[rlove250]

Hello, I'm working on a new look and using the clay background but I want to incorporate water flowing down on driftwood from my aquarium. The driftwood seems too heavy to be held up by the clay, so I was thinking of securing the driftwood to the glass with GS.

Does anyone have any experience with using both GS and clay in the same VIV?

 

[jeffr]

Hello, I'm working on a new look and using the clay background but I want to incorporate water flowing down on driftwood from my aquarium. The driftwood seems too heavy to be held up by the clay, so I was thinking of securing the driftwood to the glass with GS.

Does anyone have any experience with using both GS and clay in the same VIV?

You can silicone the wood to the glass and then put your clay on

 

[rlove250]

I am thinking about that too, but the wood is quite oddly shaped. thats where I'm hoping the GS will fill the odd shapes.

Would i need lots of silicone or just a bit to hold up weighty drift wood (up to 5lbs)

 

[jeffr]

I am thinking about that too, but the wood is quite oddly shaped. thats where I'm hoping the GS will fill the odd shapes.

Would i need lots of silicone or just a bit to hold up weighty drift wood (up to 5lbs)

I just put it wherever the wood is touching the glass. I have a few heavy pieces and I never had to use alot. I work the clay around it to help reinforce it.

 

[frogparty]

gorilla glue!!! use it, love it. Expands to fill gaps, and cures out faster than silicone

 

[fleshfrombone]

I tried GG with mopani wood on glass. Worked for about 2 months then it fell. You might have better luck than I have. FP probably has better insight into than I do.

 

[Mitch]

Use great stuff to attach the wood to the glass. DO NOT try and stick the wood in the clay and call it a day.

 

[tgregoire]

Almost every tank I build has one heavy piece of wood or slate. I have learned to love gorilla glue! I glue them to the glass and then use g.s. to fill the voids if it requires that. I also use gorilla glue to hold the substrate to the foam. Works VERY good and holds up exceptionally to water. The substrate does not eventually fall off leaving just silicone. Obviously using clay you would not have that problem but I am a fan of "permanent" backgrounds just because it makes me feel more comfortable about the setup. Hope this helps.

Btw gorilla glue is rediculously strong! I have glued a piece of wood to the glass of my 40 breeder vert and I was able to lift the entire tank by holding and lifting by the drift wood!!!! Never have to worry about that rock or piece of wood falling off. Lol.

 

[earthfrog]

Bear in mind that the Gorilla Glue is near impossible to remove, so don't get it on places you might scrape off later. It can bond when slightly wet too, I believe (double-check).
If you have to do a tank tear-down b/c of a pathogen you will be doing it with the wood still glued to the glass.
Other reasons it might fall off is b/c the glue is only on the surface of the wood and as it ages and breaks down, the outer part is the first to go.
If you are careful with your clay background and reinforce the piece of wood with several inches of clay all around (I buried a third of a two-pound branch), it will stay up for you. You can't just stick it into two inches of clay and have it hold up for long.
Also, I've had my clay viv up since November and haven't had failure, but I also just hand mist every few days to give the time to build up enough structural integrity from the plants mounted on it. Clay fails are usually due to too much water too soon and also having the clay fully saturated and then applying it to the glass.

 

[azrickster]

Why not saw the end of the driftwood that you are attaching to the glass so it is flat before using silicone or GG?

 

[tgregoire]

Gorilla glue is actually kind of a funky material to work with, as I thought the same thing. I 99.9% of the time get it on the front glass and 99.9% of the time get it off without a visible trace. I've come to find out that if gorilla glue is applied with no pressure it will not hold well at all. If you have the weight of the wood/rock on top of the glue you have enough pressure for it to cure very very strong! But, if you just get a drop, a small puddle, or a smear on something you do not want it on it suprisingly comes off very easy with a razor blade.

As far as curing good with a little bit of water, that is 100% true. If you are gluing non-porous materials such as glass or slate it is a good idea to moisten these surfaces before applying the gg. I have even used this stuff submerged, I would only recomend it as a last resort, but it worked flawlessly. I added a piece of wood to one of my paludariums one night and it was cured the next morning and it was VERY strong. The only down fall is it created a film on the top of the water. Which is not a real big deal either, it comes up all in one piece like you've laid a piece of serran wrap on top of the water. For those of you who like silicone, I strongly suggest you try gorilla glue! I guarantee you will not go back. It seems like it is very expensive but if you actually break it down it costs less than using silicone.

 

[earthfrog]

Good to know it is easy to get off glass. It is impossible to remove from porous surfaces.

 

[rlove250]

Thanks for the great info everyone. I'll be looking for the gorila glue.

I'm thinking I'll see how the pieces fit where I want them, and shave some pieces if I can for more survace area for the GG. I may still use GS in spots where I need to support the wood in a certain position. Not sure if I mentioned it, but I will be having flowing water come down the wood. So I think I will be having GS in areas where the water may flow over the edges and contact the Clay.