Attaching Corals to LR

hanas · 05/03/2006, 06:19 AM

What type of material should I use? Will superglue work, even under water?

Capt'n T · 05/03/2006, 06:24 AM

I tried the holdfast epoxy..Needless to say it doesn't work very well. If you use the superglue, which I finally did a couple days ago just make sure its the GEL. And yes it does work under water.

hanas · 05/03/2006, 07:34 AM

ok, thanks.

Capt_Cully · 05/03/2006, 08:15 AM

make an appropriate sized ball of the epoxy putty, put a dab of superglue gel on frag side and one on rock side and stick each on (frag to putty then whole thing to LR). works great.

VoidRaven · 05/03/2006, 01:31 PM

Duro Super Glue GEL....you can find it at WalMart. Also OK for tanks is Harvey's Plumbers Epoxy (the clay-like stick that comes in a tube) which you can find at Home Depot. Both of these are very inexpensive and easy ways to attach corals to rock. I go through a lot of the Duro Super Glue Gel when fragging corals.

m3rcury · 05/03/2006, 01:37 PM

what do you do if you want to move it later? i haven't attached anything yet because as i get new corals, i move things around a bit. hard to anticipate what i will ultimately stock my tank with.

MCary · 05/03/2006, 02:55 PM

Super glue only lasts for a little while. But by then the coral encrusts arounds its base and holds on to the rock itself. it is not a good idea to move corals around if you can help it. If you must, attach the corals to a small rock and move rock and all.

m3rcury · 05/03/2006, 03:00 PM

i have a very small montipora frag that the snails keep knocking over. It is attached to some kind of rubber base. if I wanted to super glue it to a small piece of LR, how would i do it? (step by step if you have time). i'm very new to reefkeeping, so everything i do is for the first time

thanks folks.

IslandCrow · 05/03/2006, 04:15 PM

First, it depends on the type of coral. Most people (including myself) don't seem to have much luck getting soft corals to stick to anything using superglue. I had one person suggest using needle and thread and basically sewing it to a piece of rubble rock and then you can superglue or epoxy (or both) the rock where you want it. I've tried this with leathers and 'shrooms and it works great for me. I like Capt_Cully's method. It sounds like that should work great for stoney corals. I'll have to try that next time I get a frag. Along those lines, if you're attaching a stoney coral and you think you might move it later, I'd suggest one of two things. I'll usually try to find a crevice where I can wedge it in if it's something branchlike (candy cane frag for example) or a valley or larger crevice where it's not likely to fall off for a larger frag. If it seems happy there, I'll then attach it permanently. If you can't find a suitable place like that, go with a moderate amount of superglue. I've moved a couple superglued frags after the fact and it wasn't too difficult to pry them off. And if they seem happy where you put them, you can add epoxy to secure them more permanently.

jerehmy · 05/03/2006, 04:40 PM

I tried the fishing line and a needle for my colt coral that I fraged and the sucka just pulled right off the line twice. I ended up puting him on a rock and piling on rocks around the base and in a week he was a permant member on a small rock that is now placed where I want him to be

turbonegro · 05/03/2006, 05:23 PM

How do you apply super glue under water?

Sk8r · 05/03/2006, 06:34 PM

You can break the rock off a frag, if the rock is badly shaped for where it needs to be. At that point you can either glue it to a better rock or straight to the live rock. The glue doesn't hold all that strongly, and it can be moved again, but after it's grown to the rock it's more like fragging.

Recife · 05/04/2006, 12:17 AM

Voidraven, is this the one you're talking about?
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...gio.0&MID=9876

05/03/2006, 06:19 AM	#1
hanas Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fairfield, CT Posts: 795	Attaching Corals to LR What type of material should I use? Will superglue work, even under water?

05/03/2006, 06:24 AM	#2
Capt'n T Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 170	I tried the holdfast epoxy..Needless to say it doesn't work very well. If you use the superglue, which I finally did a couple days ago just make sure its the GEL. And yes it does work under water. __________________ Teneele "The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" Current Tank Info: 75g w/ 29g sump

05/03/2006, 08:15 AM	#4
Capt_Cully Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 13,574	make an appropriate sized ball of the epoxy putty, put a dab of superglue gel on frag side and one on rock side and stick each on (frag to putty then whole thing to LR). works great. __________________ People say cars are a bad investment. Those people don't have reef tanks. Current Tank Info: 120, Radion Gen 2 Pro x 2

05/03/2006, 01:31 PM	#5
VoidRaven 'tis himself Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: York Township, OH Posts: 1,829	Duro Super Glue GEL....you can find it at WalMart. Also OK for tanks is Harvey's Plumbers Epoxy (the clay-like stick that comes in a tube) which you can find at Home Depot. Both of these are very inexpensive and easy ways to attach corals to rock. I go through a lot of the Duro Super Glue Gel when fragging corals. __________________ "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." - The Red Green Show Current Tank Info: 24g BioCube reef

05/03/2006, 04:15 PM	#9
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	First, it depends on the type of coral. Most people (including myself) don't seem to have much luck getting soft corals to stick to anything using superglue. I had one person suggest using needle and thread and basically sewing it to a piece of rubble rock and then you can superglue or epoxy (or both) the rock where you want it. I've tried this with leathers and 'shrooms and it works great for me. I like Capt_Cully's method. It sounds like that should work great for stoney corals. I'll have to try that next time I get a frag. Along those lines, if you're attaching a stoney coral and you think you might move it later, I'd suggest one of two things. I'll usually try to find a crevice where I can wedge it in if it's something branchlike (candy cane frag for example) or a valley or larger crevice where it's not likely to fall off for a larger frag. If it seems happy there, I'll then attach it permanently. If you can't find a suitable place like that, go with a moderate amount of superglue. I've moved a couple superglued frags after the fact and it wasn't too difficult to pry them off. And if they seem happy where you put them, you can add epoxy to secure them more permanently. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

05/03/2006, 07:34 AM	#3
hanas Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fairfield, CT Posts: 795	ok, thanks.

05/03/2006, 01:37 PM	#6
m3rcury Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 325	what do you do if you want to move it later? i haven't attached anything yet because as i get new corals, i move things around a bit. hard to anticipate what i will ultimately stock my tank with.

05/03/2006, 02:55 PM	#7
MCary Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Hardin, Montana Posts: 3,142	Super glue only lasts for a little while. But by then the coral encrusts arounds its base and holds on to the rock itself. it is not a good idea to move corals around if you can help it. If you must, attach the corals to a small rock and move rock and all.

05/03/2006, 03:00 PM	#8
m3rcury Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 325	i have a very small montipora frag that the snails keep knocking over. It is attached to some kind of rubber base. if I wanted to super glue it to a small piece of LR, how would i do it? (step by step if you have time). i'm very new to reefkeeping, so everything i do is for the first time thanks folks.

05/03/2006, 04:40 PM	#10
jerehmy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: san diego Posts: 511	I tried the fishing line and a needle for my colt coral that I fraged and the sucka just pulled right off the line twice. I ended up puting him on a rock and piling on rocks around the base and in a week he was a permant member on a small rock that is now placed where I want him to be __________________ Fish are the best medecine for body and mind Current Tank Info: 55g, 40g, 29gx2, 60g, 10g African Cichlids (Breeders) 40g SW Reef with a 20g sump/refugium 75lbs prime LR Mag 9.5 SCWD and Remora skimmer, 2x96w PC's

05/03/2006, 05:23 PM	#11
turbonegro Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: york, PA Posts: 391	How do you apply super glue under water?

05/03/2006, 06:34 PM	#12
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You can break the rock off a frag, if the rock is badly shaped for where it needs to be. At that point you can either glue it to a better rock or straight to the live rock. The glue doesn't hold all that strongly, and it can be moved again, but after it's grown to the rock it's more like fragging. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/04/2006, 12:17 AM	#13
Recife Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bellevue - WA Posts: 282	Voidraven, is this the one you're talking about? http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...gio.0&MID=9876