Is hot glue safe to use on my turtles water plants for repair?

[susieq450]

It seems to be a constant problem that these artificial plants in Finn's tank seem to come apart and end up floating in the water. To repair them, I have used silicone glue before which takes time to set but I was wondering if using hot glue would be safe since it is a more instant solution. Or what is the best remedy that is more long lasting as well. They sure don't make anything that is long lasting! Finn loves his plants to hide in and out of and I just wanted to repair them for him. I got these plants only about 3 months ago and they keep coming apart.

 

[Yossarian]

Hot Melt Adhesives are waterbased and not suitable for use in very wet applications. It loses adhesion quickly in water and it actually absorbs water so the glue will swell up. Other than that, the various types are all just thermoplastics and are technically not toxic and a quick browse of fish forums will show many examples of people using it, but I would not be surprised to find they leach chemicals into water over time either.

What materials are you glueing together? And how are they breaking? I have a lot of experience with adhesives from my non-tortoise related life.

Edit: also worth noting, you can buy some specialist hot glues that do have additives to make them stickier and things like that. I wouldnt trust something like that to be non-toxic.

 

[susieq450]

Hot Melt Adhesives are waterbased and not suitable for use in very wet applications. It loses adhesion quickly in water and it actually absorbs water so the glue will swell up. Other than that, the various types are all just thermoplastics and are technically not toxic and a quick browse of fish forums will show many examples of people using it, but I would not be surprised to find they leach chemicals into water over time either.

What materials are you glueing together? And how are they breaking? I have a lot of experience with adhesives from my non-tortoise related life.

Edit: also worth noting, you can buy some specialist hot glues that do have additives to make them stickier and things like that. I wouldnt trust something like that to be non-toxic.

The plants in his tank seem to come apart a lot and I thought maybe hot glue (gorilla makes a waterproof hot glue) might be a quick fix. Silicone glue says it needs 48 hours to cure and he would be lost without his plant for that long.

 

[susieq450]

The plants in his tank seem to come apart a lot and I thought maybe hot glue (gorilla makes a waterproof hot glue) might be a quick fix. Silicone glue says it needs 48 hours to cure and he would be lost without his plant for that long.

But of course, I want it to be safe for him.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Maybe you can give him a temporary substitute while his regular tank furniture is under repair.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Have you ever thought about using real plants instead of fake ones? I used to use fake ones but I ended up switching to live ones and prefer them much better.

 

[Yossarian]

The plants in his tank seem to come apart a lot and I thought maybe hot glue (gorilla makes a waterproof hot glue) might be a quick fix. Silicone glue says it needs 48 hours to cure and he would be lost without his plant for that long.

That is one of the ones I would be wary of, Gorilla advertises it as weather resistant not waterproof, but it seems to have additives added to the thermoplastic to make it adhere better than normal.

Have you tried superglue? It is widely used for marine applications and in fishtanks for just this purpose, cyanoacrylates are extremely stable compounds once they harden and you can get some that are designed to be used under water. Free molecules of cyanoacrylate bond very readily with water becoming inert in the process so there should not be any toxicity issues. The main thing is to glue the part while dry and let the glue harden fully before putting back in the tank. the gels can even be applied under water as long as the glue doesnt disperse before you can press the objects together.

 

[susieq450]

Have you ever thought about using real plants instead of fake ones? I used to use fake ones but I ended up switching to live ones and prefer them much better.

I have been afraid to use real plants because I do not know what kind of care they need and what they do to his tank. I am sure they need to be fed and cared for, plus I am sure they would float around rather than stand in his tank. Being that he is young,, I do not have any gravel or stones in the tank right now that could keep the plants in place. I am just not familiar with these and don't want any other work in their care.

 

[susieq450]

That is one of the ones I would be wary of, Gorilla advertises it as weather resistant not waterproof, but it seems to have additives added to the thermoplastic to make it adhere better than normal.

Have you tried superglue? It is widely used for marine applications and in fishtanks for just this purpose, cyanoacrylates are extremely stable compounds once they harden and you can get some that are designed to be used under water. Free molecules of cyanoacrylate bond very readily with water becoming inert in the process so there should not be any toxicity issues. The main thing is to glue the part while dry and let the glue harden fully before putting back in the tank. the gels can even be applied under water as long as the glue doesnt disperse before you can press the objects together.

No,I haven't - I have never had good luck with superglue but I guess it is something to think about. Superglue dries so fast and I am such a clutz, I always get it on my fingers. I know, never thought of using gloves while using it. I think I am going to have to stick to silicone glue and find other plants to put in his tank while the glue dries.

 

[susieq450]

Thanks to everyone for all of your wonderful tips. I wondered about hot glue because I use it regularly, for years, but I would never put Finn in danger. Just wanted to know what all my options were. Thanks again.