Adhesives
These Reef Glues seem expensive, why would I buy this over “hardware store” glue or from your competition?
Compare the price of our tube of Reef Glue Gel to an equal volume of hardware store super glue gel, you will find that our product is actually more economical.
All Cyanoacrylate glues are not the same. Most of the Cyanoacrylate glues that are available are extremely cheap (not just inexpensive) and imported from over seas. Our glues are of the highest quality and proudly made in America, we guarantee that if given the chance you will like our product better.
The Colored Reef Glue seems to get thicker in the bottle over time, am I doing something wrong?
All Cyanoacrylate glues have a shelf life, they will all thicken and eventually harden in the bottle if you don’t use it up first, unfortunately the coloring agent in the Colored Reef Glue shortens the normal shelf life of the glue. Keeping any Cyanoacrylate glue in your refrigerator (or freezer) will extend it’s shelf life, just let it warm up a few minutes before use.
What is the difference between Thicker Reef Glue, Colored Reef Glue and Reef Glue Gel?
All three of these products are Cyanoacrylate, “Super Glue”, which one you use is a matter of personal preference each will bond just as well as the others. We sell nothing but the highest quality American made Cyanoacrylate adhesives.
– Thicker Reef Glue is a very thick super glue, it’s “thick like Honey”. It is the thickest available in the industry besides gel. This glue is so thick that you might think it will not come out of the bottle but not to worry Thicker Reef Glue is thixotropic and while it appears to be gel in the bottle, if you give the bottle a little shake it will begin to flow.
– Colored Reef Glue is the same as Thicker Reef Glue with the addition of a color that makes the glue resemble coralline algae in your reef tank. The color helps to hide the glue until coralline algae takes over and covers it or the coral grows over it.
– Reef Glue Gel is an extremely thick super glue gel that is packaged in a metal tube, you can use the tube under water without fear of getting water in the tube.
How come the debonder does not seem to remove the glue from my hands? It just seems to make it clump up.
Do not use the debonder with wet hands. First dry your hands, then liberally apply the debonder rubbing with a dry paper towel to remove the glue as it dissolves, apply more debonder if needed. Afterward, wash hands with soap and water to remove any remaining debonder.
Coral Mounts
What are your plugs and discs made of?
Boston Aqua Farms Reef Plugs™ and Reef Discs are made of a special type of concrete commonly referred to as “Aragocrete”. It’s simply Type II Portland Cement with Aragonite material as an aggregate. The same basic recipe is used widely throughout the world in artificial reef systems from reef tanks to multi mile long reef restorations.
Are your Aragocrete Plugs and Discs cured?
Boston Aqua Farms Reef Plugs and Reef Discs are cured in fresh water for at least one month the water is changed constantly to ensure the most complete cure possible in a reasonable amount of time. As you know any concrete (Aragocrete) product must be cured before being added to your reef. The best way to cure these concrete products is simply to soak them in water until that water’s pH is not significantly effected by the concrete addition. Changing the water often will speed the process.
Can you make a custom coral mount for my company?
We can do custom work at a very affordable price! We can do just about anything in ceramic, from custom shapes and sizes to your name or company logo imprinted on every one, if you can dream it we can probably make it. Send us and e-mail and we will be glad to help you develop your perfect coral mount.
Can you help me decide between Ceramic Reef Plugs and Aragocrete Reef Plugs
Each version of the Reef Plug has it’s advantages. – Ceramic Reef Plugs hold cyanoacrylate glues with amazing strength. – Ceramic Reef Plugs are slightly smaller then the Aragocrete version so you can actually fit more in your egg crate. – Ceramic Reef Plugs do not require any curing, so there is no fear of altering your water chemistry when you use them. (Our Aragocrete plugs are cured for 30 days before shipping, so normally there is no fear of altering water chemistry with those either.) – Aragocrete Reef Plugs have a layer of fine reef sand on top which promotes faster coralline and coral growth on the plug. (However some customers tell us that coralline often begins growing on ceramic just a little bit sooner then aragocrete.) – Aragocrete Reef Plugs are darker in color and tend to blend in better with your reef rock work.
Do your ceramic coral mounts require any curing or special handling?
No. Ceramic does not require any curing or special handling. Our ceramic coral mounts are fired in a kiln at nearly 2000 degrees and are completely inert.
How many Aragocrete Plugs/Discs can I add to my system at one time?
The question of what is safe to add to a system at one time is nearly impossible to answer as the answer depends on too many different factors. Water chemistry like pH and Alkalinity as well as water volume and even water movement will have an effect on how a given number of plugs and discs effect your system. The reason for a limit is that any aragocrete product will “cure” in water for a very long time (see above), this curing process releases a lot of calcium into the water that can have an effect on your water chemistry. Calcium is usually considered a good thing to add but the rate that calcium is added is not easily determined and can spike unexpectedly, causing potential problems. Our testing has shown that the bulk of the curing process is complete in the first 30 days so we cure everything in water for at least 30 days before shipping. We have done some testing and have determined that one plug or disc per gallon of water per week should be safe to add to any healthy working system. We also always recommend that you watch your water chemistry during that week and be prepared for a water change or two to correct any issues that might occur. Also, we always recommend that you continue the curing process by storing your new plugs/discs in a bucket of fresh water, change the water few days, and pull from the bucket as you need to use your plugs and discs.
Tools
Will your Stony Coral Cutters rust?
All of our tools are made from stainless steel and if treated well will not rust significantly enough to effect the operation of the tool, some are electroplated in black color to further inhibit rust. An insignificant amount of surface rust is possible with any stainless steel tool, ours are among the highest quality tools in the reef industry and we guarantee that if treated properly they will last for many years. Rinse your tools in fresh water and pat dry after each use and they will last for many years.