Reef safe magnets

[JCSReefing]

I am trying to find out what magnets if any can be put into a sump to clamp my DIY algae s rubber onto the side? Can I use any magnet and just cost them in epoxy or reef safe silicone? Is there a certain type that will not rust or oxidize over time??

 

[Nibejeebies]

Following along I myself have wondered this very thing.

 

[jsker]

Here you go

 

[ochriso]

haven't done much research for inside the tank but when looking for magnets to hold exterior on metal frame I saw ceramic magnets. I didn't look into them but if they are truly ceramic they may be a good choice

 

[WnYreefer]

Try this site. https://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=164
I purchased a few of the plastic coated ones to attempt to mount a rock to the glass but ended up changing my mind and never used them. I believe plastic coated ones should work.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Ceramic magnets are reef safe. neodymium magnets are not reef safe unless they're completed encapsulated and water tight.

 

[Zwogle]

i used neodymium magnets and dipped them in plasti dip. I read in another forum that it was safe/inert.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Safe until you get a leak. I personally wouldn't trust plasti-dip.

 

[Triggreef]

Rock-mags.com or mag-rocks.com something like that. They sell the frag mag extra mags i think and are very very strong.

Also could use old mag cleaner. Wouldn't trust long term but a year or so should last.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

i used neodymium magnets and dipped them in plasti dip. I read in another forum that it was safe/inert.

Yeah defs wouldn't use plasti dip to seal magnets. It will seal them and it is reef safe (as far as I am aware). But it wont keep them sealed.

You can seal magnets by coating in epoxy (and I mean really coating them). Other than that and proper plastic coated magnets designed for reef tanks (like those on powerheads) I wouldn't trust magnets in a tank.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Even epoxy can get brittle and crack, unfortunately. the best way is to encapsulate in acrylic.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

Even epoxy can get brittle and crack, unfortunately. the best way is to encapsulate in acrylic.

Yeah I agree with that. There is a guy on one of the Aus fb pages I am on who coats them in liquid 2 part epoxy, then he sands them down so the epoxy coat is about 5mm thick all over. Then he coats them all over in a good layer of epoxy putty (same stuff for mounting frags). They turn out really good and probably as safe as acrylic coated but way more involved than I would do haha

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

I'm just not sure what the long term effects are in a reef system. The standard two part epoxy is initially reef safe but who knows if it eventually breaks down. acrylic is 100% so long as the seams are welded properly. that's the major issue with the magnets that come with commercial frag racks like eshopps. a lot of people, myself included, have had leaks with their acrylic encapsulated magnets.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

R2r sponsor @AVAST Marine sells magnets in abs.

http://avastmarine.com/products/mag-pair

 

[Zwogle]

Safe until you get a leak. I personally wouldn't trust plasti-dip.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep my eye on it

 

[Triggreef]

R2r sponsor @AVAST Marine sells magnets in abs.

http://avastmarine.com/products/mag-pair

Nice! I like that a lot

 

[mcarroll]

Likewise for sponsor Tunze...various, in sizes all the way up to 1" glass:
https://www.tunze.com/US/en/catalogue/katalog-ii.html?user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter029

 

[pfoxgrover]

I'm trying to make a 4 foot long removable overflow grate for a coast to coast external overflow. I think the Avast marine magnet would work great, but a little pricey since I would need like 4 of them.
Thanks for the the helpful thread.
-Paul

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Yeah, strong neodymium magnets aren't necessarily cheap. the fabrication cost is a lot of the price too.

I'm trying to make a 4 foot long removable overflow grate for a coast to coast external overflow. I think the Avast marine magnet would work great, but a little pricey since I would need like 4 of them.
Thanks for the the helpful thread.
-Paul

 

[WILLIEOWILL]

Ceramic magnets are reef safe. neodymium magnets are not reef safe unless they're completed encapsulated and water tight.

Hey matt, I just bought a reef rax nano frag rack and the only way it looks good is on the back wall of my biocube 29 [I bought a in tank media basket and refugium from you a month or two ago] , but this puts the magnets under water in my return pump chamber. I took a natural rubber latex glove and cut off 4 fingers , rinsed the fingers a couple times with old tank water, dried them off and then wrapped 2 of the fingers around each magnet. I trimmed it all the way to the knot and it should be water tight. Am I ok doing this? I figured a natural rubber would be better than a magnet going bad. Or should I try something else? I don't want to crash my tank. I've put a lot of time, money and love on this thing and wanted to ask a couple of you more experienced reefers what you think?

Yeah, strong neodymium magnets aren't necessarily cheap. the fabrication cost is a lot of the price too.