Is foam-safe CA reef safe?

Crashjack

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
905
Reaction score
783
Location
Memphis, TN suburb
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm cleaning out my old RC hobby stuff to make way for my new tank and reef supplies. I've had reef tanks before and know that regular CA glue is reef safe (I didn't even know about foam-safe CA at that time). I have some foam-safe CA and accelerator spray and wondered if either were reef safe. For those who don't know, foam-safe CA is meant to stretch/give a little and doesn't bond instantly like normal CA unless accelerator is applied. That said, it is widely accepted that adding accelerator slightly weakens the bond and might slightly reduce the glue's ability to stretch/give.

Anybody know the answer?
 

rc1626

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
458
Reaction score
358
Location
Long Island, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think he is talking about cyanoacrylate. I didn't know there was a flexible version though.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Crashjack

Crashjack

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
905
Reaction score
783
Location
Memphis, TN suburb
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
CA is what?

Yes, Cyanoacrylate glue. Sorry, in the RC hobby everybody calls it CA glue. The rest of the world calls it Super Glue. The accelerator just says "Heptane based". It also says not to inhale the fumes. I've also read you can use baking soda as an accelerator. I can't tell you what makes foam safe CA foam safe, but it is always more expensive than its non-foam safe counterpart.
 
Last edited:

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
67,516
Reaction score
63,963
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes, Cyanoacrylate glue. Sorry, in the RC hobby everybody calls it CA glue. The rest of the world calls it Super Glue. The accelerator just says "Heptane based". It also says not to inhale the fumes. I've also read you can use baking soda as an accelerator. I can't tell you what makes foam safe CA foam safe, but it is always more expensive than its non-foam safe counterpart.

Chemists call it cyanoacrylate. lol

Heptane is OK once aired out. :)
 

When to mix up fish meal: When was the last time you tried a different brand of food for your reef?

  • I regularly change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 44 21.6%
  • I occasionally change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 71 34.8%
  • I rarely change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 66 32.4%
  • I never change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 19 9.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 4 2.0%

New Posts

Back
Top