underwater adhesive

[july865]

i am currently using "aqua-mend". its that putty stuff that is avail at HD or Lowes to mount frags here-and-there. anyone use anything better that can bond to wet surfaces and be placed in water during the cure process?
thanks in advance..

[july865]

anyone??

[Therapy]

By far the best method I have found to mount SPS and other hard corals is super glue gel. It holds much better than aquamend. I have also purchased the "large bottle" from that hobby shop next to where brilliant Reefs use to be . (R.I.P) Its about 7 bucks.
You have to do the mounting out of water, but the frag can be placed in water soon after, even if still a little wet. You cannot mount soft corals with superglue. I lay the "shroom" or what ever in a small cup with rubble and it will attatch on its own.

[SDguy]

For bigger frags, I've used aquamend. You just have to use super glue gel in addition.

Remove frag from water. Pat dry area to be glued with paper towel. Add super glue gel to this area. Squish already kneaded ball of aquamend onto superglued frag. Add super glue to opposte side of epoxy ball. Squish this end onto rock underwater. As soon as the superglue gel hits the water, it forms a skin. That skin is boken when you squish the epoxy ball onto the rock. Sticks very well, IME. Just make sure the rock area is free of debris, detritus, and algae.

The only downside to buying the larger tube of glue is I often end up with a completely plugged tip half way through using it.

hth

[july865]

so you add super glue to the frag then(stll uncured ball of aqua-mend) then squish it to the rock?? no chemical reaction to the SG or still wet AM??

[SDguy]

Nope, never had a problem.

Now Aquastik brand, on the other hand, burns SPS tissue, and makes the skimmer go nuts. I'll never use that crap again.