What Brand Of Rock Cement Do You Like & Why ?

[427HISS]

With all the company's out there today that have reef cement, which do you like and why ?

What determined your selection. Please talk details & include photo's and video's.

Brand name ?
Can use dry, damp or under water ?
How far the product can go ?
Can be used for rock and corals ?
Length of time it takes to cure ?
Price ?
Cured color ?
Ease of use ?
Strength ?
Shelf life ?
Would you buy again or not ?

Most important, did the product actually work ?
ETC.....

 

[Flippers4pups]

With all the company's out there today that have reef cement, which do you like and why ?

What determined your selection. Please talk details & include photo's and video's.

Brand name ?
Can use dry, damp or under water ?
How far the product can go ?
Can be used for rock and corals ?
Length of time it takes to cure ?
Price ?
Cured color ?
Ease of use ?
Strength ?
Shelf life ?
Would you buy again or not ?

Most important, did the product actually work ?
ETC.....

I did quite a bit of research on cements before choosing quikrete hydraulic cement on my rock structures back when I was building my system. Information of it's use was gathered from across the internet and multiple forums, including here on reef2reef.

From my experience with using it, it needs to be used with dry rock, working batch time is 5 mins, so small batches are recommended. Cures overnight solid. No adverse effects on water chemistry.

I did use fiberglass rods in the rock as well to stabilize the rock structures till the cement cures.

Tank now:

 

[Gareth elliott]

Used 2 little fishes brand

Was happy with the result

 

[Flippers4pups]

Used 2 little fishes brand

Was happy with the result

Did it take long to cure? Side note, Tonga rock brings back memories of when I started reefing!

 

[Gareth elliott]

Did it take long to cure?

About a day to be hard.

I connected all the rockwork first with super glue gel and the setting spray that brs sells.

Then went back and filled in with the epoxy.

 

[chefjpaul]

E-marco is my favorite for both wet & dry.

I have another batch of stax rock and real reef branch coming this week for another tank I bought.

 

[Flippers4pups]

E-marco is my favorite for both wet & dry.

I have another batch of stax rock and real reef branch coming this week for another tank I bought.

Simply beautiful aquascape!

 

[Gareth elliott]

Tonga rock brings back memories of when I started reefing!

Had this plan i was going to drill holes in it to simply slip plugs into. Man did I underestimate how dense it is [emoji23]

 

[Flippers4pups]

Had this plan i was going to drill holes in it to simply slip plugs into. Man did I underestimate how dense it is [emoji23]

Oh I know from way back. Tonga is very dense.

 

[427HISS]

Had this plan i was going to drill holes in it to simply slip plugs into. Man did I underestimate how dense it is [emoji23]

If I were to use the dead dry rock I have, I've thought of drilling and use nylon screws or fiberglass rods. So how hard was it, what type of bit etc ?

 

[Gareth elliott]

If I were to use the dead dry rock I have, I've thought of drilling and use nylon screws or fiberglass rods. So how hard was it, what type of bit etc ?

I was using a tungsten bit on my 18v rigid bcordless drill. I actually stopped at one hole.

Other rock is a lot easier to drill. Java and marco rock is doable as i have drilled both. Drilling tonga rock is a different type of patience, that i do not have.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Masonry bit will drill dry rock. Driveway markers from big box hardware stores made of fiberglass work well.

 

[427HISS]

I also have a lot of old ocean rock from 5-15 years old. Are there any brands of glue/cement or epoxy that can work with wet or even under water ?

Like I said above, I have a lot of the dry white rock that would be a load of fun to create a great rockscape, but my seasoned live rock would be great in our new 125g in-wall mixed reef. So, I'm perplexed......on which to use ? I'm sure it will be the live, so I'm thinking of ways to clue/epoxy them together and create the effects I could with dry rock. I also have a 93g rimless tank that I'd like to house a Clown Fish harem, that I could use the white with some live to seed it.

But, I have bad health, so I don't know about another main display. Because when I finish the fish room behind the in-wall, I'll have my two 29g tanks as fish and coral QT's and a 14g hospital tank. So that's added time.

Anyway, any ideas or advise on scapping with the live rock and the cube tank ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I can only impart that use of dry rock alone makes and takes longer to establish a reef. Can be done, but in my experience, adding live rock to the dry will help immensely in establishing microfauna and seeding the dry rock.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Epoxy will set in water the issue is actually getting the rock to stay in the position you want it in while it cures.

Several options, super glue will still work, just have less time decide where you want it. As superglue sets faster the more moisture.

-using some form of plastic or other rocks to support the rocks you applied epoxy.

The latter i would probably give 72 hours before removing the supports to be sure it set.

 

[chefjpaul]

I also have a lot of old ocean rock from 5-15 years old. Are there any brands of glue/cement or epoxy that can work with wet or even under water ?

Like I said above, I have a lot of the dry white rock that would be a load of fun to create a great rockscape, but my seasoned live rock would be great in our new 125g in-wall mixed reef. So, I'm perplexed......on which to use ? I'm sure it will be the live, so I'm thinking of ways to clue/epoxy them together and create the effects I could with dry rock. I also have a 93g rimless tank that I'd like to house a Clown Fish harem, that I could use the white with some live to seed it.

But, I have bad health, so I don't know about another main display. Because when I finish the fish room behind the in-wall, I'll have my two 29g tanks as fish and coral QT's and a 14g hospital tank. So that's added time.

Anyway, any ideas or advise on scapping with the live rock and the cube tank ?

Most reef safe cement will work fine. The cheap epoxy wouldn't as well.

 

[chefjpaul]

Remember large zipties are your friends

 

[Devaji]

I did quite a bit of research on cements before choosing quikrete hydraulic cement on my rock structures back when I was building my system. Information of it's use was gathered from across the internet and multiple forums, including here on reef2reef.

From my experience with using it, it needs to be used with dry rock, working batch time is 5 mins, so small batches are recommended. Cures overnight solid. No adverse effects on water chemistry.

I did use fiberglass rods in the rock as well to stabilize the rock structures till the cement cures.

Tank now:

beauty scape and nice to see how it turned out.

I am between E-marco and quikrete hydraulic cement my rock is the real reef live rocks there in a 40br tank with water and flow no real life just bac. they can be out for a few hrs no problem. still think it need to cure over night? any thoughts if I wrap the rock in wet towls to keep some of the bac.

I have been going back in forth on this for some time now. what if I add some of the hardener it's supposed to cure fast I believe. if it was just dead dry rock I would use this 100% just not sure with the real reef rock.

thanks for your feeback!

 

[Flippers4pups]

beauty scape and nice to see how it turned out.

I am between E-marco and quikrete hydraulic cement my rock is the real reef live rocks there in a 40br tank with water and flow no real life just bac. they can be out for a few hrs no problem. still think it need to cure over night? any thoughts if I wrap the rock in wet towls to keep some of the bac.

I have been going back in forth on this for some time now. what if I add some of the hardener it's supposed to cure fast I believe. if it was just dead dry rock I would use this 100% just not sure with the real reef rock.

thanks for your feeback!

Thanks! I did change the right side. It was too tall.

Quikrete hydraulic cement will setup and dry in wet environments. It's meant to patch cracks that are leaking water on foundations. Getting it stick to slimy rock may or may not work well, but I'm just guessing.

 

[griseus]

I'm a big fan of E-marco cement. I've also tried aquaforest and it dries way to fast and is very hard to work with. E- marco you have a little more time and it's Much stronger in my opinion. I also like the lighter color compare to aquaforest which is very dark brown.