Please help! Aquascape glue possible issue

[PhamousPhish]

I finished my aquascape and left it in water for about 2 weeks in a bin. I removed my aquascape to put in my tank before setting it up and a piece i thought was very heavily glued on broke off easily. Im hoping it was a fluke piece but now im sketching a day before the tank is supposed to be set up.

Is there a spray i can just spray all the rock and then it'll stay together? Like a spray glue?
Ive attached the combination of glues i used.
Maybe i put both glues on this piece and it was a mistake. Often I did mix the glues and used a spray accelerator spray...Ive attached all the glues and sprays I've used.

I used the bulk reef supply glue accelerator.

Please advise!!!

 

[PhamousPhish]

I put it all together originally when it was dry and then let dry

 

[mh0ward]

"Thin" is definitely not the glue to use. You want to use a thicker gel super glue, and even then you might want to use an epoxy like Aquastik if you have a larger rock structure or overhang.

 

[Fish Fan]

There are super glue "quickset" sprays and things, but I'm telling you, try the Starbond thin (or any cyanoacrylate super glue, non-gel) and baking soda. The baking soda will act as a quick-set for the super glue. Rinse off any excess baking soda as it can affect water parameters, but I promise you this works

 

[bluemon]

I wouldn’t use cyano acrylate for aquascapes.

They are really brittle without any addition supports.

If you do want to use CA glue, you can use a fibrous material to soak it up to help strengthen it like cotton, or I think someone else had something better, I forgot; hopefully someone can remind me.

The thing about CA glue is that its biggest strength is that it can be applied and cured underwater without much issue.

When you are aquascaping out of water, no reason to use CA glue honestly without support. I would try reef cement or epoxy. Or even using acrylic rods as support inside rocks

 

[Fish Fan]

I wouldn’t use cyano acrylate for aquascapes.

They are really brittle without any addition supports.

Absolutely agreed. But, if you add something solid like baking soda, paper towel, or even Poly-Fil floss it greatly increases the strength of the bond. I recently glued up wet rocks using super glue and baking soda.

All I'm saying is, try it, it works

 

[bluemon]

Absolutely agreed. But, if you add something solid like baking soda, paper towel, or even Poly-Fil floss it greatly increases the strength of the bond. I recently glued up wet rocks using super glue and baking soda.

All I'm saying is, try it, it works

Yup! That’s why I mentioned the fibrous material like cotton (poly fil being cotton in this case). There was something else someone mentioned. Maybe it was cigarette filters?

Baking soda just acts as a activator so it wouldn’t strengthen it the same way fibers would

 

[Fish Fan]

Yup! That’s why I mentioned the fibrous material like cotton (poly fil being cotton in this case). There was something else someone mentioned. Maybe it was cigarette filters?

Baking soda just acts as a activator so it wouldn’t strengthen it the same way fibers would

Yes! @exnisstech recently mentioned cig buts, which I think are like Poly-fil, but I'm not sure. Adding any extra material can make for a very strong joint, in my experience.

 

[bluemon]

Yup! That’s why I mentioned the fibrous material like cotton (poly fil being cotton in this case). There was something else someone mentioned. Maybe it was cigarette filters?

Baking soda just acts as a activator so it wouldn’t strengthen it the same way fibers would

Yes! @exnisstech recently mentioned cig buts, which I think are like Poly-fil, but I'm not sure. Adding any extra material can make for a very strong joint, in my experience.

That was it.

I’ve never been around cigarettes so I just had a vague idea of what it was but I think it would be easier with cig filters as they hold shape better

 

[PhamousPhish]

Can someone send a link of what I need to do? I am still confused and have no clue what to use...wwc is supposed to come tomorrow to install the remaining tank stuff

 

[PhamousPhish]

This is my whole aquascape done with those glues... I've spent so many hours/ days working on this! Ive glued thousands of small tiny pieces.
How can I make it all hold easily quickly like any type of sprays...I dont understand any above posts.
I do wanna mention that to me it all feels sturdy. It is all heavy and so far I haven't been careful carrying it but now I am

 

[PhamousPhish]

Could this work if I spray whole thing?

Amazon product

 

[PhamousPhish]

There are super glue "quickset" sprays and things, but I'm telling you, try the Starbond thin (or any cyanoacrylate super glue, non-gel) and baking soda. The baking soda will act as a quick-set for the super glue. Rinse off any excess baking soda as it can affect water parameters, but I promise you this works

Please provide a link

 

[PhamousPhish]

Absolutely agreed. But, if you add something solid like baking soda, paper towel, or even Poly-Fil floss it greatly increases the strength of the bond. I recently glued up wet rocks using super glue and baking soda.

All I'm saying is, try it, it works

I dont understand im a noob. Please more detail

 

[PhamousPhish]

Also, there are so many joints idk where they are which is why if there is some spray on adhesive i can just spray the whole thing with that would be best...

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you want your structure to be super solid never come apart, drill the rocks and insert acrylic rods into them, like in the picture below. This acts like rebarb to keep the structure solid. Once you've connected the rocks with rods, you join the rocks together with reef cement, not glue.

 

[Ziggy17]

The thin glue is to be used with fine Marco rock dust. You put the dust on the joint, usually a pinch at a time, then put the this glue on it. It absorbs it super quick and turn that joint into cement. The more rock dust you can use in that joint,the more glue you can use to set it. Then spray it with the accelerator. I used this technique with mine and it worked amazing. The thinner the glue the better for this application. I bought mine from a hobby store. Was water thin. Be very liberal with the rock dust, and the finer the dust the better.

 

[PhamousPhish]

I dont wanna drill holes in it.
Could I use an epoxy stick and then just try to put it around some of the joints?

Could I use this?

 

[SoWhatNow]

Capillary Bond Aquascaping

This is something i developed when creating my HNSA. What You Need: Clean cigarette filters (unused, unflavoured) Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue (thin type works best — it wicks fast!) Marco rock or similar porous reef-safe rock Rock dust or crushed aragonite Shaping tool (e.g., blunt probe...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[PhamousPhish]

Capillary Bond Aquascaping

This is something i developed when creating my HNSA. What You Need: Clean cigarette filters (unused, unflavoured) Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue (thin type works best — it wicks fast!) Marco rock or similar porous reef-safe rock Rock dust or crushed aragonite Shaping tool (e.g., blunt probe...

www.reef2reef.com

This seems like alot...cant i just spray clear gorilla glue bonder all over it ?