Hot glue & plants

[JoeQ]

Tying plants to rocks/wood is unsightly (at least for me)! Crazy glue isn't my favorite to use, I get my fingers stuck together or glued to said object........... 😮‍💨 What's the word on using hot glue?

Edited November 4, 2023 by JoeQ

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @JoeQ

I have used hot glue on several occasions but never for plants.  That glue is d*mn hot when it comes out and would likely kill the plant tissue that came into contact with it.
 -Roy

[JoeQ]

On 11/4/2023 at 10:26 AM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @JoeQ

I have used hot glue on several occasions but never for plants.  That glue is d*mn hot when it comes out and would likely kill the plant tissue that came into contact with it.
 -Roy

I'm more interested in introducing toxic chemicals into the fish tank. I'd glue the tag end looped around the plant to the wood/rock

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @JoeQ

From what I have read there is very little toxicity in hot glue sticks, however doing a test is always recommended when putting something new in a tank.
 -Roy

[JoeQ]

Tha

On 11/4/2023 at 1:34 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @JoeQ

From what I have read there is very little toxicity in hot glue sticks, however doing a test is always recommended when putting something new in a tank.
 -Roy

Cool, thanks. I was also considering 100% silicone too. It holds our tanks together so im pretty sure thats aquarium safe! 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi @JoeQ

Silicone is inert when it is cured, however it gives off ammonia until it is fully cured which takes several days in the air.  As we know ammonia is toxic to fish.
-Roy

 

[JoeQ]

On 11/4/2023 at 2:01 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @JoeQ

Silicone is inert when it is cured, however it gives off ammonia until it is fully cured which takes several days in the air.  As we know ammonia is toxic to fish.
-Roy

 

👍

[lefty o]

i dont think its very toxic, i would be most concerned with  several hundred degree glue touching the plants. i figure it would cook the section of root that its applied to. really hard to say, but might be something to try with a trimming or at least a plant you dont worry about losing.

[JoeQ]

On 11/4/2023 at 3:54 PM, lefty o said:

i dont think its very toxic, i would be most concerned with  several hundred degree glue touching the plants. i figure it would cook the section of root that its applied to. really hard to say, but might be something to try with a trimming or at least a plant you dont worry about losing.

I will not be applying it directly to the plant, (which was an afterthought) I'll be applying it to the tag end of whatever the plant is tethered to

[tolstoy21]

On 11/4/2023 at 9:37 AM, JoeQ said:

get my fingers stuck together or glued to said object

Ha! Me too!  I wind up with more plants attached to my hand than in the tank!

I have recently gotten into the practice of drilling holes in my driftwood and stuffing the plant's roots or rhizome into that. I just make sure the hole is large enough to not suffocate the rhizome but snug enough to hold the plant in place. This works very well for java fern.

[Odd Duck]

The cap of the superglue is my friend.  I use it to press the plant into place on whatever object and oddly enough, it hasn’t gotten glued to the plant or the object, nor the plant glued to it yet (knocking on wood).  I’m using the Loctite brand but I don’t know if that matters other than the top of the cap is smooth, and the glue tip is very small giving me better control of the amount of glue and placement of the glue. The cap hasn’t glued itself onto the bottle, yet, either, and I’ve gone through at least 10 bottles so far over the last 3 years.  🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Odd Duck
Typo

[JoeQ]

On 11/8/2023 at 7:07 PM, Odd Duck said:

The cap of the superglue is my friend.  I use it to press the plant into place on whatever object and oddly enough, it hasn’t gotten glued to the plant or the object, nor the plant glued to it yet (knocking on wood).  I’m using the Loctite brand but I don’t know if that matters other than the top of the cap is smooth, and the glue tip is very small giving me better control of the amount of glue and placement of the glue. The cap hasn’t glued itself onto,the bottle, yet, either, and I’ve gone through at least 10 bottles so far over the last 3 years.  🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Good tip! As you can see from some of my recent pictures i need a better system! I use loctite gel and my last tube didn't seem to stick well. Maybe next try I should dry off the rhyzone first!

[Odd Duck]

On 11/8/2023 at 6:17 PM, JoeQ said:

Good tip! As you can see from some of my recent pictures i need a better system! I use loctite gel and my last tube didn't seem to stick well. Maybe next try I should dry off the rhyzone first!

I sometimes wipe biofilm off the rhizome but I don’t try to dry it.  Water sets the glue faster.  If I’m having trouble getting something to stick I will scrape the wood a bit with the top of my fingernail to clear off some of the biofilm, especially for older wood pieces, or pieces that have been soaking a good while.  Then glue specks applied to the rhizome, plant held in place whether fingers, tweezers, or glue cap, and drip a bit of water on the glue site but holding the plant and object very still!  I want the glue to set faster once I have it placed or I know I’ll be reaching for the next plant, or my water bottle, or something, because I apparently have the attention span of a gnat when I’m holding plants on the glue.  😆 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Odd Duck
Typo