Epoxy Question

xxxbadfishxxx · 12/31/2006, 09:36 AM

if you use epoxy to glue down frags, is it permenant or can you move it later on? my turbos keep knocking over my small rocks and frags and would like to secure them. also, does coraline grow on the epoxy?

Potsy · 12/31/2006, 09:43 AM

If you mean plumber's epoxy and its similar aquarium brand counterparts - the kind that you break in two pieces and knead together - then it gets rock hard. As long as you don't mold it too tightly to the rock, it is possible to break it away or you shape it like a little volcano with a snug hole on top to place your frag - won't get knocked over but easy to remove if necessary and will eventually encrust over the epoxy as it grows.

SDguy · 12/31/2006, 10:06 AM

The epoxy alone has a hard time sticking to stuff, IME, especially underwater. Try adding superglue gel. Knead your epoxy. Take your frag out of the water. Pat dry with a paper towel the area to be glued. Add some superglue gel. Squish the epoxy onto the superglue gel. Wait a few seconds. Add superglue to the opposite side of the epoxy (the side to be pressed onto the live rock. Squish the glue covered epoxy onto the live rock underwater. Works every time for me.

hth

sir_dudeguy · 12/31/2006, 11:04 AM

what type of corals are we talkin about here? If it is just stuff like zoas or polyps or something, you can take super glue gel and it will work (that is if you're gluing the actual coral itself). If they're already on small frag rocks, then you can get some sort of putty or somethign (theres several out there..one i think is "aqua stik" or something similar to that) and those work to lock rocks together if you do it right.

In the end, it should be a very tight hold, but breakable nonetheless. You may just have to take like a hammer and chissle and break the putty part with that if you ever do chose to remove it.

reefD · 12/31/2006, 11:06 AM

yeah i can snap mine also if i want to remove something.

sir_dudeguy · 12/31/2006, 11:21 AM

it is a sure fix tho for animals in the tank knocking it over. Snails wont be able to buldoze the stuff anymore

xxxbadfishxxx · 12/31/2006, 12:28 PM

yeah, sorry guys, i meant the putty. I do use super glue gel for attaching frags to rubble, i am talking about attaching rubble to the rocks.

for example, this
http://cgi.ebay.com/AquaStick-Under-...QQcmdZViewItem

SDguy · 12/31/2006, 01:21 PM

Use the method I described for attaching rubble to rocks. Works perfectly.

PS - Aquastik is BAD! Will kill SPS tissue it comes into contact with, and make your skimmer go nuts. Use Aquamend from HD.

Krazy · 12/31/2006, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SDguy
Use the method I described for attaching rubble to rocks. Works perfectly.

PS - Aquastik is BAD! Will kill SPS tissue it comes into contact with, and make your skimmer go nuts. Use Aquamend from HD.

does the aquamend make the skimmer go nuts ?

I have both the aquastick and aquamend, the aquastick sure did make my skimmer go wild!! and it burned my sps, BUT it grew back and encrusted over quickly.

SDguy · 12/31/2006, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Krazy K
does the aquamend make the skimmer go nuts ?

I have both the aquastick and aquamend, the aquastick sure did make my skimmer go wild!! and it burned my sps, BUT it grew back and encrusted over quickly.

Yes, I had the same experience, but why burn off tissue in the first place if you don't need to. No, aquamend does not make my skimmer go nuts, doesn't burn tissue, and works just the same as aquastik.

xxxbadfishxxx · 12/31/2006, 07:43 PM

SDguy, when you say aquamend from HD, do you mean you can get it at Home Depot? If so, what department is it in?

cristhiam · 12/31/2006, 08:38 PM

paint department at home depot

xxxbadfishxxx · 12/31/2006, 09:13 PM

thanks.

dwsindy · 12/31/2006, 09:45 PM

FWIW Aquamend will also make skimmer go nuts. I usually turn my skimmer off for 24 hours after uisng it.

sir_dudeguy · 12/31/2006, 10:21 PM

seeing as pretty much anything can make the skimmer go nuts, i wouldnt worry so much about that. Sticking your hand in the tank freaks out the skimmer.

But i put in a digi with aquastik and it is now dead, and i'm pretty convinced that it was the aquastik.

dwsindy · 12/31/2006, 10:36 PM

sir_dudeguy,
Agreed that lots of things can make a skimmer go nuts . I have no experience with the aquastick and I have used the aqamend exclusively with no problems other than the skimmer going crazy for a while.

cristhiam · 12/31/2006, 10:52 PM

The way I glue is: coral ----> small rock with crazy glue gel ------> rock with aquamend to rock work, works everytime.

Rhodesholar · 12/31/2006, 11:55 PM

Rhodesholar just tagging along. Great info guys. Thanks.

12/31/2006, 09:36 AM	#1
xxxbadfishxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 1,585	Epoxy Question if you use epoxy to glue down frags, is it permenant or can you move it later on? my turbos keep knocking over my small rocks and frags and would like to secure them. also, does coraline grow on the epoxy?

12/31/2006, 10:06 AM	#3
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	The epoxy alone has a hard time sticking to stuff, IME, especially underwater. Try adding superglue gel. Knead your epoxy. Take your frag out of the water. Pat dry with a paper towel the area to be glued. Add some superglue gel. Squish the epoxy onto the superglue gel. Wait a few seconds. Add superglue to the opposite side of the epoxy (the side to be pressed onto the live rock. Squish the glue covered epoxy onto the live rock underwater. Works every time for me. hth __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

12/31/2006, 11:04 AM	#4
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	what type of corals are we talkin about here? If it is just stuff like zoas or polyps or something, you can take super glue gel and it will work (that is if you're gluing the actual coral itself). If they're already on small frag rocks, then you can get some sort of putty or somethign (theres several out there..one i think is "aqua stik" or something similar to that) and those work to lock rocks together if you do it right. In the end, it should be a very tight hold, but breakable nonetheless. You may just have to take like a hammer and chissle and break the putty part with that if you ever do chose to remove it. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

12/31/2006, 11:06 AM	#5
reefD Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Schenectady,New York Posts: 4,968	yeah i can snap mine also if i want to remove something. __________________ DAVID Current Tank Info: it has four sides and a bottom...oh yeah and it has water in it. lol

12/31/2006, 11:21 AM	#6
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	it is a sure fix tho for animals in the tank knocking it over. Snails wont be able to buldoze the stuff anymore __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

12/31/2006, 09:43 AM	#2
Potsy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Kinnelon, NJ Posts: 1,827	If you mean plumber's epoxy and its similar aquarium brand counterparts - the kind that you break in two pieces and knead together - then it gets rock hard. As long as you don't mold it too tightly to the rock, it is possible to break it away or you shape it like a little volcano with a snug hole on top to place your frag - won't get knocked over but easy to remove if necessary and will eventually encrust over the epoxy as it grows.

12/31/2006, 12:28 PM	#7
xxxbadfishxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 1,585	yeah, sorry guys, i meant the putty. I do use super glue gel for attaching frags to rubble, i am talking about attaching rubble to the rocks. for example, this http://cgi.ebay.com/AquaStick-Under-...QQcmdZViewItem

12/31/2006, 01:21 PM	#8
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	Use the method I described for attaching rubble to rocks. Works perfectly. PS - Aquastik is BAD! Will kill SPS tissue it comes into contact with, and make your skimmer go nuts. Use Aquamend from HD. __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

12/31/2006, 07:43 PM	#11
xxxbadfishxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 1,585	SDguy, when you say aquamend from HD, do you mean you can get it at Home Depot? If so, what department is it in?

12/31/2006, 08:38 PM	#12
cristhiam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Groveland, FL Posts: 3,099	paint department at home depot __________________ 2 yellows tail damsels, yellow watchman goby, tail spot blennie, purple pseudocromis, starry blennie, 2 clowns, 1 black clown, mandarine & Yellow tang Current Tank Info: 125 AGA, 3 40W 6500K, 3 110W URI Actinics, running on 2 IceCaps 660, CSS125

12/31/2006, 09:13 PM	#13
xxxbadfishxxx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 1,585	thanks.

12/31/2006, 09:45 PM	#14
dwsindy Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 218	FWIW Aquamend will also make skimmer go nuts. I usually turn my skimmer off for 24 hours after uisng it.

12/31/2006, 10:21 PM	#15
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	seeing as pretty much anything can make the skimmer go nuts, i wouldnt worry so much about that. Sticking your hand in the tank freaks out the skimmer. But i put in a digi with aquastik and it is now dead, and i'm pretty convinced that it was the aquastik. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

12/31/2006, 10:36 PM	#16
dwsindy Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 218	sir_dudeguy, Agreed that lots of things can make a skimmer go nuts . I have no experience with the aquastick and I have used the aqamend exclusively with no problems other than the skimmer going crazy for a while.

12/31/2006, 10:52 PM	#17
cristhiam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Groveland, FL Posts: 3,099	The way I glue is: coral ----> small rock with crazy glue gel ------> rock with aquamend to rock work, works everytime. __________________ 2 yellows tail damsels, yellow watchman goby, tail spot blennie, purple pseudocromis, starry blennie, 2 clowns, 1 black clown, mandarine & Yellow tang Current Tank Info: 125 AGA, 3 40W 6500K, 3 110W URI Actinics, running on 2 IceCaps 660, CSS125

12/31/2006, 11:55 PM	#18
Rhodesholar Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Crivitz Wi Posts: 754	Rhodesholar just tagging along. Great info guys. Thanks.