, and frag to mount inside that bowl
(2) If a ‘T’ shaped plug, clip off the bottom "stick" part of the plug, use wire or bone cutters. Put frag disk with coral back into water
(3) Steps 4-10, describes the sandwich method which is glue, epoxy, and glue.
(4) Take a small pinch of epoxy off the roll, about the size of your thumb nail.
(5) Mix together
(6) Roll into a small ball of epoxy; I use a finger to indent one end of the ball.
(7) Apply some super/crazy gel glue (stess gel as it's thick) on the bottom side of the frag plug where you cut off the stem (yes it should be out of water now).
(8) Put the epoxy ball (where the indent is from your nail) on the plug.
(9) Use your nail again to indent the other end of the ball sticking upward (this presses the ball into the glue too).
(10) Place some glue on the top of the epoxy ball where your nail imprint is. So the sandwich is glue, epoxy, glue should make sense now.
(11) Place your sandwich frag inside your reef, to the rock location and angle you want it to stick at
(12) All in one motion:: push down on the bottom of the frag disk, give it a ¼ turn, and wait 2 minutes before letting go. In that time, move your fingers to ensure you’re not glueing yourself to your reef. (Also make sure power heads or any flow is off for about 20 min, flow will likely knock any frag off if left on).

I use Two Little Fishies Aqua Stik (red color) and Bob Smith Ind Maxi-Cure Extra Thick CA Adhesive Glue – you can use any epoxy (as long as it’s safe for drinking water, it’s safe for your reef) or any gel cyanoacrylate.
 
#8
Looks like I will be using DyM's method. I just started messing with my dry rock tonight, and realized that it doesn't like being drilled. A hammer drill tends to break the rock, and regular drilling is too slow and tedious without special bits. I don't want to ruin my aquascaping, so I'll be gluing corals into place.
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
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M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
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#9
KingKroll;344115 said:
Looks like I will be using DyM's method. I just started messing with my dry rock tonight, and realized that it doesn't like being drilled. A hammer drill tends to break the rock, and regular drilling is too slow and tedious without special bits. I don't want to ruin my aquascaping, so I'll be gluing corals into place.
ya you need bits designed for chiseling rock and a hammer drill
something like this will do it http://buydrillbits.com/products/masonry/chisels2.php?h=cold
 
#10
I was using a legit hammer drill, but it had a tendency to cause the rock to break. I drilled what I needed to carefully for some fiberglass rod, and won't be doing any more drilling than I have to.
 
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