What type of glue or cement to use?

[Boca Kris]

I bought a super small ricordia polyp attached to a very small rock. Everywhere I put it in my tank, it does well, but every few days, mostly at night when it sorta folds up, it gets caught in the current and gets blown over cause its so small.

I dont want to permanently glue it to situated LR, but thought attaching it to a smaller piece of rubble would work well, so I could still move it around until its happy.

My question is, what type of glue or cement or bonding material do most people use thats safe for the tank? And how is it best applied?

Any help would be awesome!

Thanks guys!

 

[papagimp]

Just superglue the small chunk of rock to a larger chunk of rock. Use superglue gel, it works better than normal super glue. Just about any kind would work, I get mine from 7-11 in a pinch, the dollar store, walmart, anywhere really. YOu can use the underwater epoxy stuff but I've always hated that stuff.

 

[Boca Kris]

And regular super glue gel is safe for the tank?

 

[marduc]

yes, it is. Been used by countless people, myself included with no ill effects.

 

[hmello@bermexin]

Are you gellin? :lmao: :lol2: :thumbsup:

Seriously most of us have used it at one time or another. The expoxy stuff is a PITA, just my opinion. Causes your skimmer to go bonkers for a few days.

 

[ZIN22]

get the gel

 

[Capt. Freeze]

Let me get this straight - SUPER GLUE GEL That is what you use? That is crazy. It doesn't hurt them?

 

[NirvanaFan]

The gel works awesome. I wouldn't put it right on any soft coral flesh, but to attach rocks together it works awesome. Once the coral attaches to the coral rubble, I glue the rubble to a bigger piece of rock.

 

[Capt. Freeze]

That's awesome! I got some zoos that keep getting knocked out by my hermit crabs. Im gonna go glue it down right now!

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11000662#post11000662 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Capt. Freeze
Let me get this straight - SUPER GLUE GEL That is what you use? That is crazy. It doesn't hurt them?

That's right...Crazy Glue! It can harm them, by cauterizing the tissue, but for stoney corals it helps by attaching the bone/skeleton where you want it and cuaterizes the cut. For flesheir soft corals, you want them attached to a piece of rubble, and then glue that down. But attaching softies isn't that bad either. It won't hur the tank at all. when you do glue something down, apply the glue, attach the coral, and then hold it under water for a few, the cool water will cause the glue to start skinning over right away and dry quicker. If your quick enough (i'm not) you can superglue directly under water. I find I waste more glue that way though

 

[payyourtoll]

but in order to use the gel, both rocks need to be out of the tank and dry right?

 

[papagimp]

Not neccessarily. It makes it far easier IMO but doesn't have to be. Theproblem with gluing underwater (which I have done successfully every blue moon) is that the glue will start curing before you get a good attachement, but if you put a LARGE glob on the spot to glue to, and then smear the frag around on it, it'll help some.

This is nice when you have an extrmely large rock that you can't get out without tearing the tank apart, and still need to attach that new montipora frag to it. (did this yesterday and going to do it again today, whoo-hoo, love the new montifrags)

 

[payyourtoll]

exactly my problem, I have some new frags that Id like to glue down, but all of my rock is big and settled, def not taking it out to glue something to it. Im dumb but aint stupid

 

[papagimp]

LOL, just wait until you accidentaly stick a coral eating fish in the tank and HAVE to take it all out to catch em! I sure felt stupid.

They do have those underwater epoxies for just this situation, but I just hate using them, others swear by em. Marineland makes a type called Holdfast Underwater Epoxy, sold at many LFS and i'm sure you could find it online, but super glue gell works better IMO.

 

[rustybucket145]

Gluing underwater is CAKE!! It just takes a little practice. Here's my method that works everytime.

You need at least a couple tubes laying around before you start doing this. Never know when one's not gonna take.

Find the exact place where you want to glue the coral to. Use your finger to 'rub' this spot clean, use a turkey baster to remove any 'reef dust' if there's any present.

Ok, now that the spot's clean (but underwater) get your tube of glue and place a small-med size dab on the clean spot.

Remove the tube of glue and use your finger to 'rub in' the dab of superglue you placed on the rock. At this point you're not worrying about thickness or anything, you simply want the glue to adhear to the rock.

Now with frag in hand place a liberal amount of glue to the frag surface/rock to be glued. Quickly submerge the piece and mate it with the smeared in glue on the underwater rock. Rock the frag back and forth a couple of times until it feels solid.

viola! glued!!

the glue peels right off your finger easily!!

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11001570#post11001570 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
Gluing underwater is CAKE!! It just takes a little practice. Here's my method that works everytime.

lol, definatly takes practice. Which I havn't had alot of

 

[payyourtoll]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11001570#post11001570 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145

the glue peels right off your finger easily!!

peels right off, pfffffffffft If you mean your skin pulls right off then yeah. At least this is my experience with any super glue.

Are you using one specific to underwater, or just a regular glue / gel? I have seen the Holdfast that pimp suggested and just want to use something 'cleaner'

thanks bro

 

[bach2pilot]

Regular superglue gel.

It was originally invented to close wounds.

 

[NirvanaFan]

It does a pretty good job of it too!

 

[ZIN22]

I have glued fuzzy shrooms right to rocks in my tank and other soft corals along with sps's just dab the back of what you are glueing and put it into the tank and hold it where you want it for maybe 10 seconds and done. If you are glueing out of the tank then after glueing item to your rock then hold it and put into the water cuz it will bond much better and faster under the water about 10 seconds and done.If you want to glue/cement rocks together or corals to your rocks get a two part underwater epoxy sold at home depot and I think lowes has it also its called AquaMend.