Custom Aquarium Ceramics

[magyarhammer]

I thinking of creating a small frag tank and thinking of the best way of mounting frags.

I have been creating my own ceramics for my aquariums for a while using different kinds of clays, usually porcelain as it is white and has few impurities. It started as mostly decorative, like the stone crab temple in the pic but I realized as I was struggling to get a plug to fit well that I could recreate more organic coral structures for my plugs, add texture to facilitate fixation or create specific coral genus/species structural formations like brain coral, branching, etc.

Of course decorative is great too, my blenny loves hanging out in the ceramic anemone!

What would your dream frag foundations have?

 

[magyarhammer]

What kind of rock? I'm going into studio on wednesday, I'll mock something up.

Allen;964795 wrote: My dream frag foundation would be completely hidden or look identical to a rock.

 

[magyarhammer]

Of course I'm not talking about a simple circular plug, but a precise ceramic reproduction... for example here is piece I made the other day when my son wanted a Mary Anne

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2846" alt="" />
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2847" alt="" />

 

[magyarhammer]

Greetings all! goes some forms out of the kiln, all vitrified tan spec clay. no clouding.

Thoughts? useful for plugs? first 3 to PM me get one to try for free!

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2848" alt="" />

[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2852" alt="" />
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2851" alt="" />
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2850" alt="" />
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=458&pictureid=2849" alt="" />

 

[snowmansnow]

hmmmm

I'm thinking the most useful frag mounting system that you could make would be something that has lots of fingers with flat places on the ends… on those horizontal flat places are holes the size of frag plug stems…. you'll need 3 levels the first level sticking out farther than the next so the frags above don't shade the lower levels…

the idea is (over the period of years) to have an aquascape made up of live coral instead of a pile of rubble…

I would max the top shelf / finger level out at a foot high.

Possibly even something like a christmas tree design or half a cone

just crazy abstract ideas

 

[dball711]

Allen;964795 wrote: My dream frag foundation would be completely hidden or look identical to a rock.

I do this with most of the rock in my display. Its drilled to accomodate frag plughs and I glue rubble to the plug. You cant tell there are frag plugs being used. I also set up my display corals the same way to make fraging easier.

 

[mikesmith34]

SnowManSnow;969334 wrote: hmmmm

I'm thinking the most useful frag mounting system that you could make would be something that has lots of fingers with flat places on the ends… on those horizontal flat places are holes the size of frag plug stems…. you'll need 3 levels the first level sticking out farther than the next so the frags above don't shade the lower levels…

the idea is (over the period of years) to have an aquascape made up of live coral instead of a pile of rubble…

I would max the top shelf / finger level out at a foot high.

Possibly even something like a christmas tree design or half a cone

just crazy abstract ideas

I was thinking along the same line. Something to have a terrace of Zoe's or polys

 

[mikesmith34]

What is STEM robotic education ?? Sounds like something you need to be smart. Leaves me out hehehehe I'm a bug man!!!

 

[magyarhammer]

A terrace system sounds like something fun the tackle. Especially something that replicates the plating look of montis.

Different kind of frags are served by different kind of plugs.