How to get frags to stick to a rock?

FapMan · 02/03/2009, 03:38 PM

My frags keep drifting off or getting knocked off....
any methods?

LoudProudNPunk · 02/03/2009, 03:40 PM

buy the putty that comes in little tubes at your LFS. Talk to someone at the store and they will help you.

mnml · 02/03/2009, 03:42 PM

yes, under water epoxy will work but that's if your frags are attached to a small rock or frag disk. i use the marineland brand and it works great. i guess you can stick a SPS into the epoxy but it won't work with softies such as mushrooms.

0b1 · 02/03/2009, 04:16 PM

super glue gel, the small tubes are real cheap at any store

aalhait · 02/03/2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LoudProudNPunk
buy the putty that comes in little tubes at your LFS. Talk to someone at the store and they will help you.

I have the same problem, but when I use the putty my skimmers overflow for 2-3 days (work overtime and skim water, fill-up then I empty them etc...)

divewsharks · 02/03/2009, 04:44 PM

i use aquamend from HD, doesn't have any real impact on my skimmer. I do use only the minimum needed to attach though. works whether a disk, plug or bare sps frag.

FapMan · 02/03/2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 0b1
super glue gel, the small tubes are real cheap at any store

is this reef safe and can i get pic of the product?

jerome736 · 02/03/2009, 04:49 PM

Pretty much any cyanoacrylate based super g lue should work. Like loctite, etc.

aalhait · 02/03/2009, 05:05 PM

This is the best solution so far:

You do need to remove the rock/frag to attach them and as soon as you place them in water the super glue bonds

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=18325

I recommend the 2oz tube. The other one dries quickly and you lose everything which is left unless you want to stick a lot of things in a short time.

Also here's the putty I have the skimmer problem with:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?pcatid=3962

divewsharks · 02/03/2009, 05:16 PM

Coral Affix is essentially the Super Glue Gel that was mentioned above, which i also use without issue. works very good for zoas and smaller SPS frags.
Getting the super glue gel and epoxy from the local hardware store is plenty cheaper and there is no shipping/handling.

brianx45 · 02/03/2009, 05:28 PM

I use epoxy with a little super glue and that works pretty good.

FapMan · 02/03/2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by divewsharks
Coral Affix is essentially the Super Glue Gel that was mentioned above, which i also use without issue. works very good for zoas and smaller SPS frags.
Getting the super glue gel and epoxy from the local hardware store is plenty cheaper and there is no shipping/handling.

can it be anykind of superglue or epoxy or is it a special kind?

divewsharks · 02/03/2009, 11:53 PM

any cyanoacrylate based super glue gel will do the job, just look for the active ingredient; you technically use plain super glue, but its just to messy to work with the gel holds position.
as for the epoxy, you want epoxy designed to be used for underwater situations. there are some that while would work, could include optional ingredients you don't want. Aquamend is readily available at most Home Depot's.

dsun · 02/04/2009, 12:04 AM

Like divewsharks said, the gel version of the superglue is best as it's less runny. The nice thing is that saltwater causes the superglue to skin over almost instantly.

So take the frag plug/disc, but a blob of superglue on it, put your frag on the blob then dip is in a bowl of tank water. If you can prop the frag up in such a way that it will stay still for 5 minutes with the glue underwater, you are good to go. I have found that holding the frag in place isn't as good as your fingers move/shake and doesn't let the glue firm up.

Rouselb · 02/04/2009, 07:35 AM

You can always use the pegging method. I use this for all my new frags. Just get some live rock rubble and drill a small hole in it. Then glue a small piece of airline plastic tubing into it, then glue new frag to the rubble rock. You can then place this in your tank, and move it around until you get it to the appropriate area.

BuddhaKiss · 02/04/2009, 09:32 AM

Depends on the coral. Zoas I use superglue gel. For hard corals like sps I use a combo of superglue gel and epoxy. Put superglue on the frag, put some epoxy on top of that, put on some more superglue, place on the rock with a bit of a twist, hold for a few seconds...done.

Rouselb · 02/04/2009, 09:35 AM

You can peg anything for the most part, I place Zoas and rics on a 1" sq tile in my frag tank, let them heal up, then i mount that tile in my main tank just as i described above.

robsk · 02/04/2009, 09:48 AM

I also use the super glue gel. Find a nice crevice in the rock, fill it up, stick the frag in it. I do this outside the tank.

MikePowell · 02/04/2009, 10:16 AM

I use DD putty for frags that I will see in the display. It's colored so it looks alittle nicer. Best stuff I have used. Holds rocks and frag plugs great. Alittle pricy but like everything else in this hobby you get what you pay for.

Aquamend from HD is also a great solution but it's white and sometimes doesn't hold so well.

If you are putting some corals like zoas or mushrooms then supper glue will work best. I use loctite gel.

02/03/2009, 03:38 PM	#1
FapMan Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: hinesville Posts: 157	How to get frags to stick to a rock? My frags keep drifting off or getting knocked off.... any methods?

02/03/2009, 03:40 PM	#2
LoudProudNPunk Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Danville CA [bay area] Posts: 639	buy the putty that comes in little tubes at your LFS. Talk to someone at the store and they will help you. __________________ Getting back into reefing, woot woot! Current Tank Info: Starting a 65 gal reef.

02/03/2009, 03:42 PM	#3
mnml Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ladera Ranch, CA Posts: 2,383	yes, under water epoxy will work but that's if your frags are attached to a small rock or frag disk. i use the marineland brand and it works great. i guess you can stick a SPS into the epoxy but it won't work with softies such as mushrooms. __________________ Tran Current Tank Info: Waterbox 130.4 Last edited by mnml; 02/03/2009 at 03:47 PM.

02/04/2009, 07:35 AM	#15
Rouselb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Detroit Michigan Posts: 1,238	You can always use the pegging method. I use this for all my new frags. Just get some live rock rubble and drill a small hole in it. Then glue a small piece of airline plastic tubing into it, then glue new frag to the rubble rock. You can then place this in your tank, and move it around until you get it to the appropriate area. __________________ Larry Current Tank Info: 425g Mixed Reef, (6) Orphek LED mods, (4) MP60s, (2) Bubble King SM250 Skimmer, LMIII for Dose & ATO

02/04/2009, 09:35 AM	#17
Rouselb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Detroit Michigan Posts: 1,238	You can peg anything for the most part, I place Zoas and rics on a 1" sq tile in my frag tank, let them heal up, then i mount that tile in my main tank just as i described above. __________________ Larry Current Tank Info: 425g Mixed Reef, (6) Orphek LED mods, (4) MP60s, (2) Bubble King SM250 Skimmer, LMIII for Dose & ATO

02/03/2009, 04:16 PM	#4
0b1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Philly Posts: 104	super glue gel, the small tubes are real cheap at any store

02/03/2009, 04:44 PM	#6
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	i use aquamend from HD, doesn't have any real impact on my skimmer. I do use only the minimum needed to attach though. works whether a disk, plug or bare sps frag.

02/03/2009, 04:49 PM	#8
jerome736 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 134	Pretty much any cyanoacrylate based super g lue should work. Like loctite, etc.

02/03/2009, 05:05 PM	#9
aalhait Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cupertino, CA Posts: 231	This is the best solution so far: You do need to remove the rock/frag to attach them and as soon as you place them in water the super glue bonds http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=18325 I recommend the 2oz tube. The other one dries quickly and you lose everything which is left unless you want to stick a lot of things in a short time. Also here's the putty I have the skimmer problem with: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?pcatid=3962

02/03/2009, 05:16 PM	#10
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	Coral Affix is essentially the Super Glue Gel that was mentioned above, which i also use without issue. works very good for zoas and smaller SPS frags. Getting the super glue gel and epoxy from the local hardware store is plenty cheaper and there is no shipping/handling.

02/03/2009, 05:28 PM	#11
brianx45 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 56	I use epoxy with a little super glue and that works pretty good.

02/03/2009, 11:53 PM	#13
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	any cyanoacrylate based super glue gel will do the job, just look for the active ingredient; you technically use plain super glue, but its just to messy to work with the gel holds position. as for the epoxy, you want epoxy designed to be used for underwater situations. there are some that while would work, could include optional ingredients you don't want. Aquamend is readily available at most Home Depot's.

02/04/2009, 12:04 AM	#14
dsun Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 72	Like divewsharks said, the gel version of the superglue is best as it's less runny. The nice thing is that saltwater causes the superglue to skin over almost instantly. So take the frag plug/disc, but a blob of superglue on it, put your frag on the blob then dip is in a bowl of tank water. If you can prop the frag up in such a way that it will stay still for 5 minutes with the glue underwater, you are good to go. I have found that holding the frag in place isn't as good as your fingers move/shake and doesn't let the glue firm up.

02/04/2009, 09:32 AM	#16
BuddhaKiss Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern Va Posts: 1,068	Depends on the coral. Zoas I use superglue gel. For hard corals like sps I use a combo of superglue gel and epoxy. Put superglue on the frag, put some epoxy on top of that, put on some more superglue, place on the rock with a bit of a twist, hold for a few seconds...done.

02/04/2009, 09:48 AM	#18
robsk Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 132	I also use the super glue gel. Find a nice crevice in the rock, fill it up, stick the frag in it. I do this outside the tank.

02/04/2009, 10:16 AM	#19
MikePowell Moved On Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Miami,FL Posts: 1,141	I use DD putty for frags that I will see in the display. It's colored so it looks alittle nicer. Best stuff I have used. Holds rocks and frag plugs great. Alittle pricy but like everything else in this hobby you get what you pay for. Aquamend from HD is also a great solution but it's white and sometimes doesn't hold so well. If you are putting some corals like zoas or mushrooms then supper glue will work best. I use loctite gel.