superglue to secure mushrooms?!?!

[oranje]

so i was reading through the libraries on here, and one article suggests that superglue can be used to secure loose mushrooms to rocks.

isnt superglue EXCESSIVELY toxic?!

and, for a follow-up question... if anyone has tried this, does it bond easily underwater?

i have a beautiful red mushroom which i got loose from the lfs, but it hasnt attached yet(its been 2 months!), due to the fact that my clownfish confuse it for a beachball...

 

[danmhippo]

Super glue method is not for you to use underwater, you are supposed to use it out side. Take the specimen out, blot dry the contact point, apply gel-type of super glue to both surface and voila.

I usually do not have luck with mushroom anemone due to their excessive slime. I have more luck using superglue on leather mushroom, gorgonians, acropora, and other "less-slimy" corals. Make sure you get the aquarium safe super glues.

For mushroom anemones, I would suggest wedge them between rocks and place them in the sump or refugium to keep fishes away, or use bridal veil to wrap mushroom with rocks and untie it 2 weeks later.

[ February 12, 2002: Message edited by: danmhippo ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

The cyanoacrylate glues aren't necessarily toxic for attaching frags to rocks and it sures very quickly when introduced to water, but I wouldn't empty a tube into my tank either.

I have tried to SuperGlue method for attaching various softies, and they usually slime too much for it to be effective. For soft corals, I find the best method is to secure them to the rock with some wedding veil and then secure that to the rock with either rubber bands or fishing line. After a wekk or so, they attached themselves and all is fine. Superglue works well for attaching SPS frags to rock, but I haven't really had the same luck with softies, especially mushrooms(and I am cutting off ~50/month to trade back into the LFS).

 

[Rich-n-poor]

I have used this method and it works best if the pedal disc of the shroom has already attached to some sand or a small piece of gravel, put the glue on the sand on the pedal disc and stick it to the rock.

A better way I have found is to put the shroom in a shallow container with some rock rubble, cover the container with wedding viel and the shroom will attach in about a week.

HTH

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[oranje]

hmm

there's a bit of gravel aready on the bottom, which is probably why i cant seem to get it to attach to anything. so, i think i'm going to try the superglue method.

anyone know if krazyglue is sufficient? it is cyanoacrylate based, but the components otherwise aren't listed.

 

[Mac1]

I've used several different brands of Super Glue, and they all seem to work about the same, Gel types being better suited for our type of application.

Underwater or out, they work, albeit out of water you get a much better bond. Either way a good enough bump, and that frag's coming off if it hasn't encrusted yet.

Everyone else is right-on about the slime factor, I don't think it will work well at all in your situation. I've had the best luck using the Veil material, or just a couple of rubberbands, to secure the 'shroom to a piece of rock. Place it in low to medium flow, and let nature do it's thing. In a coupe of weeks it should have secured itself to the rock, and be just fine. There really aren't any artificial means I can think of to attach something soft and slimy like a 'shroom to a rock, you just have to be patient I think.

- Mac

 

[Mouse]

Ive heard some people who put a rubber band directly on a shroom and when it attaches the band also kinda cuts it in half, both attaching and propagating at the same time.

There is this old guy that comes into the LFS i go to sometimes, and we usually talk as he's quite expirienced (something of a rareity round here). He suggested to me that you can infact take a shroom, put it in a blender with salt water. Add a piece of LR to the shroomy salt water mix and leave it in a tub for a day or two with a bit of airation for circulation. After that replace the rock back into the aquarium and after a week or two you should see little shrooms sprouting all over the rock. This guy actually used to get a couple of loose shrooms at a time, blend them, and just directly add them to the tank. And then voilla, you have a tank full of shrooms. Ive never tested his theory but id see no reason for him to lie to me. Infact i might try it out.

 

[OodleyBoodely]

"....there's a bit of gravel aready on the bottom...."

Go ahead and glue it to a rock since yours is already attached to sand grains. I've done it many times and the best method is to get the 'shroom to attach to something first, and then glue to the attached sand or rock. I use the gel superglue available in any supermarket and more recently, model airplane superglue from GreatPlanes, because it comes in a larger volume and does not dry up overnight like the tubes do once opened.

Just take the 'shroom and rock out of the water, pat dry, apply glue to both surfaces, gently push the 'shroom onto the glue blob, then, immerse in water. Contact with water seems to 'cure' the glue almost instantly, so even slow set glue will work. Also because of this instant cure, I have never been successful gluing with superglue under water.

BTW, the rubberband method does work well to propagate a 'shroom, but, I've had problems with the slimy little boogers slipping out from under the band and drifting around the tank.

HTH

 

[pez]

Although I have never tried it (or heard of it), the blender method sounds more like a way to make fish food than propagating mushrooms. I'd be interested in knowing if it actually works.

-Tom

 

[Bucktronix]

is there a good cheap place to get the veil from? do i need to go to a wedding shop?

btw i have always just chucked mine into the refugium with some rubble and it works as long as the current is slow.

 

[Bucktronix]

/me heads out to wallmart!

thanks

 

[Terry McGee]

Shrooms;
You can keep them out of water for quite a while, don't let them dry out tho. We take some water out of the tank in a bowl. while working on them, if you want you can drip some tank water from the bowl on them if they look a little dry. We have a cut off diamond blade on a dremel tool and also a angle grinder with a diamond blade that we can cut into the rock they are on under them taking them and a small piece of rock that they are attached to and super glue it to another piece of base rock. This is good because you can share the price of the shroom rock with several others and split them up right then. We also have a frag tank with pieces of shells covering the bottom that we can drop cut pieces into (even very small ones) and when they attach to a piece of shell we super glue them on a rock or even on the back tank glass. You can make multiple shroom rocks and use them for trading to your LFS. We have made rocks up this way with as many as 7 or 8 kinds of shrooms. The LFS can get as much as 70 or 80 dollars here in our neck of the woods for them. We get half of what the LFS sells them for as trade or cash. It's a good deal for consumers as they can get quite a few different kinds on the same rock and the price is actually cheaper than buying them separate on different rocks. It also saves space in your tank if that is a problem. We also glue several of the same kind on rocks too. Most LFS will take all you have. And yes the blender does work, low speed for a short time. You all take care, Terry

 

[Rich-n-poor]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bucktronix:
<strong>is there a good cheap place to get the veil from? do i need to go to a wedding shop?

</strong><hr></blockquote>

Wal Mart has it for about 98 cents a square yard. I've been using that one yard for about 4 months now

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[oranje]

just to keep anyone in the know who is interested, i tried the superglue on mister red(my little mushroom), and it seems to have secure it to the rock just fine!

so, now i know. and knowing is half the battle.


as far as the blending of mushrooms goes, that sounds like a pretty interesting trick. i think i might try something along those lines, as i'm a big fan of the little, and eventually big mushrooms in my tank.

thanks for the advice, all!

 

[danmhippo]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Terry McGee:
<strong> And yes the blender does work, low speed for a short time.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hmmm, I wonder if it will work on Rose Anemone too!

(Anyone want to donate a $150 rose?)

 

[Mouse]

Dan, you wrong-un.

Mind you i heard of a BTA that wend down an overflow and split in four.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

No need to use a blender, a razor blade works just fine I have had a 100% sucess rate proping shrooms with this method.

Cut the shroom of the rock leave the pedal disc intact this will grow a new shroom.

Cut the shroom in half directly down the center, cut each half in half directly down the center ensuring each piece has part of the mouth and is at least 1/4 inch.

Place in ziplock container with sand and rubble cover with wedding veil wait 10 days.

1 shroom becomes 5, repeat process........
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[danmhippo]

Ummmm....RnP,

I don't think blender will cut it up nicely. I used to do what you did, but have never tried the blender method (I doubt my wife will ever let me to).

Does the blender method suggests the misconception that each cut must have a part of center piece?

 

[Rich-n-poor]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by danmhippo:
<strong>Ummmm....RnP,

I don't think blender will cut it up nicely. I used to do what you did, but have never tried the blender method (I doubt my wife will ever let me to).

Does the blender method suggests the misconception that each cut must have a part of center piece?</strong><hr></blockquote>

i never used the blender method, and i assure each piece has a part of the central mouth 100% sucess is hard to beat I say

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[Anonymous]

ESV markets a product called "Zap Gel". It is a superglue gel that works great for mounting shrooms. Yes it is done in the open air and NOT underwater.

NO cyanoacrylate is NOT toxic. The original use of cyanoacrylate was as a battlefield wound closer, to instantly close wounds on the battlefield until they can be evac'ed to a Level III facility. I believe that modern medicine has proven that packing wounds and leaving them open for drainage has relagated cyanoacrylate to the less dramatic venues of nail salons and shroom factories