Attaching base w/ epoxy... not working well

[PSam]

I was attempting to attach the base (only the underside of the flat part that was obviously encrusted before) of my gorgonians to a piece of rock last night with some DD epoxy, but they just wouldn't take. I'm sure I could do it if I completely covered the base and part of the "stem" with the epoxy, but I don't want to do this, do I?

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

Typically not. I know that you don't want to get super glue on the flesh of gorgonians as that can harm them. I imagine that the same goes for epoxy.

 

[PSam]

I'll suppose I will stick with rubber bands then, hopefully they'll attach to the rock if tied down long enough. Hope the epoxy I tried on the one last night doesn't hurt it... polyps were out and feeding this morning...

 

[Psychographic]

I have had 100% success by stripping about 1/2" of the flash from the bottom exposing the skeleton and then epoxying that to the rock.

 

[PSam]

You know, I saw that method in some article elsewhere, but the bases seem too healthy to cut them up - I'd rather try and wait it out. I ended up just rubber banding them down in hopes that they'll attach to the rocks eventually with the existing base.

 

[graveyardworm]

GARF.org has some pretty detailed methods for attaching gorgonians with pictures and everything.

 

[OneDayMatt]

I attach my coral to rocks by putting super glue gel on a glob of aquamend. Then I push that glob onto a rock (even wet, this works). Then I put superglue gel on the other side of the glob and attach the coral.

Combined with the method of removing a bit of flesh mentioned above, you should be able to set the coral and have it in flow in about 30 seconds.

 

[dendro982]

I think I know, what you are talking about. Take a look here , scroll to the bottom of the page. Is it it?

The surface for mounting could be flat piece of a rubble rock, tumbled marble times from hardware store (but they don't look ad natural).

Then the rubble rock could be glued to the main rock, as any other coral. I have problem with gluing at all, nothing holds for long, supergues and epoxy putties), so I'm trying either to keep diodogorgia standing up on the flat bottom, or lock it as a key in keyhole.

Another option is to strip the soft tissue, and glue it in the hole in the rock, but in this case it is unnecessary.

HTH