What's your favorite reef glue?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Mine up til now has been the ecotech glue. I like it because it seems to bond well and doesn't require a ton of re-gluing (I've had others that didn't adhere well) and seems to create a minimal amount of glue releasing into the water (I always think of it as the "skin" that comes off the glue when lowered into the water). I've previously tried the super glue gel, two little fishies glue, and a few other off brands (not a fan of most of those), but I'm curious what you guys are finding that works well. What do you use and what do you like about it?

 

[Anirban]

One and only BSI IC_Gel for me.

 

[Opus]

I use Loctite Super Glue gel.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

One and only BSI IC_Gel for me.

I've heard lots of good things about IC Gel. I think I'm going to try it next.

 

[andrewkw]

Whatever they sell at the dollar store. As long as it's gel it works well. Also at $1 -$1.50 a tube you will use it more generously since you can buy 10 packs or whatever large amount you want at a time with ease. Also the smaller sized tubes of dollar store glue means if you want to you can use a new one everytime and don't have to worry about the tip being glued over, forcing an already open tube to squirt out too fast ect. Ecotech glue may be better, in fact it probably is but if I have to order it, once I have it I'm going to end up using less at some point to conserve not so much because it's more expensive but because it's more of a pain to replace.

 

[penguin_free]

Super thin ca from my rc airplane toolbox. It gets allllll over the place

 

[EleMental]

I use Loctite Super Glue gel.

My first choice too

 

[Flippers4pups]

I've heard lots of good things about IC Gel. I think I'm going to try it next.

It comes in a much larger tube than standard super glue, of course it's more expensive, but the whole tube is full of glue. Where department store super glue tubes is half air, this is not. Good value and works very well underwater. All my frags stay put.

 

[Brian W]

I like to use Gorilla Glue Gel from Home Depot. I can get 24 grams for under $4.00
They have a 20 gram bottle of the same stuff, but if you look close enough some bottles are actually 24 grams.
Ive done some reasearch and this is the cheapest glue I can get for the amount and price.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Gorilla Glue Gel superglue (green cap), usually buy it by the case off amazon. Holds up well and is pretty cheap.

 

[tupes]

BSI-IC gel glue. Found it for 4.50 per a 20 gram tube, online. Ive also used the small tubes of super glue gel fro the dollar store if i don't have much to glue so I do to have to open a big tube.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

It comes in a much larger tube than standard super glue, of course it's more expensive, but the whole tube is full of glue. Where department store super glue tubes is half air, this is not. Good value and works very well underwater. All my frags stay put.

Yup. I don't like department store super glue at all. It's actually more expensive than most reef glue. I've actually been a fan for a while of the ecotech glue, but have heard great stuff about IC, so I'm gonna try it.

 

[rkpetersen]

I've heard lots of good things about IC Gel. I think I'm going to try it next.

OK, here's one great thing about BSI IC-Gel that seems fairly unique. Many may have noticed that this stuff just does not clog, almost no matter what, even if the tip gets wet, as long as you replace the cap. Most other brands clog all too easily. The difference is that the BSI frag glue has a reasonably long metal (not plastic) pin embedded within the end of its cap. Go ahead and look. It functions very well to keep the tip open (or reopen it if its already clogged) between uses.

One thing I wonder about BSI frag glue, and I know this sounds odd, is whether there are any contaminants that might be leaching from it. If it's 100% ethyl cyanoacrylate, there shouldn't be, but I don't know that that's the case. I confess that I am struggling to find the source of a substantially elevated potassium level in my system, with no history of intentional potassium dosing (but that, perhaps, is for its own thread - although feel free to comment if you want.)

 

[KirtiS]

I like the BSI IC_Gel

 

[Zoaforests]

I use the bulk reef supply extra thick super glue and I buy it in the huge couple Ounce bottle. Then I take a little and refill a couple 20 gram super glue bottles to keep at my different tanks. But the big bottle stays at my foraging station. I also use the glue accelerator great for holding sps in a second or two. Stays upright every time for me. but don't be fooled by the extra thick label it still hold single zoa polyps with out ruining them.

 

[WSC]

Loctite gel from the Dollar store. Very easy to apply and control amount.

 

[jd371]

One and only BSI IC_Gel for me.

This with TLF Aquastik putty and the frags stay put and never move. I'd make a mess with the glue trying to get the frag to stay where I'd want it, or having to shoo away the fish and shrimp while gluing was a pain also. What I do now is cut off the stalk from the frag so just the disc is left. I take a small ball of putty put a few drops of glue on the bottom of the frag (disc) and press the putty onto the disc to flatten it out a little, I then put more glue on top of the putty. I take the frag sandwich that I just made and press it onto the rock I want, the putty molds to the rock and the glue holds in in place.
Doing it this way I don't squeeze the tube of glue in the tank, and the bond to the rock is much stronger because the putty molds to the shape of the rock and the super glue has more area to bond to. Less time your hands are in the tank also because everything is done outside the tank until your ready to put the frag in it's location.

 

[Ty Hamatake]

I'm going to have to try this IC_Gel. I've been using the extra thick BRS brand for a while now, but notice that at times I get a lot of "not so thick" glue at the beginning of the pour. It's gotten to the point that I have to give it a test squeeze onto a paper plate before applying it to my frags so that I don't end up covering them in the runny uncontrollable stuff

 

[CodyRVA]

Nuff said...

 

[saltyhog]

OK, here's one great thing about BSI IC-Gel that seems fairly unique. Many may have noticed that this stuff just does not clog, almost no matter what, even if the tip gets wet, as long as you replace the cap. Most other brands clog all too easily. The difference is that the BSI frag glue has a reasonably long metal (not plastic) pin embedded within the end of its cap. Go ahead and look. It functions very well to keep the tip open (or reopen it if its already clogged) between uses.

One thing I wonder about BSI frag glue, and I know this sounds odd, is whether there are any contaminants that might be leaching from it. If it's 100% ethyl cyanoacrylate, there shouldn't be, but I don't know that that's the case. I confess that I am struggling to find the source of a substantially elevated potassium level in my system, with no history of intentional potassium dosing (but that, perhaps, is for its own thread - although feel free to comment if you want.)

^^^^^^This. Plus it comes with an extra nozzle that I rarely have needed.