Epoxy

[kirk_m]

I am in need of some epoxy putty to mount some plated out frags to my existing rockwork. I can buy two little fishies epoxy, and other aquarium specific brands online only, as no one locally has them. Does anyone know if the underwater curing plumber's epoxy that is safe for potable water that is available at Home Depot (PC Brand, says NSF Approved for Potable Water) is safe to use for this purpose?

Thanks,

-Kirk

 

[Anonymous]

Some plumbers epoxy contains some metals. Their packaging usually does not specify. I wouldn't chance it if you can't be sure.


Louey

 

[kirk_m]

Wow, fast reply there Louey...

Here's data from the MSDS sheet of what it contains -- 3 ingredients.

Bisphenol A Epoxy Resin
Tri(Dimethylaminomethyl)phenol
Crystalline Silica

Looks like all organics except the silica -- that's just quartz.
Anyone know what the products sold as "reef safe" have in them? I'd be willing to bet that just like other aquarium supplements, chemicals, etc, they don't even list it.

 

[bleedingthought]

I was wondering the same thing. Do I have to order the $12 plus shipping epoxy then?

 

[Anonymous]

If the ingredient add up to 100%, I think it should be alright. If you are worried, wait until someone tried the same product, and have no percieivable issue later.

I usually put a newly epoxyed frag on a separate container for a few hours. It is easier to just dump the water in the container when the epoxy is hardened than have that funny feeling that I may want to do a 50% water change on a 150 gal tank. Obviously, it is my concerned about the organics that come up in first few hours, and not any metal (usually aluminum, I guess) that may leach in the long term.

 

[kirk_m]

Well, I tried it...no ill effects after one day...didn't even make a big white cloud in my tank like the AquaMedic epoxy I had used in the past. And it set in 3 minutes. Fast.

 

[Anonymous]

8)

 

[kirk_m]

Just FYI, here's the data from the MSDS of AquaStik, by Two Little Fishies:

Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether resin (moderate skin sensitizer, skin irritant)

Polyether Polymercaptan (May produce skin, eye irritation)

N-aminoethylpiperazine (AEP) (Corrosive - Severe skin, respiratory tract
irritant)

 

[bleedingthought]

Seems like if this thing had one more chemical ingredient, it'd be a nuclear bomb!!!

 

[Anonymous]

The smell of a hair perm'ing chemical in some of the epoxy is from the mercaptan compounds. Smell pretty bad to some people. Epoxy chemistry can be very interesting.

 

[John D]

There is a company out there carrying reef coral putty.
They are called Boston Aqua Farms. Do a search on Google, they have a purple colored epoxy stick which is useful.
Regards,
John

 

[Anonymous]

I use a product from HD. I think its called aqua stick? Well its the same stuff as the marineland stuff thats green and white. It even has the silver stickers on the end. It costs like 2.50 for about 4 inches. You can get 3 of them for half as much as the stick that sells for 15.00

 

[kgross]

Aquamend from HD will work fine.

Kim