# Attaching plants to driftwood?



## Frogmanx82

Yes, super glue gel is very popular in the salt hobby for attaching corals. It's not toxic, but you have to move quick under water. Water catalyzes the reaction, but you have a couple seconds with the gel. Alternately you could pull the wood out and attach them outside the tank.

For plants, most seem to like cotton thread. It lasts long enough for the plant to attach, then decomposes.


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## kcrossley

Awesome! That'll be a whole lot easier than string. 

BTW, which plants looks best attached to driftwood?


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## fishsandwitch

All moss, anything looks better than java but it looks fine
Java fern
Anubias

And for a real challenge HC can be grown on driftwood but is not easy


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## TwFG2

What is HC?


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## shane3fan

I have a sort of related question--so I hope Im not derailing the OP.

Once you have used super glue to hold the plants on--lets say you werent real careful about it and got some glue on the wood that isnt covered by plants. So, now you have these ugly white splotches on your pretty Mopani wood--how would you get those off?


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## kcrossley

Not derailing the thread at all and that's a very good question. Unfortunately, it's one that I can't answer. 

One thing I will say is my Mopani wood looked a whole lot nicer until I soaked it for a few days.


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## Craigthor

shane3fan said:


> I have a sort of related question--so I hope Im not derailing the OP.
> 
> Once you have used super glue to hold the plants on--lets say you werent real careful about it and got some glue on the wood that isnt covered by plants. So, now you have these ugly white splotches on your pretty Mopani wood--how would you get those off?


Just carefully scrape it off with the tip of a knife. I glued Mini Pellia onto a piece of wood and it did great.

Question frmo above: HC = Hemiantus Calchitroides

Craig


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## jball1125

You cold just add another plant over the exposed glue


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## Tamelesstgr

I use super glue all the time to get my Anubias and Java Fern attached to driftwood and rocks. I like using small rocks to weigh down the anubias if they are near the substrate so the rhizone is not buried. I could never get thread to secure the plants how I wanted them.


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## blondeyny

Does it matter what brand of "super glue"? You know how they make knock offs and such.


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## Craigthor

blondeyny said:


> Does it matter what brand of "super glue"? You know how they make knock offs and such.


I use super glue gel works the best for me.


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## blondeyny

I think I'm going to have to try it when I set up my new tank. I haven't had such good luck tying plants to anything. I either go blind or get frustrated before it gets attached LOL


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## riverrat

These options I use for ferns or anubias. 
A little to big for mosses or the like

Zip ties. 
My personal favorite http://www.adgshop.com/Wood_Tight_p/106-034.htm


I may have to try super glue some day.


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## blondeyny

OK this may be a stupid question. But how dry does the plant and the rock/driftwood need to be to use super glue?


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## Craigthor

blondeyny said:


> OK this may be a stupid question. But how dry does the plant and the rock/driftwood need to be to use super glue?


Doesn't matter as you can apply it underwater if you want to.


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## mmelnick

Just make sure you get super glue with cyanoacrylate as the main ingredient. The gel type is easier to work with thoug. But the regular non-gel type will work, it't just WAAAAY easier to use the gel since it will stay in a clump under water and yuo can just glob it on and then shove it under water to stick it whereever you want. I've been doing it with the coral frags in my reef tank for years.

I've probably got a good 50 tubes of super glue in my reef tank with no ill effects.


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## wendyjo

I use the nail glue that comes with my acrylic nails. Works beautifully


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## mmelnick

wendyjo said:


> I use the nail glue that comes with my acrylic nails. Works beautifully


Is that a safe method? What's in the glue?


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## wendyjo

It's exactly the same as super glue. It's just handy cause I always have some around since I do my own nails.


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## mmelnick

wendyjo said:


> It's exactly the same as super glue. It's just handy cause I always have some around since I do my own nails.


So the active ingredient is cyanoacrylate?

The brown color could be nice on wood. The white tends to stand out. But I don't like random chemicals in my tank.


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## kcrossley

Craigthor said:


> Doesn't matter as you can apply it underwater if you want to.


I was little leery of using Super Glue Gel, so I tied mine down with thread, like a lot of folks do. Unfortunately, I didn't tie it tight enough so I may have to use the Super Glue Gel after all. 

How much time do I have to work with the Super Glue Gel underwater? How long will I need to hold the glued plant in place for it to stick to the driftwood?

Thanks,
Kelly


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## mmelnick

kcrossley said:


> I was little leery of using Super Glue Gel, so I tied mine down with thread, like a lot of folks do. Unfortunately, I didn't tie it tight enough so I may have to use the Super Glue Gel after all.
> 
> How much time do I have to work with the Super Glue Gel underwater? How long will I need to hold the glued plant in place for it to stick to the driftwood?
> 
> Thanks,
> Kelly


All of my experience with using super glue gel is with coral, not plants...

But it's the exact same principal. I just dab the bottom of the coral dry because they put out slime (not an issue with plants), then glob on some super glue. I then blow on the glue intil it gets a dry crust on the edges (jest until it barely turns a milky color - 2-3 seconds of blowing should be fine). This keeps the glue from floating around once I put it underwater. Then I just wiggle the coral onto the rock to break the crust and the wet glue will take hold in a few seconds. 

It's really a piece of cake. ANd should work exactly the same for plants, except you don't need to worry about getting the slime off. Just a quick dab with a paper towel and the plant will be dry enough. The gel type glue will stick even when totally under water, so drying the plants is more to make it easier to work with than anything else.


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## kcrossley

So basically, I'll dry the bottom of the plant, apply the glue, then dip both into the tank to affix them to the driftwood, correct?


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## Brian Rodgers

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Super Gluing a plant to driftwood. Then again I am super new, so there's a lot to wrap my head around here.


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## Goldguru

I've used SS wire,type for mig welding 0.030 dia.
cut .75 inches(or whatever length) bend in U shape like a staple & press into wood with fingers,allows you to hide it by placement.


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## KayakJimW

Holy resurrected thread, Batman! From March of 2010...

Yep, the first time I heard of SuperGlue for aquarium use it was weird, now a tube lives in my aquarium supplies drawer. Handy stuff


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## TeamTeal

the superglue gel is very easy to use.


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## RollaPrime

Sorry about the 2nd resurrection for a 2010 thread...

But I'm kinda confused as to how to attach plants using super glue to already soaked bogwood?


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## PlantedRich

I've never tried it underwater as this thread suggests but find it easy to do with wet wood, just pulled out. The glue doesn't "dry" as other glues but uses the water as part of a reaction so wet is good! I work to use as tiny amount as practical due to the glue turning white underwater, then just use some metal item like tweezers or knife point to hold a root to the wood and add the glue or add glue and then hold the root for a second. Big point is to not use so much it shows bad or glue the fingers!! 
Worst case for too big a glue spot? Add another plant!


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## Asteroid

As suggested it's much easier to do with the wood removed from the aquarium. I usually keep it fairly dry by damping the area with a paper towel to absorb excess water. Put a few drops on the plant that will contact the wood (usually the rhizome, even the roots. The more anchor points the better. You don't need alot and hold it steady against the wood for 15 seconds or so. That usually gives it a good solid hold.


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## Tonysfishbowl

blondeyny said:


> I think I'm going to have to try it when I set up my new tank. I haven't had such good luck tying plants to anything. I either go blind or get frustrated before it gets attached LOL


I spent a whole evening once attaching a plant to a stone and when I placed it in the water the whole jumbled thread mess slid right off lolllllll


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## Tonysfishbowl

wendyjo said:


> It's exactly the same as super glue. It's just handy cause I always have some around since I do my own nails.


Can you attach the plant to the wood underwater like superglue gel?


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## mourip

blondeyny said:


> OK this may be a stupid question. But how dry does the plant and the rock/driftwood need to be to use super glue?


My understanding is that it works best if the surfaces are a bit wet. Use it sparingly however as it will turn white and stay that way for a while once it gets wet. Some people sprinkle a little sand on it while it is still curing to cover the white. I use Gorilla Glue gel to tether Buce and Anubias to rocks or wood. It is easiest to work with if it is not literally under water but will work.


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## Kubla

Wow, this thread has been snatched from the dead for the 3rd time. 
I've had mixed luck with superglue both in and out of the water. I have fat fingers and get frustrated trying to tie plants with thread. I've started mostly using rubber bands on rocks and push pins on driftwood. Black rubber bands can be pretty unobtrusive depending on the rocks or driftwood and the plants. On Java ferns and small anubius I just use a small piece of black lava rock for a weight and rubber band them on. You can set them on the bottom and on other larger rocks.


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## jellopuddinpop

I have some things to add, but I want to wait until 2026. /s


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## Tonysfishbowl

jellopuddinpop said:


> I have some things to add, but I want to wait until 2026. /s


Lollllll


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