Gorilla Glue has managed to grow to become one of the most common glue brans in North America and they are rapidly expanding into Europe, Australia, and New Zealand too.
Due to the number of people starting to use Gorilla Glue for various tasks in their aquarium, we wanted to publish our own dedicated article going over if you should be using Gorilla Glue with your tanks but most importantly if Gorilla Glue is safe for aquariums or not!
Now, all aquarium setups are different and what works for some people may not work for others so just because more and more people are using Gorilla Glue in their tanks, it does not mean that you won’t have issues with it.
In addition to that, as we will cover below, you have to let Gorilla Glue fully cure prior to submerging it with many people overlooking this!
In our opinion, the majority of our readers will be better of going with an aquarium safe glue or hot glue instead of Gorilla Glue for their tanks but still, we wanted to publish this article.
Is Gorilla Glue Safe For Aquariums?
The main reason people are using Gorilla Glue for their aquariums is that it is an incredibly strong adhesive.
Gorilla Glue is marketed as being able to bond “wood, stone, metal, ceramic, foam, glass, and more” together which sounds perfect for an aquarium!
Plus, a lot of people think that since Gorilla Glue is waterproof, it will work perfectly in an aquarium.
However, there are a few key things that you need to remember before using Gorilla Glue in your aquarium.
First and foremost, Gorilla Glue is not actually designed to be used underwater.
Gorilla Glue is a Polyurethane glue which relies on a chemical reaction in order to cure and form a bond.
This chemical reaction cannot take place underwater which means that Gorilla Glue will not cure properly if it is submerged.
In addition to that, Gorilla Glue expands as it cures which can cause problems in an aquarium.
If you use Gorilla Glue in your aquarium, it is can float to the surface and expand which can cause damage to your aquarium.
Not only that but Gorilla Glue can also release VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) as it cures which can be very harmful to both you and your fish.
For these reasons, we do not recommend using Gorilla Glue in your aquarium but many people in the fish keeping hobby do still use it.
Do You Have To Let Gorilla Glue Fully Cure Before Putting It Underwater?
As we briefly touched on above, Gorilla Glue is not actually designed to be used underwater.
Gorilla Glue relies on a chemical reaction in order to cure and this chemical reaction cannot take place underwater.
For that reason, you have to let Gorilla Glue fully cure before putting it underwater.
It usually takes around 24 hours for Gorilla Glue to fully cure but even once fully cured, it can cause some issues with your water parameters that may affect sensitive fish, corals, and anemones.
What Do People Use Gorilla Glue For In Aquariums?
If Gorilla Glue is not safe for aquariums, then why do people still use it?
Well, there are a few reasons.
First and foremost, Gorilla Glue is an incredibly strong adhesive.
This lets you use the Gorilla Glue in a wide range of common tasks within the aquarium hobby but there are some tasks that will need a strong glue more than others.
Aquascaping
Aquascaping is the art of arranging aquarium rocks, driftwood, and plants to create an underwater landscape.
This can be a very delicate process and you need to make sure that everything is secure before adding water to your tank.
Gorilla Glue can be used to glue rocks together to create structures for your aquascape.
It can also be used to glue driftwood and plants to rocks.
Just remember that you have to let Gorilla Glue fully cure before adding water to your aquarium!
Fixing Leaks
Aquariums are not perfect and over time, you may find that your aquarium starts to leak.
If this happens, you can use Gorilla Glue to fix the leak.
Just remember to let the Gorilla Glue fully cure before adding water to your aquarium!
Attaching Aquarium Decorations
Gorilla Glue can also be used to attach decorations to the inside of your aquarium.
This can be anything from coral skeletons to driftwood and plants.
Just remember to let the Gorilla Glue fully cure before adding water to your aquarium!
Mounting Corals In Place
Gorilla Glue can also be used to mount corals in place.
This is a popular method for mounting large corals that cannot be held in place with regular aquarium glue.
Just remember to let the Gorilla Glue fully cure before adding water to your aquarium!
Different coral will respond differently to having glue used to keep them in place though so always do your research to the specific type of coral you will be using.
Making Rock Stacks Safe
Many people like to make rock piles or rock caves for their aquarium that can sometimes tumble, especially in moderate to high flow tanks.
Gorilla Glue can be the perfect way to prevent this by gluing the rocks in place to prevent them from being able to give way over time.
Should You Use Gorilla Glue In Aquariums?
Now that you know a little bit more about Gorilla Glue and how it can be used in aquariums, you may be wondering if you should use it or not.
The truth is that there is no right or wrong answer here.
It really comes down to personal preference and what you are comfortable with.
There are many people who swear by Gorilla Glue and have used it for years with no issues.
There are also people who have had bad experiences with Gorilla Glue, even when used correctly.
If you do decide to use Gorilla Glue in your aquarium, we recommend that you use it sparingly and only for tasks where absolutely necessary.
Alternative To Gorilla Glue In Aquariums!
If you are looking for an alternative to Gorilla Glue that is safe for aquariums, we recommend using aquarium-safe silicone.
Silicone is a much safer option for aquariums and can be used for all of the same tasks as Gorilla Glue.
It is also much easier to work with and less likely to cause issues.
To learn more about using silicone in aquariums, check out our article on the subject.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to share your experiences with Gorilla Glue in aquariums, please feel free to leave a comment below!
