Underwater adhesive that actually works....

echoofformless

echoofformless

Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
Oct 1, 2005
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Phil Uh Del Feeya
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I got some ricordea frags at an amazing price. They're anchored onto very tiny little pieces of crushed coral, so I need an adhesive to glue them down to my live rock. I tried the Two Little Fishes epoxy and it just didn't work out for me. Very sticky on the fingers but then once it's under water it's nowhere near as tacky as I need it to be for such a tiny operation. I'm sure it works great for reef plugs and larger rocks where you can really gum things, but for attaching tiny ric frags on little pieces of crushed coral it's completely useless.

Is there anything that works like say, silicone or super glue and is safe to use under water? Something I can dab onto the crushed coral bits and gently put them into place?

If not, other suggestions?
 
I have read that super glue gel works well. I was told that the reef guys use it.

Also 100% silicone works too. But you have to be sure and get GE 1 and or make sure it doesnt have other chemicals in it, I just made a mexican pebble rock cave with 100% silicone.
 
Gel superglue.

Not so sure silicone would be a good idea. It'd be setting in the water and silicone isn't all that pleasant when setting.
 
I've been using loctite super glue gel lately works good. Takes about a minute to set on damp surfaces then ready to go back in the water.
 
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I don't have the option of doing it out of the water. What I need to do is dab some glue on the tiny bit of crushed coral that the rics are anchored to, and stick them to the live rock that is in the tank.

Super glue is safe for this? I have some precious fish and corals in the tank.
 
I've used superglue plenty of times, and it is the best for frags imo. But you'll have to take the frag out for a second out of the water to place on the rock. Once superglue hits the water, the outter layer "dries" out a little bit. Also when putting it back in the water, be sure to do frag first, because a thin cloat comes off of the superglue, and you don't want that to wrap around the frag. You'll understand once you do your first frag.
I was a little anxious at first when I was using superglue, but then it becomes a regular thing in the hobby.
 
You can use the gel superglue bottles under water.

I wouldn't suggest it for anything that requires precision...or in a tank with fish that'll eat out of your hand. But in an emergency it works.

But the method mentioned above should work for frags.
 
Rics (and just about everything else except gorgorians, sponges, sea fans...) are fine out of the water long enough for the SG gel to set up. It doesn't have to be rock solid to go back in the tank unless you are setting a coral sideways. Dab a glob where you want and gently set (slight push/twist) and let it set up for about 30 seconds. take a little squirter with tank water in it and squirt pver the coral. Wait another few seconds and do it again. The water isn't so much to keep the coral safe but to help the SG to set up. Other option is to glue the ric to a small piece of LR rubble (outside the tank) and then glue the larger rubble to the main rock.

I have never tried to glue anything underwater. Does that really work Khemul?
 
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