To glue or not to glue?

[Airborne 82nd]

I have a silk plant that has a small rock for its base. Well Oscar has finally learned he can pull it up from the gravel. I want to know if there is any fish and water safe glue I can use to affix it to the bottom. I would move the gravel out of the way and then cover the base up to keep it in place until it sets up. But ONLY if there is something safe to use.
Airborne Bragg Forever

 

[Aiken Drum]

Are you wanting to drain the aquarium and glue the plant to the glass bottom? If so id go for silicone. Silicone has the best bond onto glass. Make sure its an aquarium safe brand, or an aquarium specific silicone product. Make sure the silicone is properly cured before refilling and returning your fish. 4 days.

If you are wanting to attach the plant to something like a big piece of slate and then cover over the slate, you could use stainless steel screws or superglue. Check on the label for cyanoacrylate. I think all superglue is cyanoacrylate, but there might be some I'm not aware of that aren't. Again make sure superglue has properly cured before your plant goes back in the aquarium. 30 minutes.

 

[Airborne 82nd]

No The plant all ready is mounted to slate I want to affix the slate to the glass bottom with fish in. If I have to I will pile some more rock around the base of the plant to keep him from pulling it up.

 

[Aiken Drum]

You can silicone the slate to the glass bottom, but you would need to empty the aquarium for 4 days to give the silicone time to cure before refilling and returning fish.

 

[Airborne 82nd]

OK thanks I will come up with another way.

 

[Andy Sager]

OK thanks I will come up with another way.

I would not attach anything to the glass itself in case you accidentally crack the bottom. Then you are screwed. I'd use some larger heavier rocks to hold down the slate or use what they use for attaching coral frags in saltwater: cyanoacrylate coral glue. That works underwater. You can also take layers of shale rock or slate or other heavy rock and epoxy them together, one on top of the other, to make the slate too heavy for the fish to move.
Just a fair warning, when the Oscar gets full grown, it will take a boulder to keep him ( or her) from moving that pile. That's just their nature. They like playing with plants as toys.

 

[Airborne 82nd]

" You can also take layers of shale rock or slate or other heavy rock and epoxy them together, one on top of the other, to make the slate too heavy for the fish to move".
Thanks Andy I like this idea the best. That way I can still move it around while cleaning. Oscar is in that hole digging stage along with furniture moving. He is fun to watch when he sees himself in the bottom glass fighting his own image.

 

[Andy Sager]

" You can also take layers of shale rock or slate or other heavy rock and epoxy them together, one on top of the other, to make the slate too heavy for the fish to move".
Thanks Andy I like this idea the best. That way I can still move it around while cleaning. Oscar is in that hole digging stage along with furniture moving. He is fun to watch when he sees himself in the bottom glass fighting his own image.

There's another option, use a 12 x 12 ceramic tile for flooring so that there is a lot under the gravel and more space to add extra rocks on it after attaching the plant slate.
Yeah, they sure do get goofy when they see another fish in the mirror. LOL It's like they know if the fish would be in the tank with him, he could fight it but when it doesn't fight back, it gets confusing for them.
BTW, that digging phase happens as adults too. They like to take that pile of gravel or sand they made over there move to somewhere else over there or here or somewhere else totally. I gave up on decorating their tanks and let them have at it. It's like they got a degree in home decorating from some big ol' fancy university and they just can't let it go to waste. It's why wood is a good option for decorating because they will move it around and it should still look nice. That and really large rocks.