Glue or Epoxy

[dwall174]

What’s the best type of glue or epoxy to use for bonding small pieces of LR & frags to base rock?

 

[Witfull]

i use walmart superglue gel.

 

[skinnychinaman]

Super Glue Gel works the best IMHO

 

[Gina]

I like the Plumbers Epoxy. Comes in a stick form and you have to mold it with your fingers to soften it. You can pick it up at Lowes.

 

[Woodstock]

I've never tried that type Gina. Does that cure underwater like the superglue gel??

 

[hunterd_67]

whats the name of it?

 

[mattie]

goto your local hobby store that sells models and get zap ca cyanocrylate or equivilant thick glue. its better and cheaper that crazy glue but you glue it out of the tank it will cure underwater and is safe for the reef.
the epoxy can be mounted in the tank under water...if it's the same epoxy i am thinking of

 

[Gina]

I've never tried that type Gina. Does that cure underwater like the superglue gel??

Yes, it cures under the water. We found it at Lowes. Holds real well.
It's just called Plumbers Epoxy Putty.
It comes in a stick form and all you do is knead it.

 

[Woodstock]

Hummm..sounds like the same epoxy that the LFS has in a tube.

 

[KimPossible]

I just started using HoldFast epoxy put out by Aquarium Systems. It sounds the same type as the one Gina uses.
It is green with a white center that you kneed. It sets in about 10 min. I turn off my flow for about 30 min. to make sure there is not movement of the coral or rock prior to the actual hardening.

 

[dwall174]

Thanks Everyone!

Hummm..sounds like the same epoxy that the LFS has in a tube.

I think that's what I'm going to try! Two Little Fishies makes an epoxy that is a reddish pink in color so it matches the look of coralline.

 

[tmc]

my small zoanthid colony keeps falling off the rock i put it on. do I or can i glue it to one of my rock. do i glue right to the coral?
tmc

 

[BigReepher]

my small zoanthid colony keeps falling off the rock i put it on. do I or can i glue it to one of my rock. do i glue right to the coral?
tmc

You'll have to take the rock out of the tank to use thickened super glue gel. Just put a dab on the underside of the zoa's and place on the rock and allow to dry a minute before placing the rock back into the tank. When placing the rock back into the water, due so upside down, so that the zoas enter the water first. This will prevent the super glue from wicking up the sides of the zoas. But remember a dab will do ya. If the rock is too big to take out of the water then you can use anything from a rubberband, plastic mesh, or a toothpick shoved through the zoa mat into the rock. None of which are very effective with zoas. The epoxy is difficult to use on zoas unless you have some small pieces of rock on the zoa mat. I like the super glue gel myself, just make sure it says gel. HTH

 

[Woodstock]

For small pebbles/frags I use super glue gel. Simply remove the frag dry the bottom, smear on the glue then replace into the tank. You can hold it in place for a min if needed.

For med-large rocks I usually use epoxy. It will hold it better. I would prepare the epoxy then remove the zoa rock and press the epoxy onto the bottom. Quickly (epoxy gets hot) replace the zoa rock with epoxy into the water and press it down firmly onto the rock. If it is at an angle, you may need to hold it for a min or two. Be careful not to jiggle of move it because the epoxy will be soft for the first few minutes.

 

[mane3215]

There was a huge thread about a strategy a guy used and loved. I know a lot of others also used it after that thread and loved it too.

What the fellow did was take epoxy and put super glue gel on the top, then embed the frag. Next he would hold the frag and put more super glue gel on the bottom of the epoxied frag. He would then place the frag in the tank. I think the premise of this was to have the super glue set immediately to hold the frag in place, and the epoxy fully cure in a few minutes. I tried it a few times and its hit or miss for me.

I just use super glue gel, its a pita working with epoxy then you have a huge glob at the base of the coral.

 

[Woodstock]

That is the method I had to use when I glued an LPS to my overflow. It was the only way to get it to stick.... frag-gel-epoxy-gel-overflow.

 

[mane3215]

I tried to get a cap to stick to tha tank glass like that hehe. It always worked for about 10 minutes =P.

 

[Woodstock]

I have tried that one glass a few times also... yours stuck longer than mine did!

 

[phillyfish]

I use superglue gel. :bigbounce

 

[BigReepher]

On glass, the only luck I've had is sticking epoxy onto a area with heavy coraline algae and hoping the coral grows onto the glass before the coraline algae or epoxy falls off as it usually does. I've been told that silicone will work, but it never has for me. I don't think I'm doin it properly though.