YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED....

[Battlecorals]

maybe going the styrofoam route? cutting a hole on a 1x1 piece of foam to float while inside the bag/cup? personally feel like this is a more feasible route.

thing is, I still dont know that the coral would better off. I mean I never really had a lot of issues in transit before I started using the cups. It was a solution looking for a problem really.

 

[Utubereefer]

I’ve seen a few vendors just using a limp plastic bag on the bottom of the frag plug. I’m guessing so it doesn’t get stuck in the corner of the bag.
Adam if you need a Guinea pig I’m your guy!!!

 

[JCOLE]

Those of you who are returning customers may have noticed recently that your frags came in without the "protection" of that little cup inside my regular shipping bag.

Well, the truth is I am not convinced that these cups are actually doing more harm than good. The idea of the cup is great. Mount the plug inside so that the frag stays relatively untouched in transit. However the longer I use these things the more I've come to think that they are not so great. The first reason being that in the multiple steps needed to prepare them for shipping, drilling holes, slicing X's to hold the plug and such, the potential for some kind of contamination I feel is pretty high. And, because I've felt this way since I started using them, I always wash them in tank water before they actually get placed inside one of my bags. Maybe this helps.I dont know. Pain in the butt though, but I'll get to that later.

The other issue I have with them is that I honestly think that the cup itself creates a pocket of water inside the bag that may not be ideal at all. Especially with smaller frags that dont stick out the top of the cup. To combat this quirk I started cutting larger holes in the sides of the cups and while I think it may have helped to some degree, I don't know that it was a solution.

Ultimately I think that I have had more frags come in DOA since I started using the cups. Whether its contamination or some sort of toxic pocket within the cup, I just don't like it. As little test, I decided to quit using them for a while and see if I notice any better results. Especially with some of the usual suspects that have done poorly often.


Now let me just say that I honestly hate these cups. They are a huge pain to make, take a ton of time to drill out and prepare. Going as far as inventing a machine to "pierce" the X's in the bottoms even. Works awesome by the way. But still a tremendous time eater. I even had custom plugs made because until I had these plugs designed with the cone shaped shaft, I'd regularly break frags while trying to insert them into the cup. Drove me absolutely nuts! Especially if it was a frag I only had one of that was shipping that day. So I mean the cups have mostly served as more of a means to "impress" the customer, more so than as a function of safety. At least in my experience. I personally hate these thing to no end.

Cup piercing machine

So where I’m going with all of this? What is the pointy of this post? Really just to explain that I am always trying to improve may situation over here with trial and error. And I really feel that these cups are not benefiting me enough to warrant continued use at this point. At least not until I get more feedback on how things are shipping without. So far so good I’d say.


So, when you get that order, and you maybe ask yourself why didn’t he use those cups like last time? I assure you it was not out of laziness or any thing like that. It's really just a continued effort to ensure that the frags you get are alive and well and in the best state they can be in when they are delivered. Any and all feedback is very welcome.

I agree. Personally, I wish we would go back to the good old days. Fresh cut and in a bag it goes. No worrying about 7-14 days to heal to a plug that you are more than likely going to cut off anyway. Just cut a frag and throw in the bag. Give the customer the option to mount to a frag plug or rock work. Also, a good way to eliminate unwanted pests and algae from other systems.

 

[100gallonreefer]

The struggle is real my friend. Snapping my only Angelica frag off at the base while forcibly ramming the plug into the cup is enough to make me loose it. Believe me. I have often wondered if you guys had any issues trying to get them out as well.

I’ve broken my fair share of pieces off frags while taking them out of cups over the years. I‘m with you,I can do without the cups.

 

[Garia666]

Maybe this is something for you

hard plastic cup with plug holder on the lid.
the fitting is super tight for the plug.
I was very happy how this got shipped to me!

 

[Utubereefer]

Maybe this is something for you

hard plastic cup with plug holder on the lid.
the fitting is super tight for the plug.
I was very happy how this got shipped to me!

 

[BirdFish5000]

I agree. Personally, I wish we would go back to the good old days. Fresh cut and in a bag it goes. No worrying about 7-14 days to heal to a plug that you are more than likely going to cut off anyway. Just cut a frag and throw in the bag. Give the customer the option to mount to a frag plug or rock work. Also, a good way to eliminate unwanted pests and algae from other systems.

Good way to have frags die from stress, no?

 

[JCOLE]

Good way to have frags die from stress, no?

Never had that happen before. The ones I always received like that usually did the best for me in my systems.

 

[OnPointCorals]

This is an interesting topic and over the years I have gone back and forth (using them and not using them) many times. I do worry about the extra possibility of contamination but rinse them in RO/DI before use.

One thing I have noticed. Every incoming order I have received that SPS had full PE in the bag was mounted in some sort of cup.