I learned how to do this from a seminar put on by Al or zooqi as he is known on RC. He is the founder of
www.reefnest.com and is out of the PA area. I decided to put up a post because there was nothing detailing this online. I have tried a new compound.
The compound I am using is UNTESTED. I do not know if there is anything in the mix that could hurt my reef system. I am testing this out and hoping to get feedback from this post. In addition, I plan on calling the manufacturer to get a more detailed description of it's makeup. proceed at your own risk.
What i am doing is making my own reef plugs. I saw them at the last show for like $12 for 25. That is not a bad price, I am just cheap and like to do things the hard way! Thats how I learn! I was amazed at this idea when i first saw it. The genius is in the simplicity. I never would have thought to do it this way, follow along:
Here is what I used to do this project:
Cement Patch
Elmers Glue Lid & Bottle
Rubbermaid tub 1/2 full of sand. (sand should be damp and able to pack, not soaked)
The original mix that Al used was straight Portland Cement with some sand mixed in. I saw it in 80lb bags today at the Depot for about $9. I choose to use this instead. My dad said he just used it the other day to repair a cap on his chimney. I told him "It can't have anything that will hurt my reef in it." He said "It's just sand and cement. It's cheaper, you don't want that other junk!" You know dads, they know best!
The ingredients are:
Silica Quartz
Portland Cement
That first ingredient makes me nervous, but I figured I would try it out, the box ran me $3.18 for 6.5 lbs.
Instructions:
Fill the rubbermaid tub half way with sand. Take the elmers glue bottle (make sure it is closed) and make holes in the sand.
Next, mix the cement. I used 2/3rds cup of cement and watered it down to the consistency of melted chocolate.
Then simply drop into the holes:
Wait 24 hours to cure, then you need to cycle them. Al cycles his in the back of a toilet tank for 2 weeks.. Make sure there is no tidy bowl or 2000 flushes disk in there. Another way is to cycle in the
RO waste water, let it fill a bucket and then run over in a slop sink. Or even in a creekbed for a couple weeks. Anything to cure them and remove impuities.
Project Cost: $3.18 - I had everything around the house except for the cement mix. I have enough stuff to make about 500 plugs.
