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Recommendations for a shrimp safe adhesive that cures wet . . .

Wookii

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13 Nov 2019
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Location
Nottingham
So I've put together the hardscape and for my sons new tank, and I am currently cycling the tank.

Unfortunately I made a school boy error (its been 16 years since I set a tank up), and forgot to pre-soak the bog wood. Of course, once the tank started to fill, the wood started to float.

I have it weighted down with a spare rock currently, so it's staying in the chosen position, and I'm hopeful it'll become water logged within the next couple of weeks, as the branches are only 30mm or less in thickness - though it is incredibly hard stuff as I found out when I cut some of it down to size.

We will be draining the tank to add the plants during the Christmas holidays (the plants are a present for my son), so I want to take that opportunity to add some adhesive between the wood and the rocks that the various pieces sit on, which should permanently hold them down

So I could do with some recommendations for an adhesive that works on wet surfaces, cures within a couple of hours, and poses no threat to shrimp that will be added a few days after planting.

I've looked at the Oase Foamfix that a number of aquascapers use, but I can't find how long the curing takes, not if it is definitely shrimp safe?

Has anyone had any direct experience with the Oase Foamfix, or can anyone suggest any alternatives?
 
Filipe Oliveira used Oase Foam Mix in his scape at Aquarium Gardens. It seemed to work quite well, however, he upset a purist who was appalled at its use.

This link should take you the correct place in the video to see how he used it.
 
I must admit to not glueing my hardscape in any way :oops:
- it’s too difficult to find nice wood locally
(I did order some but shipping was expensive and even though I selected WYSIWYG I’d likely have chosen somewhat differently irl)
 
So I've put together the hardscape and for my sons new tank, and I am currently cycling the tank.

Unfortunately I made a school boy error (its been 16 years since I set a tank up), and forgot to pre-soak the bog wood. Of course, once the tank started to fill, the wood started to float.

I have it weighted down with a spare rock currently, so it's staying in the chosen position, and I'm hopeful it'll become water logged within the next couple of weeks, as the branches are only 30mm or less in thickness - though it is incredibly hard stuff as I found out when I cut some of it down to size.

We will be draining the tank to add the plants during the Christmas holidays (the plants are a present for my son), so I want to take that opportunity to add some adhesive between the wood and the rocks that the various pieces sit on, which should permanently hold them down

So I could do with some recommendations for an adhesive that works on wet surfaces, cures within a couple of hours, and poses no threat to shrimp that will be added a few days after planting.

I've looked at the Oase Foamfix that a number of aquascapers use, but I can't find how long the curing takes, not if it is definitely shrimp safe?

Has anyone had any direct experience with the Oase Foamfix, or can anyone suggest any alternatives?
Just a suggestion but u can also use fishing line especially for plants that dont attach and normal sewing thread for other plants.Marks shrimp tanks uses it on youtube for the latter so it should be alright.
 
Super glue gel with cigarette filters

If you google above method there’s YouTube vids on it
You might find Jurijs mit JS Pro Tips playlist helpful
:)

More specifically (there’s followup for wood)



Note that liquid rather than gel type is usually recommended with the cigarette filter technique as it forms a stronger bond

(as for the Oase Foamfix product, perhaps do a few “test” runs)


Thanks guys, I had seen the super glue and filter technique, but figures it would be a bit messy, so I was hoping for something simpler.

I'm sure the Oase stuff will do the job mechanically, my concern is really just its effects on shrimp. Through I guess if it has similar properties to standard aquarium silicone it should be fine.
 
Filipe Oliveira used Oase Foam Mix in his scape at Aquarium Gardens. It seemed to work quite well, however, he upset a purist who was appalled at its use.

This link should take you the correct place in the video to see how he used it.

Thanks - that's useful. I'm at work, so I can't watch it right now - what was the 'purists' objection? Do they mention in the vid whether it is shrimp safe?
 
Just a suggestion but u can also use fishing line especially for plants that dont attach and normal sewing thread for other plants.Marks shrimp tanks uses it on youtube for the latter so it should be alright.

Thanks, yes I've got the plant attachment covered - this is just for joining the hardscape to try and anchor the wood to the rocks.
 
Thanks - that's useful. I'm at work, so I can't watch it right now - what was the 'purists' objection? Do they mention in the vid whether it is shrimp safe?

I think the purist was upset at the use of silicone glue on the basis that a fag stub and some solvent was all he needed in his day...and what's wrong with a bloody big stone? All this newfangled technology...no future in it etc...

When I looked at the scape I think it had shrimp in it. Give Aquarium Gardens a call or send a pm to them on the forum. They will probably be able to tell if its safe and ship it out to you (for a small consideration).
 
Right, so I called Oase in the UK, and asked the question to them directly.

They said yes the product is safe for shrimp but only after it has fully cured, which they said take up to 48 hours, and recommended leaving dry for that duration before filling the aquarium. I said that the bottle states it cures under water, and the chap said it does, but it cures by a chemical reaction, the byproducts of which you wouldn't in an aquarium. So Oase FoamFix is off the menu for my application. It looks like I'll have to have a go with the superglue and filter method after all.
 
I think the purist was upset at the use of silicone glue on the basis that a fag stub and some solvent was all he needed in his day...and what's wrong with a bloody big stone? All this newfangled technology...no future in it etc...

Ah, the stereotypical 'flat earther' lol

When I looked at the scape I think it had shrimp in it. Give Aquarium Gardens a call or send a pm to them on the forum. They will probably be able to tell if its safe and ship it out to you (for a small consideration).

I might drop them a line, though to be honest, given the manufacturer feedback above, I'm reluctant to try it.

I won't actually be adding shrimp for a few days after doing any bonding, and I could always run some activated carbon for 48 hours if necessary, but still I'm a little nervous about it.
 
Right - filters and glue ordered, though honestly don't know what I'm going to do with the other 190 filters lol
 
Well, the filters and glue arrived on Monday, and I spent the day yesterday draining the tank and using the filters and glue to secure down my partially floating hardscape. I have to say it worked an absolute treat! When those things set, they really set like concrete. The task also gave me a bit of an opportunity to tune the hardscape a little, as on the first attempt the look of it changed once the water was added. Draining and fixing the hardscape allowed me to make changes to better suit how it looked once flooded.

The filters I ordered didn't have any external paper as in the various YouTube videos, so it was just a matter of ripping them apart loosely so they were more malleable.

I have to say that the liquid super glue is a bit of a pain in the ass though, it fires out of the bottle even on tipping, without any squeezing pressure, so I got a few unwelcome drips and runs here and there - nothing that won't be covered by plants fortunately. I even had a bit of a panic moment when I manage to 'spit' some on the glass when an air-bubble came out of the bottle - luckily it scraped off easily with a blade!

My personal tips for anyone trying this technique for the first time (like I was) would be:

- Rip up filters in batches rather than as you are using them - several times I needed to add extra filters to fill gaps whilst still hanging onto a piece of hardscape
- Watch out for that runny super glue, tip the bottle very carefully and precisely, as it will drip everywhere
- Grind up plenty of soil in advance, I was surprised how much I got through to cover all the visible bonds - probably about half a standard mug full
- Have a pot of wooden cocktail sticks to hand for pocking/compressing the glue soaked filters into the gaps - they soon get clogged and sticky, so you can easily swap one out for a new one. I'm glad I didn't use my planting tweezers as shown in some videos
- I use a small detail paintbrush for scooping up the ground soil and dabbing it onto the wet glue. It made it much easier to apply in hard to reach places. Sure the brush was ruined by the end, and needed trimming back, but it worked well.
 
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