Has anyone glued new dry tock to established rock?

[b2smoov]

Hey all,
I am upgrading from a 55 to a 150 in a few months. I really want to create a new aquascape with lots of shelf rock. My current scape is just rock stacked and pinned with rods. Has anyone tried to glue new rock to established rock?
I'm trying to use all of my established rock in the new tank. I currently have about 50lbs in my tank and want to add another 80 or so lbs of shelf and flat cut base rock to the 150. I'll be using the liquid super glue and sand/rock powder method. Also how long after rock is glued can it safely be placed in the system?

Thanks

 

[blaxsun]

Once it cures/dries it should be good to go.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey all,
I am upgrading from a 55 to a 150 in a few months. I really want to create a new aquascape with lots of shelf rock. My current scape is just rock stacked and pinned with rods. Has anyone tried to glue new rock to established rock?
I'm trying to use all of my established rock in the new tank. I currently have about 50lbs in my tank and want to add another 80 or so lbs of shelf and flat cut base rock to the 150. I'll be using the liquid super glue and sand/rock powder method. Also how long after rock is glued can it safely be placed in the system?

Thanks

Yes, I have.
Holds great, no worries.

 

[b2smoov]

Yes, I have.
Holds great, no worries.

How long did you have to keep the rock out of water? I'm assuming just a few minutes. Obviously I'm wanting to maintain the bacteria on my existing rock while building the structure.

 

[Dburr1014]

How long did you have to keep the rock out of water? I'm assuming just a few minutes. Obviously I'm wanting to maintain the bacteria on my existing rock while building the structure.

Yes, just a few minutes.
It has corals on it. Pulled it out, went to my basement, glued, sprayed with sand, glued, sprayed with sand, glued, sprayed with sand. Waited a couple minutes, went back to the tank and dropped it in. Still holding maybe 5 months now.
The rock in the middle of the full tank shot. To the right of the Clown.
The rock has that big colony of sps and a new frag of Walt Disney.
And the big Favia at the base

 

[b2smoov]

Yes, just a few minutes.
It has corals on it. Pulled it out, went to my basement, glued, sprayed with sand, glued, sprayed with sand, glued, sprayed with sand. Waited a couple minutes, went back to the tank and dropped it in. Still holding maybe 5 months now.
The rock in the middle of the full tank shot. To the right of the Clown.
The rock has that big colony of sps and a new frag of Walt Disney.
And the big Favia at the base

Awesome. My plan is to put all my corals and inverts in a separate tub as my fish. Then have all my rock in a separate tub. That way I can keep them in water while I break them up and build the structures with the new dry rock. Then place in the new tank add sand and water. I feel this way will allow me the most time to create something I like.

 

[bryan3536]

Awesome. My plan is to put all my corals and inverts in a separate tub as my fish. Then have all my rock in a separate tub. That way I can keep them in water while I break them up and build the structures with the new dry rock. Then place in the new tank add sand and water. I feel this way will allow me the most time to create something I like.

Hey, did this work out? Literally about to try the same thing, looks like I am 3 weeks behind you. Not a tank change, but a major aquascape facelift. I have a bunch of dry rock I can break up, a few live rocks in the tank without coral I can use, and I was thinking of cutting 1-2 of my existing tank rocks to make into "foundation" rocks.

 

[b2smoov]

Hey, did this work out? Literally about to try the same thing, looks like I am 3 weeks behind you. Not a tank change, but a major aquascape facelift. I have a bunch of dry rock I can break up, a few live rocks in the tank without coral I can use, and I was thinking of cutting 1-2 of my existing tank rocks to make into "foundation" rocks.

I'm still a few months away from doing this. My tank won't be here till March. Sorry to get your hopes up. From what I've found it should work. Good luck.

 

[LOVEROCK]

Yes, just a few minutes.
It has corals on it. Pulled it out, went to my basement, glued, sprayed with sand, glued, sprayed with sand, glued, sprayed with sand. Waited a couple minutes, went back to the tank and dropped it in. Still holding maybe 5 months now.
The rock in the middle of the full tank shot. To the right of the Clown.
The rock has that big colony of sps and a new frag of Walt Disney.
And the big Favia at the base

How do you spray sand ?

 

[BaliReefBox]

I have used gel super glue and found it difficult on wet old rock. the easiest for me was 2 part frag glue it sticks to any thing

 

[bradreef]

Super glue and baking soda. Instant bond, do it 3 times or so and then it can go back in the water.

 

[Dburr1014]

How do you spray sand ?

Just squirt the glue and drizzle the sand on it immediately. You can do it in small sections, filling in holes where the rock doesn't exactly meet, and rotate the rock to fill in the back.

 

[Dburr1014]

I have used gel super glue and found it difficult on wet old rock. the easiest for me was 2 part frag glue it sticks to any thing

Gel does not work as good as water form. It needs to flow between rock.
This works so quickly when the sand falls on it. It's amazing.

 

[bryan3536]

I'm still a few months away from doing this. My tank won't be here till March. Sorry to get your hopes up. From what I've found it should work. Good luck.

OK then I’ll report back to you I guess!

 

[biecacka]

So you hold 2 rocks together, then do you put the super glue in first then sand it? Or sand then super glue?
I’m getting ready to redo my rock work in my tank and want to

Corey

 

[Dburr1014]

So you hold 2 rocks together, then do you put the super glue in first then sand it? Or sand then super glue?
I’m getting ready to redo my rock work in my tank and want to

Corey

Layers, I do super glue, sand, super glue, sand, ect, till it looks good and filled in.

 

[srobertb]

Hey all,
I am upgrading from a 55 to a 150 in a few months. I really want to create a new aquascape with lots of shelf rock. My current scape is just rock stacked and pinned with rods. Has anyone tried to glue new rock to established rock?
I'm trying to use all of my established rock in the new tank. I currently have about 50lbs in my tank and want to add another 80 or so lbs of shelf and flat cut base rock to the 150. I'll be using the liquid super glue and sand/rock powder method. Also how long after rock is glued can it safely be placed in the system?

Thanks

Yeah…not really… I have found that using aqua putty on wet rock to stick new rock together works to the extent that it creates a molded shape for the new rock to sit in but the bond is just ok. Superglue gel control works…but it can still break off.

You can pull and dry the rock then use that hydraulic cement stuff (Marco 500 I think it’s called?).

 

[Dburr1014]

Yeah…not really… I have found that using aqua putty on wet rock to stick new rock together works to the extent that it creates a molded shape for the new rock to sit in but the bond is just ok. Superglue gel control works…but it can still break off.

You can pull and dry the rock then use that hydraulic cement stuff (Marco 500 I think it’s called?).

Correct, gel and putty don't work and can break off. This is why we use water form super glue. It works 1000% better and does not break off after gluing.
The problem with cement is it takes time to use. If you happen to have a coral on a rock that can't come off and need to glue another rock to it, what do you do then?

I have glued several times rock to another rock with coral on it out of the tank, then put the rock back in with no losses. Takes 5 minutes tops. Any coral can handle that or anenome.