Floating Aquascape Questions

john.m.cole3 · Sep 17, 2016

How do these guys do it? Is it an acrylic shelf of some kind. I don't want to bond any materials to my glass, but am very interested in creating a floating island on my next build.

helen ann · Sep 17, 2016

Have no idea but tagging along as I am currently OCDing over the rock structure for my new build

john.m.cole3 · Sep 17, 2016

Good deal. Fun to learn together!

Dashiki · Sep 17, 2016

Acrylic threaded rod and bolts are used after drilling through the live rock.

You can sometimes get it at craft stores like Michaels

Also lots of reef epoxy.

john.m.cole3 · Sep 17, 2016

Yeah I understand how acrylic rod and holes and epoxy Works to make towers and structures and such. But I'm wondering how you get the floating look.

Joey waid · Sep 17, 2016

Magnets, maybe. Space them even around the back and sides and let a shelf rest on them.. of corse silicone.. I'm just talking, I really don't know what you want to do anyways.

john.m.cole3 · Sep 17, 2016

I have magnetic shelves and they're all right. I'm trying to do something supported from the base of the aquarium

john.m.cole3 · Sep 17, 2016

A Few magnetic shelves

Joey waid · Sep 17, 2016

It would most likely have to be molded. Like on tanked, they make stuff all the time. I wonder if utube has how to's on that.

Karmann · Sep 17, 2016

Chapter 7

Brew12 · Sep 17, 2016

john.m.cole3 said:
I have magnetic shelves and they're all right. I'm trying to do something supported from the base of the aquarium

I'm thinking you could probably take a clear acrylic rod and bond it to a large acrylic panel that would sit under your substrate. Attach your rock structure to the top of the rod. When filled with water I would guess that the rod would be nearly invisible.

jsker · Sep 17, 2016

Good topic @john.m.cole3 My next tank I would like to do a floating island. I have seen a couple examples.

On using glass shelves which to me would be great to view but would take up allot of tank space and cleaning would be a bear

I have also seen were the shelf is glued to the back of the tank.

I think what I would do is make a clear acrylic triangle and have three clear rods anchored down to a base of acrylic then add the sub-straight. the bond the rock to the triangle and go up from there

Dashiki · Sep 17, 2016

It's all about balance. Along with the rods you need heavy base rock. The denser the better. It has nothing to do with magnets.

Using pukani style rock for the shelf look because it is a lighter stone.

mcarroll · Sep 17, 2016

john.m.cole3 said:
A Few magnetic shelves

The first two photos don't even look like they were grown that way - they look like those corals were just placed (a kind of fake IMO) - so I would be very hesitant in trying to model them.

The coral levitating in the picture in this post is easy to do. That is a plating Montipora – they grow like that naturally.

I have considered growing this coral on the base of a tank to then plant other corals in. I probably will do this someday, but I have never been a fan of using dowels and plastic parts to make a structure. (It's not a religious issue though so if you think that's the best way, do it.

)

You mentioned magnetic shelves – I don't know if you meant the wimpy one in this picture.

I wouldn't bother with magnetic shelves unless you do a heavy duty one such as those that Tunze makes. They have a few models.

2¢

john.m.cole3 · Sep 18, 2016

The picture with the wimpy magnetic shelf is my tank. I'm trying to get ideas to float my scape in my display refugium that I'm setting up.

Hesham · Sep 25, 2016

There is another approach by using rigid supports that span the width of the tank and sit over the top of the tank frame. The rock structure is then tie-wrapped or hung with nylon line to the rigid structure that sits over the tank. The rock structure is then "levitated". A benefit of this approach is that the levitated structure can be removed from the tank if required.