reef putty versus reef glue...

[Sk8r]

Used to be, reef putty stank like, well, awful; but it molded easily and set underwater if you held the item steady a bit.

Imho, the formula has changed: it now crumbles, won't set nicely, and is prone to fall apart and release its hold. Fine for creating a mortar on a rock-point you want to stay put, but not so great for holding coral.

Having had puttied corals dumped onto the sand twice---I've gone over to the glue and am (pardon me) sticking to it. No coral falls since I switched to glue.

 

[xCry0x]

I pretty much glue exclusively. Used to do the glue | putty | glue | frag plug combo -- as you said, putty always seems clunky.

Only benefit is exactly what you mentioned in the mortar effect it has -- it fills in the surface of a rock so it is flatter for the frag to glue to. That said, a big glob of super glue does the same and doesn't cause my skimmer to go crazy.

 

[GimpyFin]

Yeah, I think I've only used putty/epoxy once or twice. Never been real crazy about it. Super glue gel has worked pretty good for me too. Except when my hair-brained fish want to take a nip off it before it sets and swim around the tank like a cat with tape stuck on their paw.

 

[xCry0x]

Except when my hair-brained fish want to take a nip off it before it sets and swim around the tank like a cat with tape stuck on their paw.

Oh man - it eventually came off on its own?

I managed to get a hair in my tank and had a fish eat it. Fish swam around for the next 3 days with part of a hair sticking out of its mouth. The hair had actually fallen into the cup I thaw food in, so it got a piece of mysis somehow stuck to one end -.-

 

[shadowmonster]

I've never had any problems with the JB WaterWeld epoxy. The key IME is to make sure you knead it really well or it won't cure properly. The way in which you use the epoxy differs from one person to the other. Just as an example if your frags keep falling over it might not be the epoxy's fault, your just not applying it the right way.

 

[GimpyFin]

Yeah, my butterfly took a nip and had what looked like a little glue spear sticking out from the bottom part of his mouth. Was pretty hilarious to watch, but he managed to get rid of it within about an hour or so.

 

[billdogg]

I've never had any problems with the JB WaterWeld epoxy. The key IME is to make sure you knead it really well or it won't cure properly. The way in which you use the epoxy differs from one person to the other. Just as an example if your frags keep falling over it might not be the epoxy's fault, your just not applying it the right way.

What he said. I also use whatever brand superglue gel is cheapest at the time. At the woodworkers expo last year I got a very large bottle of gel (like 8oz) for something like $9. Works like a charm. It even glues my fingers together just like the "real" stuff!