glueing corals

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 7:59 am

Just wondering what some of the experienced people in this hobby use to attach their corals to their rock. i know you can buy some from the LFS, but is there anthing cheaper you can use like super glue?

Brandon · Post by **Brandon** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 8:39 am

I like the medium cyanoacrylate from Hobby Town. I've tried the slow and the fast (Zap Brand) , but the medium is thick enough it doesn't run all over the coral and still dries pretty fast. I think it is their own brand, not sure. Pick up an extra top too , you will eventually need it. And store it in the fridge, and it will last a very long time.

I know they sell the epoxy sticks at home depot under some other name, but I've not used them.

Snakeman · Post by **Snakeman** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 8:58 am

I've had really good luck with regular gel superglue. I put a glob the size of a pea on the frag and rub it into what ever im wanting to stick it to. For large pieces I use marine epoxy that you get in a stick. You just cut off the amount you need and mead it together untill it changes to the color the instructions say it will change to. You can get both the super glue and the epoxy at home depot. I think the Epoxy is about 2- 3 dollars a stick. The epoxy its not the fastest setting stuff so you will want to be able to stick the coral to something that will be able to support it until it hardens unless you have plenty of time on your hands to hold it for a long time.

Post by **snoopdog** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:08 am

Oatey two part epoxy from Lowes works great for stony corals, about $4 a tube same stuff that Aquastick is, but not $12. Super glue gels works ok for softies if they are not the type that slime over, just make sure to glue out of the water. Funny how many people think that you can glue underwater, silly people.

Snakeman · Post by **Snakeman** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:29 am

Why can't you glue it in the water, I've have had good luck. But i've usually glue like rock to rock or hard coral to rock but It sticks good. I never had any luck glueing shrooms.

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:31 am

Superglue/gel hardens instantly when you put it in contact with water.

Snakeman · Post by **Snakeman** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:35 am

Thats why I put a fairly large bead and when i put it in the water it make a shell so when i make contack with the rock i rub it round to break the shell an it sticks fast.

Post by **snoopdog** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:47 am

I will have to try that.

JPerkins · Post by **JPerkins** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:51 am

I use both epoxy and superglue.

Make a small ball with the epoxy and then dab some glue on the epoxy. Attach coral. Now dab glue on the epoxy where it will attach to rock and voila, good seal.

Snakeman · Post by **Snakeman** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:55 am

I've never tried that but it makes sense. I alway have a hard time making the epoxy stick to the wet rock.

Xster · Post by **Xster** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 2:43 pm

I use "aquamend" from Home Depot, which is a two-part epoxy and also a dab of super glue gel. I ddin't beleive in "glue-ing down corals at first" , but after corals start falling on other corals and starts receding after some warfare, I am now a convert.

Post by **snoopdog** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 2:54 pm

Aquamend ???? What is it a boating item ? I have never seen this stuff.

Xster · Post by **Xster** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 3:08 pm

snoopdog wrote:Aquamend ???? What is it a boating item ? I have never seen this stuff.

It looks like the same green and white centered epoxy that LFS sells for more than 10 bucks. It is in the glue and epoxy section at Home Depot. I forgot how much it was but I know it was at least half the price of the epoxy at the LFS.

FYI, i knead it until it kinda hardens a bit before applying. This helps out tremendously I think.

Try it and let me know

SaltnLime · Post by **SaltnLime** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:58 pm

Xster wrote:I use "aquamend" from Home Depot, which is a two-part epoxy and also a dab of super glue gel. I ddin't beleive in "glue-ing down corals at first" , but after corals start falling on other corals and starts receding after some warfare, I am now a convert.

Yeah , true.... nothing sucks worse than trying to find a missing frag that was knocked down in the rockwork....or losing a whole colony because it fell on something.

cnovak · Post by **cnovak** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 5:54 pm

i went w/the Aquamend for some samll green button polyps seems to have worked really good thanks for the advice. Oh yeah it was only $2.97 at Home Depot, thanks Xster.