Super glue w/ Activator - or - Mortar?

[Delta_FoxXII]

So I have a question for you veteran Aqua Scapers...

Will just using Super glue w/ Activator hold my NAS Macro scape together long term or will it fall apart within my saltwater tank? I know using both Super glue w/ Activator + mortar will make it a perm. structure, but can I get away with just using a lot of Super glue w/ Activator to harden it into place and be good with it? The structure doesn't have any major heavy pieces free floating on the side, nonetheless it does have some smaller pieces tho.

 

[martin.a]

This was my main worry too. I always considered superglue (CA glue) to be a temporal fix. But, I did some experiments and some reading, and it seems it can be adequate. CA glue mixed with calcium-carbonate powder is reasonably inert and stable (and not that brittle as CA alone). But, only and only if the glue is properly mixed with calcium-carbonate (aragonite, calcite, etc) filler.
Activator is redundant and frankly, not needed at all. The calc-carb powder causes very rapid curing of CA glue, similar to what the activator does. Dose the joint with thin CA glue and immediately apply more rock powder than needed filling up the gap (very fine powder). Although, this composite 'mortar' is not on-par with correct and properly applied mortar, it is generally considered absolutely adequate. At least it keeps my scape together. For now at least.

Edit: Use gloves and googles! And work outside. Seriously.

 

[glmory]

My superglue didn't hold together well long term. Some of it has, but other rocks broke off. Definitely will try something else next time.

 

[Marco_99]

You can just glue rocks together with superglue and accelerator. The problem is if you don’t use any epoxy or a cement if you scrub your scape, tweak it, or move it around (like chipping a Montipora off you regret lol) just superglue has a very good chance of just popping loose. You need something more structural to hold two rocks together at an uneven point where the superglue with accelerator has such little contact area. Super glue and accelerator are great for putting rocks together as you’re forming the rocks scape and then once they’re tacked together, then you can add the epoxy or the cement to the actual joint to truly bond them together. I don’t know if I made any sense to you, but that’s how I do it. I use Marco cement out of the tank, but if I’m in the tank and I’m redoing/adding rock and I’ll use an epoxy with just superglue. BRS has many videos on this with many different tests with various products

 

[fish_collector]

Tidal gardens did a good segment on gluing rocks together. Apparently, it's all in what glue you use.

 

[winxp_man]

I use the DD Aquascape stick epoxy. Warm it up in the microwave for about 20 seconds mix it, and over night that thing is never going to break. In two/three hours you can put quite a few things together and even in the tank, full strength is over night.

Another crazy option is JB weld, the underwater version. It’s what I also used being the LFS near me didn’t have enough D-D Aquascape.

 

[martin.a]

CA glue gets brittle with time. Addition of calcium carbonate powder helps with this. But epoxy can be tricky too and disintegrate, get brittle, loose adhesion, or just break.
There is marine structural mortar. There even is mortar which can be applied under water. I have seen such mortar after over 20 years in the sea, and it was hard like a rock, and was holding like... a rock. But that might be an overkill and a pain to use in this application.

 

[Chris_from_SoCal]

I just ordered J-B Weld MarineWeld Syringe. A 2 pack. I will report back on how well it works. I recieved a bunch of new frags and want to see if it is better than an epoxy stick.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I feel that glue doesn't even hold frags in place very well, I've never been tempted to try it with rocks. I use reef cement, and I also drill the joining rocks and insert a small acrylic rod before cementing together to provide super strength to the structure.

 

[martin.a]

I feel that glue doesn't even hold frags in place very well, I've never been tempted to try it with rocks. I use reef cement, and I also drill the joining rocks and insert a small acrylic rod before cementing together to provide super strength to the structure.

This is the way.

 

[Delta_FoxXII]

I’ve glued my structure together and was debating if Motar was necessary, but you you plan on removing corals off these structures later then it is definitely necessary.

 

[BryanM]

I can't help here, I've never glued rocks.