Am I the only one that has trouble using super glue gel to attach frags underwater?

[chopper320]

Everyone says that super glue gel works but it's very inconsistent for me whether I'm attaching a cut frag straight to a rock or a frag plug to a rock.

I've tried putting it on thick and just holding it on to the rock. I've tried putting a dab on and dipping it and then putting another dab over it and twisting it onto the rock. Sometimes it holds really well but over half the time, I can't get the frag or the frag plug to stick.

What's the secret?

 

[michael.hts]

Try check this Form a Japanese SPS expect!
It works for me everytime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLuxJOJYv9g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Send from Michael's Galaxy S3

 

[tj1627]

For me, the secret isn't just superglue gel. I also use a 2part epoxy. Mix up a small ball of epoxy and superglue it to the frag:

Frag || superglue gel || epoxy

Then wait a minute or 2 while holding it still. Add superglue to the base of the epoxy and *quickly* submerge it and attach to a rock. If you wait too long the superglue will film over too much (a little film is unavoidable IME) and you won't get good contact. Push it into the rock and the epoxy coated with superglue will form to the shape of the rock. Hold for a minute or two.

So in the end you have:

Frag || superglue gel || epoxy || superglue gel || rock/frag disk.

The superglue gel is great at bonding, but bad at bonding to porous surfaces (at least in my experience with tanks). The epoxy is great at forming to all of those porous surfaces, but not that great at adhesion. This way, you get the best of both worlds.

HTH

 

[REEF SMAC]

Great video ^^^^

Scrubbing the area you plan to glue the frag with a toothbrush first to remove any loose detritus or algae helps a lot.

Smearing some glue onto the area you plan to glue the frag first to "primer" the area helps too.

You have to smear the blister of glue on the bottom of your frag around onto the rock until it breaks and is forced into/onto the rock your attaching to.

 

[chopper320]

Try check this Form a Japanese SPS expect!
It works for me everytime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLuxJOJYv9g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Send from Michael's Galaxy S3

This looks so easy but I never get these results. Do you know what glue he is using? I noticed he only holds it in place for like 15 seconds and it seems to have bonded really well.

For me, the secret isn't just superglue gel. I also use a 2part epoxy. Mix up a small ball of epoxy and superglue it to the frag:

Frag || superglue gel || epoxy

Then wait a minute or 2 while holding it still. Add superglue to the base of the epoxy and *quickly* submerge it and attach to a rock. If you wait too long the superglue will film over too much (a little film is unavoidable IME) and you won't get good contact. Push it into the rock and the epoxy coated with superglue will form to the shape of the rock. Hold for a minute or two.

So in the end you have:

Frag || superglue gel || epoxy || superglue gel || rock/frag disk.

The superglue gel is great at bonding, but bad at bonding to porous surfaces (at least in my experience with tanks). The epoxy is great at forming to all of those porous surfaces, but not that great at adhesion. This way, you get the best of both worlds.

HTH

I will try this. What epoxy do you use? Thanks!

 

[tj1627]

I will try this. What epoxy do you use? Thanks!

I use epoxy from TLF: http://www.marinedepot.com/Two_Litt...o_Little_Fishies-TL1613-FIMTEP-TL1617-vi.html

IMO the red epoxy looks *slightly* less unsightly than the grey. As I've glued down more frags over time, I use less and less each time. I used to mix up a ball the size of a superball (maybe 1/2in dia) and try to wrap that around a frag disk plug and get that to attach to a rock. Worked well but very visible for months until the frag encrusts over it.

Then I started cutting the plug off the disk and using about 1/2 of what I used before to glue down - better results, but raised up too high. After a while I started using a ball slightly larger than a pencil eraser which has worked well for me.

2 tips: put gloves on to handle the epoxy. It didn't irritate my skin or anything (I hear to some people it does) but my hands stunk like nothing else before. No soap I could find would remove it. Not fun.

Empty your skimmer first. Something in the epoxy makes your skimmer either stop skimming or go crazy and overflow for a few hours. Mine overflowed and dumped a nearly full almost black cup of skimmate back into the tank - the cup was a very light tea color by the time i caught it :headwally:

 

[dadummy]

IME some brands stick, some don't...just bought two bottles of reef glue (cyanoacrylate), and it doesn't work under water well at all.. the super glue gel (ethyl cyanoacrylate) from dollar tree works under water. Duro and Loctite brand gel work under water but have a higher price tag

 

[Henry Colf]

I use super glue gel as well. I first figure out where I want to glue the frag and then I put enough to cover the bottom of the frag and wait like 20 seconds before putting it in the tank. After that I put it where I want it,I move it in a circular motion until it starts to stick and then I hold it in place for about 30 seconds.

 

[Paul B]

For me, the secret isn't just superglue gel. I also use a 2part epoxy. Mix up a small ball of epoxy and superglue it to the frag:

Exactly

 

[Dr. Reef]

likewise i use epoxy and superglue together like stated above.

 

[rovster]

I use the sandwich method as well. I'll aslo add that occasionally I'll turn off the powerheads if the frag is going in a high flow area. The other thing is you have to hold it in there for like a minute or so, but it doesn't really cure for a few minutes, so watch it. I've never had issues. Occasionally I'll even use just superglue and that works fine as well, but you have to hold it in place longer.

I use Loctite Super Glue Gel from HD.

 

[dunc101]

I also use superglue + epoxy as I find it works well. I also could never get just superglue gel to work well. I use the superglue from the dollar store (1 dollar for 3 small tubes of superglue). I have also tried the loctite superglue from home depot but I find that it doesn't work much better than the 1 dollar superglue from the dollar store. The main complaint I have from the dollar store superglue is that it is VERY runny and I seem to always have "glued" hands for the next day or so =D.
For epoxy I use JB Weld waterweld that you can get at HD or Lowes or I use TLF. They are basically the same price, but the waterweld is white whereas you can get the TLF epoxy in red which, as stated above, is better looking than white.

 

[Reef Bass]

Dunc101, try using the gel super glue, not the regular. The regular stuff is way too runny and pretty much worthless for reefing, imho.

 

[t4zalews]

I use super glue (gel) to glue frags to plugs, then use apoxy to mount plugs to rock. I've found the best apoxy is a two part apoxy by D+D. It also has a purple color that blends in a lot better.

 

[tomservo]

Get your superglue from a model shop, it's a better grade than you'll find anywhere else. It really makes a difference. The age of the glue is important too, old glue doesn't work as well.. On a woodworking forum I used to frequent there was always a group buy going for super glue trans shipped from the mfr in taiwan.

 

[REEF SMAC]

I like the super glue, putty, super glue trick for larger heavier colony size pieces.

For a single frag it's kinda overkill for me.

Never really had an issue with using just superglue for frags.

 

[Humu Humu]

I'm going to try the superglue-epoxy combo. It sounds like it will address the uneven frag surface issue. Thanks.

 

[cdmurphy]

If you take a look on the Echo Tech Marine's website they have an instructional video about using their Coral Glue underwater. I've tried it with just normal superglue gel and it works fine.

 

[chopper320]

I have been using the super glue gel from Home Depot. My dollar tree store doesn't carry the gel. I just bought some underwater 2 part epoxy from hd so I can try the sandwich method on my next frag.

 

[DON NOLAN]

After your frag begins to set up try using a dead coral branch to push down and shape the epoxy in a way that gives it a more natural look. You'll be surprised how much better it looks and also giving the epoxy better contact by pushing it into the cracks.