How to make a floating island with rocks and magnets at home?

[omerseymen]

Hi guys, i want to make a floating rock island for my aquarium but couldnt find which type of magnet to use? Can someone help me?

 

[luis angel]

Hi guys, i want to make a floating rock island for my aquarium but couldnt find which type of magnet to use? Can someone help me?

Hello, welcome to R2R, I'm new to the hobby as well and I don't think I can help you with the magnet thing, but I did see someone on IG who did it on the back wall with epoxy. I don't know if you can find a video or something about that.

 

[JNalley]

Any strong magnet (e.g., Neodymium) will do; the key is sealing it in Epoxy or something else that is reef-safe while still maintaining the magnetic strength. How are you going to fashion the rocks? Are you going to 3D print them? are you going to find someone to mold them? Most of those floating Islands that are magnetic are made of hollowed pieces of plastic that look like a rock, but aren't really a rock... They're light.

If 3D Printing, don't use Nylon, use something like ABS or PETG, everyone says PLA is fine too, and while I don't think it will harm a tank, the longevity of PLA to me seems dubious... I don't think it will degrade after a couple of years, probably more like 10-20, but I do think it will degrade overtime... That's just my feeling though, I have no data to back it up...

 

[19Mateo83]

I buy plastic encapsulated neodymium magnets on eBay. I have quite a few things stuck on my back glass with these including floating islands. My big green toadstool is on a floating island along with the little green Monti to the right of my overflow in the second picture.

3/4 x 1/4 Inch Neodymium Disc Magnets N52 with Black Plastic Coating (8 Pack) | eBay

Grade: N52. Sphere Magnets. What will you use them for?. Separate magnets by sliding them, and avoid letting them jump or snap together. Disc Magnets. Countersunk Disc Magnets. Adhesive Disc Magnets.

www.ebay.com

 

[MoshJosh]

I used an old powerhead magnet so it was already sealed. I used superglue and sand to bond it well to the rock. . . it worked but keep in mind rocks are heavy and if they stick out far from the glass you are working against leverage (I think. . . I am not an engineer. . . but the weight at the end of the rock is at the end of a lever basically. . . I think). Even with what I would consider a strong magnet my rock can easily be knocked looks by a human hand. No critters have been strong enough to knock it over though and now I have encrusting corals holding it too the wall. . .

TLDR: Use stronger magnets than you think you need.

 

[omerseymen]

Thanks everyone for your replies, will consider all of them. Have a nice and salty day!