Two Little Fishies' AquaStik

Persephone · Post by **Persephone** » 02 Mar 2007, 11:57

Hi All,

I'm wanting to make some natural stone/bogwood caves for my cats but im utterly paranoid of rocks falling and cracking the glass of my tank. I was wondering if anyone has any experiance using Aqua Stik by two little fishies and if so Could you let me know how well/long it adheres to rock/rock and/or rock/wood?

Here is a link to the product for those intrested:

http://www.twolittlefishies.com/tlf_pro ... ?lang_id=1

Thanks in advance for any comments/suggestions.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 02 Mar 2007, 12:10

Sometimes it's good to be paranoid!

As to the product in the link, I haven't used it, but what I know of Epoxy, it should be good for quite a few years with not ill effects.

Another option that may be easier to get hold of is aquarium silicone - it requires dry curing[1] (i.e. it doesn't work under water very well), but if you're just putting a few bits of rock or wood together, then applying it to dry materials should work fine.

I wouldn't worry too much about bogwood falling and cracking the glass, as the water will dampen the movement (and the relative weight is only slightly more than the water, so it's not that "heavy" when under water). Rocks topling over is a slightly different matter, particularly if they are large.

[1]"Curing" is a fancy word for glues and paints "drying" - particularly used when the chemical process of curing involves more than evaporating off the solvent, such as for Epoxy where a monomer (single "building block" molecule) or oligomer (short string molecule) is combined with a hardener to form a polymer (long string molecule). Silcone also "transforms" during the curing process.

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Mats

Persephone · Post by **Persephone** » 02 Mar 2007, 12:18

Thanks Mat,

I wasnt so worried about the bogwood falling over as i was the epoxy not holding well to it againt the weight of a large rock. i was thinking of something along the lines of a 3 rock structure with a fitted/slanted bogwood back for support.

I was looking at silicone today but the 100% said it was not suggested for use in aquariums.

Is there any brand/type you would recommend?

I have some of the two little fishies on order but i'd rather be safe than sorry before putting the resulting rock creations in my tank.

Many Thanks and looking forward to further comments and suggestions.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 02 Mar 2007, 12:35

You need special "Aquarium silicone", which is the type that you get in the aquarum shops, not the builders merchant or supermarket - unfortunately, the producers of this stuff and aquarium shops know this and charge about 4 times more for something that is the same stuff minus some anti-fungal additives [that's what you DON'T want]. Brands are pretty useless, as there are probably several (in fact, most shops carry the brand of their main aquarium supplier, say Juwel for example).

Another thought: I would be a little bit wary of permanent structures where wood is attached to anything by "gluing" - because wood submerged in water will eventually "rot away", so even if you get a good bond now, it may deteriorate because of the wood itself "disappering". Using stainless screws through the wood would be a better idea. If you want to attach wood to solid stones (not sandstone!) you can use stainless screw into a plastic plug drilled into the stone.

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Mats

Richard B · Post by **Richard B** » 02 Mar 2007, 13:15

Have you considered "Milliput" for use as an adhesive? - i've had great results & it can be used & sets underwater & doesn't harm fish

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 02 Mar 2007, 16:16

Hi Everyone,
There is a place for adhesives and mechanical attachment method for aquarium use.
Matt's suggestion is very good as he rightly pointed out all driftwould disentigrates over time and ss screws are both safe and useful for connecting dissimialr materials.
The epoxies are also very useful but despite manufactures claims that some can be used on wet substrates, a superior bond is acheived on dry substrates. It is generally preferrably for rockwork than the silicones as it can be color coordinated and sanded to produce more natural effects. The rapid set time is also a big plus.
Hardware silicone use in aquariunms has been a somewhat controversial subject for years now. The silicone sold at fish shops is the same brand as our tanks are made of and have a proven safety record.
However, I have built hundreds of aquariums out of GE Type I silicone and have never had a problem.
I breed discus on a small commercial scale and I have no problems to share caused by the use of this product for over 20 years. I began building my own tanks in 1968 using the Dow Corning brandname Silastic but GE bought them out. I make up many breeder style grow out tanks but I have successfully constructed one all glass tank of 90 gallons out of GE Type one as a grow out tank for new pairs. Just avoid the types containing mold inhibiters and cure the tanks at least 48 hours before using them, perhaps a few days more for larger tanks, 30 gallons and up.