# gorilla glue and coco fiber background



## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

so i thought i had read somewhere on the forum of people using gorilla glue and coco fiber to cover there backgrounds but i cant seem to find any build threads on this so i'm reaching out to see if anyone can send me into the right direction! 
thanks in advance!


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## gdebell (Oct 1, 2014)

Literally typed in gorilla glue coco fiber and found 97 results. I don't know if they all have pictures, but i'm sure they all have various information. Good luck.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

See I did that but I was just getting I used gorilla glue to attach my background. I will search it again. Thanks


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## gdebell (Oct 1, 2014)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/3090-gorilla-glue-vs-silicone.html
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/ge...ever-tried-gorilla-glue-instead-weldbond.html

Here's a couple I pulled up real quick. I know where you're coming from as I just did my first viv last month. Hope these help.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Yeah I didn't even find those threads in my search. I found different ones. See my concern is I have done the silicone coco method and I hate it cause my frogs crawl all over it and then the coco fiber comes off and tracks all over my plants and glass and makes everything dirty so that's why I ask cause I have found a few but it seems to be a method that not to many people have tried yet. thanks for those links though! They answered a few of my questions. I think I will just do a test to see how it works.


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

If tracking the coco fiber everywhere is the biggest problem, why not try out a cork or tree fern background? Backgrounds with either hygrolon or a similar product are also pretty nice. 

If you have already started the GS background I don't know if using gorilla glue will help with the problem you had on your last background. 

Just some thoughts 

John


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Why do you think it wouldn't solve my problem? From what I read it hardens just like resin.. the only reason I wouldn't do cork tree fern is because I already have a background carved out of high density foam that I want to cover in coco fiber to make the vines/roots that I carved look real. Otherwise I'd try that method.


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## chin_monster (Mar 12, 2006)

if you having problems w/ loose fibers from the silicone method, gorilla glue is going to do the exact same thing and eventually loose it's "grip" on whatever you've attached it to -much sooner in a humid environment like a viv


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Ugh.. That's not what I'm looking for... I thought it would bind the coco fiber so that it wouldn't let loose..


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I use foam, silicone and peat: I'm not very satisfied, but fortunately climbing plants create a green wall. 
A method that is very effective here in Europe is the Elastopur, as described in the link below.

Elastopur, do it yourself


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## Armson (Sep 8, 2008)

You stinking Euros with fancy Elastopur! *

What the heck is that stuff anyway... I have been trying to hunt down an alternative for sometime and so far have had no luck... 


Anybody bringing this stuff into the good old USA? Or know what it is? There has got to be some sort of alternative over here. 

I can't finish my Frogday Sherman Tank until I find something that will work. 


*(The smile denotes sarcastic tone, as not to offend anyone that has paper thin skin)

-B


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## dart345 (Jun 29, 2010)

I use Polygem Epoxy looks eery similar to Elastopur..

Just purchased 307 Lite Flex scuplting putty.. I made a fake terra cotta slate rock the other day with it.

Prepped foam as we speak about to do a few fake rocks for my setup.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

See I was planning on using the epoxy that vivariumworks sells as well but the only thing is he has tried to stick coco fiber or anything of that sort into the epoxy so he is unsure of what it will do.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Polygem-zoopoxy and Great stuff covered in gorilla glue/peat.

I have tanks that have been running live for 3-4 years and have not lost any spots of peat.....When coating just make sure to come back from time to time over the first two hours or so and push the peat back down in the gorilla glue. The glue will start to foam up....That is when you press it down....I make sure to use an excessive amount of peat so it is completely covered while pressing the peat into the now foaming glue....


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

myersboy6 said:


> See I was planning on using the epoxy that vivariumworks sells as well but the only thing is he has tried to stick coco fiber or anything of that sort into the epoxy so he is unsure of what it will do.


I have used his epoxy and pressed peat into it making roots as well as zoopoxy and both of them took well to the peat....any open spots after coating I just used glue to cover.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

rigel10 said:


> I use foam, silicone and peat: I'm not very satisfied, but fortunately climbing plants create a green wall.
> A method that is very effective here in Europe is the Elastopur, as described in the link below.
> 
> Elastopur, do it yourself


That looks simular to the polygem product....


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## Armson (Sep 8, 2008)

dart345 said:


> I use Polygem Epoxy looks eery similar to Elastopur..
> 
> Just purchased 307 Lite Flex scuplting putty.. I made a fake terra cotta slate rock the other day with it.
> 
> Prepped foam as we speak about to do a few fake rocks for my setup.




Which Polygem Epoxy are you using and how are you using it? 


-B


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Armson said:


> Which Polygem Epoxy are you using and how are you using it?
> 
> 
> -B


I use 307 lite and using it like modeling clay......

I have a thread on here where I asked a bunch of questions got some answers and showed a bunch of projects I made with it.....

At first it was a little haphazard but as I got more experience the level I dare say became more detailed and easier to use....The key is the use of water to address the tendency for it to stick to your tools and your gloved hands.....


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134946

Here is the link....

Some good insightful input from other members like Dane and Dartsanddragons that really help understand the products.


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

Azurel said:


> That looks simular to the polygem product....


I do not know, I do not know polygem product. 
I have never used elastopur because it is quite expensive. But a week ago a friend sent me a sample of background made with elastopur and I can say that it is very good.
Here another link that makes known the properties of this product.

Réalisation d'une décoration en Elastopur - Kanopée Store


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

rigel10 said:


> I do not know, I do not know polygem product.
> I have never used elastopur because it is quite expensive. But a week ago a friend sent me a sample of background made with elastopur and I can say that it is very good.
> Here another link that makes known the properties of this product.
> 
> Réalisation d'une décoration en Elastopur - Kanopée Store


Ok that isn't quite like the 307 lite.....That looks more fluid more like the vine maker product.....I wouldn't mind trying that product out.


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## zimmerj (Aug 20, 2014)

Azurel said:


> Polygem-zoopoxy and Great stuff covered in gorilla glue/peat.
> 
> I have tanks that have been running live for 3-4 years and have not lost any spots of peat.....When coating just make sure to come back from time to time over the first two hours or so and push the peat back down in the gorilla glue. The glue will start to foam up....That is when you press it down....I make sure to use an excessive amount of peat so it is completely covered while pressing the peat into the now foaming glue....


I tried doing the Gorilla Glue with coco fiber and could not get it to stick well but I was only pressing it down initially. So maybe that was my problem, I need to keep doing that? But then the coco fiber comes off in a short period of time?


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

zimmerj said:


> I tried doing the Gorilla Glue with coco fiber and could not get it to stick well but I was only pressing it down initially. So maybe that was my problem, I need to keep doing that? But then the coco fiber comes off in a short period of time?


I have had no issues with it coming off....Not sure what I could be doing different....

I spread it with a brush thick or with my hand in a glove.....I also flip the tank so that the background is flat and the peat lays on top of the background.....I use a lot of peat so there is no bare or thin spots.....I will come back many times and keep pressing the peat down as the glue foams....

Once it sets I vacuume off the excess to see where I stand....If there are any bare spots or spots where the glue foamed up and didn't get covered I re-apply on those spots......

I have 3-4 tanks with this method that are 3+ years old that have not lost any covering on the background....They get misted 3-5 times a week....I have even had hitch hiker ferns sprout.....

I use organic sphagnum peat I do not use coco fiber.....Not sure if that makes a difference either.


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## chin_monster (Mar 12, 2006)

Let me address the points I made about gorilla glue a little further.

The loose / none embedded fibers of coco, spag or whatever are what make a background look like some thing other a bunch of gorilla glue or silicone slathered on a wall (or whatever). If you've done it properly (pressed or mixed in the fibers well) the material is well and truly glued on. However, the portions of each fiber that aren't embedded into the "glue" are vulnerable to abrasion -if your animals are causing fibers to come loose w/ one pressed on method, another is not going to give you much better results.

The second is that gorilla glue actually a piss poor long/ mid term adhesive, creates a hard and strong initial "bite" but it softens and weakens with time (and humidity) and then the adhesive bond fails. However, if you are using it as a coating (paint for lack of a better work) that's practically non weight bearing I'd expect it to be an adequate solution -however after a short while in a humid viv environment I'd be more than shocked if couldn't easily dislodge the "glue" from whatever surface it's been applied to.

To me the prefered method for a "dirt" wall is a method that mixes the coco (or whatever) into the coating rather than pressing it into the tacky surface of the "glue" because there aren't any loose fibers to get abraded away and expose the "glue" -it's all one solidified mass so to speak


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

i like that build Azurel! good to know someone has tried it. i'm just going to use vivariumworks epoxy and i may or may not add fiber. i just might texture my foam vines so and then tint the epoxy brown to look like vines. but then again.... plants wont be able to grab ahold of the epoxy background without some sort of fiber... blahhhhh i just want dont want the crap to fall off the background.


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## Armson (Sep 8, 2008)

Azurel said:


> Ok that isn't quite like the 307 lite.....That looks more fluid more like the vine maker product.....I wouldn't mind trying that product out.


So I just read your thread on rock making and I have to admit that you have done some amazing work.

However I think there are two different topics here that are getting blended together. 

Epoxy for making backgrounds
And 
Adhesive for applying peat/coco to the background. 


My quest is for something that would work better than Gorilla glue. The Europeans appear to have found it with a product called Elastopur. I want to know if there is anything out there to rival this product in the USA. 



-B


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I saw on a site of Aquarium here some backgrounds made ​​with polyurethane foam directly mixed with sand and/or gravel to form a dough. It with a spatula was immediately coated against the back glass of the tank. such as plaster. I do not know if it is effective, but foam and sand all become one. Surely it is very dirty.
I do not have a square inch of space for a new viv, but after seeing the panels Elastopur who sent me a friend, I would use this product without a doubt.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Armson said:


> So I just read your thread on rock making and I have to admit that you have done some amazing work.
> 
> However I think there are two different topics here that are getting blended together.
> 
> ...


epoxy is the better alternative to gorilla glue and silicone. thats is why azual posted up his thread showing and stating that it works very well.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

I can only go by my experience with using gorilla glue and have had no issues. I wanted an alternative to silicone and gorilla glue fit.....I know some have had luck with Tightbond but I have never used that method...

Polygem has a couple products that is liquid and is used for coating....One turns hard like plastic once cured (gel) and the other is the vine maker product which from reading about it turns robbery


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

So does vivariumworks cure hard or rubbery?


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

myersboy6 said:


> So does vivariumworks cure hard or rubbery?


It cures harder but has a more of a hard dense foam texture and is much lighter then zoopoxy it also cures much faster then zoopoxy.

Zoopoxy cures rock hard and once cured is exactly like a plastic shell.


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## Fantastica (May 5, 2013)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Titebond III! I plan on using it with tree fern or orchid bark for my next build.


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## kingfisherfleshy (Mar 17, 2012)

There are sheets of cocobark that I dont think would break apart very easy. 

I used two of these sheets in a (medium, I think) exoterra. 

I glued it to the glass using gorilla glue - it has been over a year and I do not have cocobark anywhere on my plants, and there is no sign that the cocobark is coming off the back. I used very little gorilla glue as well. Doesnt take much. I like the look - as soon as I get my mistking set up again I think that the background will become quite lush.


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## Slurpeesnow (Feb 13, 2014)

From experience, it has worked for me. However, if I would do it all over again I would have used the silicone method. Gorilla Glue worked, its just very tedious and messy. Also, gorilla glue over a white foam will barely show, so I was left with many bald spots as a result, if I covered it in a black silicone, I worst case would be left with dark bald spots, not a glossy white foam.

Once my plants filled in it looks great, but not the most pleasant experience..


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Well I just tried the gorilla glue method and I will have to say it was very messy and tedious just like slurpeesnow mentioned. Not only is it messy but it's quite expensive. I would have waited to use vivariumworks epoxy but I am on a deadline with this tank now so I had to get it finished. I used a little over 4 bottles of 4oz gorilla glue for a 32x18x22 background. VivariumWorks epoxy is a little more expensive but to have something that you can actually mix the coco fiber in with to spread it all over instead of press it in would be a way better method in my opinion. Now for a small 10 gallon or 20 gallon tank I think gorilla glue is a good option but not for a big tank. Epoxy would be the better route for sure.


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## Slurpeesnow (Feb 13, 2014)

Right, I think it depends on size and bark used. On my tank it was a little large, and was going to mostly be covered via the fiber. However, 9 months later, I have not seen anything start to come off!


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Not sure how you are doing it but I did my 60g with a half bottle of gorilla glue...Its no more messy then the silicone method and peat/cocofiber....Unless we are using two different methods......I just vacuum the excess once the glue has cured for a couple hours...


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Whaaaaaa how in the world did you only use half a bottle..! If I spread the glue to thin the coco fiber wouldn't stick to it.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

myersboy6 said:


> Whaaaaaa how in the world did you only use half a bottle..! If I spread the glue to thin the coco fiber wouldn't stick to it.


Not sure....might have been a little more then half but I still have a bunch left in the bottle for this next build....

I press it on and rub/press it in.....I make sure the part I am covering is horizontal....can't do it if the area you are covering is vertical....I never had luck with silicone that way either....


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

How many oz is your bottle?


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

myersboy6 said:


> How many oz is your bottle?


Its the bigger bottle....18oz bottle....Its like $10.....I get the bigger bottles and refill the small one with the fine applicator....For backgrounds I use the 18oz bottle.


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Oh okay that makes sense then! I couldn't find the big bottle so I had to buy a bunch of small bottles. But I still used way more than you did. maybe it's cause my background has a lot of detail.. idk or I was just a little to generous with the glue. Hahaha


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

This is the background I just did with the gorilla glue


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## Slengteng (Sep 16, 2014)

Thats a nice background! Hope we will get to see the tank soon when everything is in!


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

myersboy6 said:


> This is the background I just did with the gorilla glue


Dude that looks great......Excellent work man...


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## FroggyKnight (Mar 14, 2013)

Wow! That is a sweet background, nice job! I really like the details. 

John


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Thanks guys! I will post some more pictures as soon as I get my rocks from vivariumworks to finish the build! Then after a few months to establish I will get my new frogs!


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Got my rocks! Now I get to re arrange rocks a million times till I like the arrangement. Haha


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Thought I'd post a little update. Haven't been able to work on this build since I was getting married but now that I'm in my new place I have started to plant it and waiting on some leaf little before I add some friendly little frogs.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

myersboy6 said:


> Thought I'd post a little update. Haven't been able to work on this build since I was getting married but now that I'm in my new place I have started to plant it and waiting on some leaf little before I add some friendly little frogs.


That looks great bro...well done


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## myersboy6 (Aug 23, 2010)

Thanks dude! Been waiting a while to get this rank setup!


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