Super Glue

War Eagle

Small Fish
Sep 5, 2008
46
0
0
Cumming, Georgia
#1
I'm getting really irritated. I keep super glueing my Torch to the LR but a hermit crab keeps knocking it over. I'm using Super Glue Gel. I started with a little but have ended up using quite a glob after about the 4th time. What do I need to do? I have used a baster to blow the rock off good so there wont be too much sand on it. I have put a pretty good blob of glue on the bottom of the frag and held it in place until it will stand on it's own. GREAT! Right? but then I come back and it has fallen, what the hell? So I do it again. Well, last night was the last straw. I removed all teh old glue from teh bottom of the frag and started over. I set it in place and thought, that's gotta hold. The later I see this little damn blue leg crawl up there and knock it over again. How do I solve this? Can I use silicone? A different kind of Super Glue? Please help before I boil my hermits and eat tehm on a cracker with some hot sauce.*PEACE!*
 

Chris_A

Large Fish
Oct 14, 2008
615
0
0
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
#2
How long are you letting the glue set before putting it back in the water?

There is also the 2 part epoxy putty. I use that for any kind of hard base (frag plugs and hard corals). I just make a flat topped cone and use a pen or the likes to make a round hole into it. Then it's as simple as placing the coral in the hole, use my thumbs to push it tight against the coral and let it set for a few minutes. Then it's strate back in the tank.

Chris
 

War Eagle

Small Fish
Sep 5, 2008
46
0
0
Cumming, Georgia
#4
I'm not letting the glue set any before putting back in. I'm so worried about the Torch I just hold it with it's head still in teh water and apply the glue then turn it over and back into the tank. Should I let it set a little?
 

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#5
Super glue isn't really strong enough to hold a top-heavy coral like a torch on rock. The glue is brittle, and doesn't have much tensile strength. It's fine for frags or corals that aren't top heavy, though. Either find a hole in the live rock that's a little bigger than the skeleton, and glue it in the hole, or use epoxy.

By the way, super glue will cure well under water. It's just not strong enough for torches.
 

Lorna

Elite Fish
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#6
There is also a putty kind of stuff that you mix with your fingers by kneading it and it is active when it turns from green to white.....the wrap this around the base of the frag and push it into a rock crevice....it should hold it as it will harden under water.....
 

War Eagle

Small Fish
Sep 5, 2008
46
0
0
Cumming, Georgia
#7
Super glue is not strong enought to hold a Torch upright?!!!!! Have you not seen the TV adds? It'll hold a full grown man in a hard hat to an I beam suspended over New York City! But you let one hermit crab come along and that man is falling to his death.*laughingc Sorry I had to go there.

I'll give the epoxy a try. Can I use any ol epoxy or is there an auquarium epoxy? I have some epoxy at home but I don't know that it would be safe for the fish, it deffinitly doesn't turn white.
 

Chris_A

Large Fish
Oct 14, 2008
615
0
0
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
#9
There is also a putty kind of stuff that you mix with your fingers by kneading it and it is active when it turns from green to white.....the wrap this around the base of the frag and push it into a rock crevice....it should hold it as it will harden under water.....
This is the stuff I was refering to. Aquarium systems has it, called "Aqua-stick" or "Hold fast" don't remember which. I'd know for sure if I had remembered to pick some up today while I was at 3 different LFS'... LOL, some days I'm a bright one :rolleyes:.

Chris
 

Lorna

Elite Fish
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#11
There is also a two part epoxy which is what I thought Chris was talking about. The aqua stick type of putty can be found in grey also which blends into the live rock a bit better, though even the white gets covered with coraline pretty quickly and disappears into the live rock as well. It isn't really sticky or anything you have to basically mold it around the frag and then push it into a hole or crack/crevice to secure it but once it cures it is hard as rock....
 

War Eagle

Small Fish
Sep 5, 2008
46
0
0
Cumming, Georgia
#12
SCORE!!!!! I went to the LFS at lunch to get some epoxy (which I did) and look at the frags. He normally has some small frags for $19.99 each. Today there was a good size rock, maybe 3x4, covered in zoa polpys on the $19.99 rack. The rock is completely covered, so approx 12 sq inches of polpys for $20. They are not the most exotic looking polyp, maybe a yellow/gold/brown color. But, for only my 3rd frag... I'm pumped. So I got a new frag, I can get my Torch mounted so I don't have to boil my hermits... it's a good day for the tank.