What do you use to bond rock and corals?

GrimReefer · #1 07-16-2006, 02:29 AM

I've heard superglue gel is popular. I was wondering if you can use it underwater without any toxic effects, or if there was something like that available? I've also seen Marineland Holdfast epoxy stick, but I'm not sure if you can use that underwater either. What do you use?

Manny · #2 07-16-2006, 02:54 AM

your local live fish store should have the two part epoxy that will set under water and that is not toxic.

RonPeter · #3 07-16-2006, 03:55 AM

I've used superglue gel with great results. Also if you need something thicker try Loctite Extreme it works really well also.

GrimReefer · #4 07-16-2006, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonPeter

I've used superglue gel with great results.

does it have to cure out of the water?

RonPeter · #5 07-16-2006, 04:11 AM

No it doesn't, I put it on and let it set for a few seconds and then place it in the tank.

Bryan · #6 07-16-2006, 07:07 AM

I use hydraulic cement. Works better than any of the two part epoxy

kwirky · #7 07-17-2006, 10:43 PM

superglue's not toxic. It was designed to glue arteries closed for heart surgery

superglue cures almost instantly in water, in case you're doing any submerged gluing. If you are, epoxy is better. With superglue, you have to be super fast if you're doing it under water.

bnhreef · #8 07-18-2006, 02:53 AM

Here's my 2-bits,

Go to a hobby store (rc airplane kind) and buy some "super-glue". The thick gel kind. It should be cyano-acrylate which is crazy glue. The bottle will most likely come with a yellow lid. This is the "best" gluing agent for all your corals including gluing zooanthids.

Just take a small piece of rubble or rock and add enough drops to make a puddle the size of the base of the piece of coral that you are gluing. Do this out of the water. Now take your coral out of the water and set the base of it into the glue. Take some water from the tank and dribble it over the coral so that the water runs down the coral and onto the glue. As mentioned above, crazy glue cures when water is present, so basically you're speeding up the process by adding water. The glue will start to cloud up...this is good. You can further make the bond stronger by adding some more glue aroud the base and dribbling water down the coral again.

Dribbling water down the coral helps prevent the glue from engulfing the upper coral stem when it is submersed.

Just remember to get crazy glue in the thick form.

Then to secure the coral that is glued to the piece of rubble, use some of the stick epoxy that you can buy at the local fish store. Mine looks like a green stick with a white center. Use a razor blade or knife to slice off a 1/2 inch piece. Mix well with your fingers. It's non-toxic (so is the crazy glue). Mix well. Jam the stuff onto the sides of the piece of rubble and into your live rock. The less smooth that both surfaces are the better. Don't spread the stuff too thin. It doesn't stick like glue but will harden like rock.

Take care.