How to glue rock

[Silent]

Is there a product at the local hardware store that is reef safe to secure rocks together for my aquascape?
I dont want to use rods and i dont want it to crumble in a few years.
I have free time tonight so i would like to do it now.
BTW my local store doesnt have stonefix.

 

[Silent]

Anyone?

 

[Schteeve]

you can use type 1, 2, 3 , and 11 portland cement

 

[John08007]

Honesty, you don't want rods but I think the best way is 1/2" plexiglass rods cut into 3-4" pieces, use concrete bit to drill 1/2" holes in rock

 

[Silent]

@schti i have heard cement crumbles over time in saltwater. Have you experienced this?

 

[Silent]

@John08007 my rock is pukani and very holey and porous and rods wont really work very well. Not good to drill. It is possible but alot of work and filler compared to other rock.

 

[Schteeve]

@schti i have heard cement crumbles over time in saltwater. Have you experienced this?

Stonefix is literally just Portland Cement, never had any problem with it

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Hydraulic cement seems to work better than normal cement...because it is meant to stay in water.

You can use any two part epoxy as well as once it cures it is inert.

When I have a hard time fitting two pieces together I use the easy melt plastic hobby beads from amazon. Heat them, pour then over the two rocks where they touch and then mash together. Wait 2 minutes, pull them apart and then use epoxy for a very solid joint.

If you are an sps guy I would encourage you to go extra lengths to make sure your scape is SOLID. I once was trying to scrape some entrusting monti off an arch, the arch collapsed and I broke like 6 mature colonies.

So I named it the "hurricane arch" and made lemonade out of lemons.

 

[Scurvy]

I liked the Nyos reef cement a lot.

 

[John08007]

Difference between hydraulic cement and regular is that it expands when it cures, reg cement will shrink some, idk if its reef safe or not

 

[Jon Warner]

thorite... used in many commercial applications including public aquaria.

 

[Silent]

I decided to use

It is tricky to work with but I hope it will be ok.

 

[GoTakeANap]

aquaforest stonefix is the best i have ever used. Cures quick so mix little batches at a time. I ordered my stonefix from Premium Aquatics. I had it in my hands in 2 days. https://premiumaquatics.com/products/aquaforest-stonefix-1500g.html

 

[Gareth elliott]

Cement while curing will have a ph effect depending on water volume vs how much used.

From a hardware store jb waterweld is reef safe. It takes a bit to cure and i like to use super glue and setting spray first to get the initial connections. I then go back and use epoxy to seal in the gaps around those connections. If you let air dry is fully cured in 24-48 hours.