Hello!
After I started ordering coral for my own tank, the biggest hassle and eyesore is always the frag plug. As a newbie, I don't have access to saws to safely cut coral from the plug without risking shattering the skeleton or harming the coral. After cutting the stem off the plug (and part of my hand) with some snips, I figured there had to be a better method. Coral plugs don't really change that much from manufacturer to manufacturer with the exception of some which look more like rockwork - problem 1 ticked off the list!
Goals
Initial Design
Things Learned
I don't own a 3D printer just yet so I had to get a company to print out a couple test pieces but I learned a lot from the ones I got. The concept works well - I tried a couple different thicknesses of snapping point and found one I like which manages to not be too fragile but easy enough to snap with your fingers. I added a tapper to the bottom of the disc which helps it seat better into the rock.
Now onto the things that need improving;
What's the Point?
The plug works exactly like a traditional plug would so there would be no change to the way it's held in a frag rack on the end of a hobbyist or farm. It would be ideal for newcomers like myself to pick up coral frags on plugs like this to snap off the stem without tools and glue into my tank for it to look more natural. I made the stem hollow so that it could be used as extra bio-media. There is a couple eco-friendly filaments out there which is safe for food contact and ideal for our aquariums.
All in all, it was a fun first Fusion360 project and I'd like to hear any feedback on if this is even something that's needed or if I'm trying to reinvent the wheel of no reason!
After I started ordering coral for my own tank, the biggest hassle and eyesore is always the frag plug. As a newbie, I don't have access to saws to safely cut coral from the plug without risking shattering the skeleton or harming the coral. After cutting the stem off the plug (and part of my hand) with some snips, I figured there had to be a better method. Coral plugs don't really change that much from manufacturer to manufacturer with the exception of some which look more like rockwork - problem 1 ticked off the list!
Goals
- Retain the farming/propagation utility
- Make the stem snap off, no tools required
- Blend into the rockwork
- Be as environmentally friendly as possible
Initial Design
Things Learned
I don't own a 3D printer just yet so I had to get a company to print out a couple test pieces but I learned a lot from the ones I got. The concept works well - I tried a couple different thicknesses of snapping point and found one I like which manages to not be too fragile but easy enough to snap with your fingers. I added a tapper to the bottom of the disc which helps it seat better into the rock.
Now onto the things that need improving;
- I'll need to use 100% fill next time because the plugs float
- The 3D printed mimic rocks are too high and look a bit out of place on the rock. They were only a place holder and proof of concept so they'll need to be re-designed.
- The glue point on the plug could be larger to accept bigger frags
What's the Point?
The plug works exactly like a traditional plug would so there would be no change to the way it's held in a frag rack on the end of a hobbyist or farm. It would be ideal for newcomers like myself to pick up coral frags on plugs like this to snap off the stem without tools and glue into my tank for it to look more natural. I made the stem hollow so that it could be used as extra bio-media. There is a couple eco-friendly filaments out there which is safe for food contact and ideal for our aquariums.
All in all, it was a fun first Fusion360 project and I'd like to hear any feedback on if this is even something that's needed or if I'm trying to reinvent the wheel of no reason!