Nitrate and Phosphate Growth Experiment

[jraker]

In this tank I placed pieces of rubble on the macro just to hold it down. BRS sells rubble by the pound and I used that to hold it down. In my 65 gallon tank I also used the rubble, but I took the macro and glued it to the rubble so I could easily move it around. I also placed some of the macro in the cracks of rocks and allowed their holdfasts to grow and attach to the rock. Both have worked pretty well so far.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Thanks. I glued a few macros to rocks and about a 1/3rd of them have let go over the last 2 weeks. That's why I asked.

 

[jraker]

It was tricky to get them on. I figured out that if you dab some glue at the base of the macro (where you want to glue it to the rock), it will dry and give a better surface for you to put on a little more glue to attach the macro to the rock. All the ones I did like that stayed glued down.

 

[Ron Reefman]

It was tricky to get them on. I figured out that if you dab some glue at the base of the macro (where you want to glue it to the rock), it will dry and give a better surface for you to put on a little more glue to attach the macro to the rock. All the ones I did like that stayed glued down.

Excellent idea, thanks.

I should have thought of that. I've done something similar to leather coral frags I cut off the main colony. The coral is full of mucus type fluid, so I squeeze the leather a bit and get some of the fluid out. Then when I release the pressure the cut end of the coral, held upside down, stays dry and I can 'coat' the cut end with super glue. Let it harden and then do a second coat and hold it against the rock you want to attach it to, and 9 times out of 10 it holds. BTW, I've never seen any damage done to the coral either.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

That's a great idea! A question: Are you leaving the whole plant out of water while the first coat dries?

 

[jraker]

What I did was take the area where I wanted to glue out of the water, then I glued that area. I then dipped it back into the water, because it dries pretty much instantly. Then I pick up a piece of rubble, dab a little glue on on the new base of the plant, and stick the two together.