So Expensive....

[Jon M]

Mag Float 410

So, I just spent 130$ on a mag float... Anyone else have the Mag Float 410? I truly hope this thing is capable of doing it's job on 3/4" acrylic. If it does, the investment will be way worth not having to stick my body into a canopy and moving big annoying lids to get algae off the inside.

Seriously though, having a hard time swallowing that I just spent 130$ on a magnet scraper, lol. Anyone have any experience using these? Surely with all the large aquarium keepers on here someone has. I researched pretty thoroughly and couldn't find another magnet that says it is rated to be able to grab and work on 3/4" or thicker.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Hope someone with direct relevant experience will chime in. I only wanted to say that I only use clean terry towels on acrylic, as advised by an acrylic tank builder friend long ago.

I have to put on mask and snorkel and get inside the big tanks to wipe the window I wish I could just lean in and bend over.

 

[12 Volt Man]

just be very careful with the mag float on an acrylic tank

many many acrylic tanks have been scratched to **** because substrate got in between the acrylic and the scraper and scratched the tank bad.

sometimes its someone else trying it out not realizing what can happen.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

12 Volt Man do you know if the outside unit is known to scratch the acrylic too? I imagine dust, sand, salt crystals from dried up water, some other hard particles can get between the outside scraper block and the acrylic too and scratch it all up on the outside. Has this been known to occur?

 

[ken31cay]

I don't remember if the walls of my 450gal are 3/4" or 1" but I spent near $400 on a Mag Float 1000 for that tank since none of the smaller models worked. Used it 3 times and then realized it's still easier to stick my arm in there and wipe the tank walls with a soft rag. So don't feel bad. The thing sits in it's nice wooden case collecting dust.

 

[krichardson]

Jon M just curious but what kind of fish do you keep and do you have live plants?

 

[Jon M]

Hope someone with direct relevant experience will chime in. I only wanted to say that I only use clean terry towels on acrylic, as advised by an acrylic tank builder friend long ago.

I have to put on mask and snorkel and get inside the big tanks to wipe the window I wish I could just lean in and bend over.

So normally I use magic erasers, but I'm just looking for something more convenient than having to get on the step ladder and shove my body into the canopy while whacking hanging lights, and then bend into the tank and reach towards the bottom, lol. Not to mention I kind of get a little nervous about how curious Shivy gets when he starts swimming towards me. Shivy is my Spotted FL Gar. I realize I have to be very careful towards the bottom with the sand granules. Not that I want anymore scratches, but this particular tank does have some noticeable scratches towards the bottom I'm assuming from substrate in the past before I owned it.

just be very careful with the mag float on an acrylic tank

many many acrylic tanks have been scratched to **** because substrate got in between the acrylic and the scraper and scratched the tank bad.

sometimes its someone else trying it out not realizing what can happen.

Understood. I realize how badly it could scratch acrylic if one single granule was in between. Someone else as in, someone using the mag float besides myself? Luckily that won't be an issue. No one touches my our tanks except myself and Shelby. Our house cleaners know to not touch the tanks.

12 Volt Man do you know if the outside unit is known to scratch the acrylic too? I imagine dust, sand, salt crystals from dried up water, some other hard particles can get between the outside scraper block and the acrylic too and scratch it all up on the outside. Has this been known to occur?

I can say I do use these for all my glass tanks and I've never even considered something on the outside getting on between, but it's never happened to me on those tanks.

I don't remember if the walls of my 450gal are 3/4" or 1" but I spent near $400 on a Mag Float 1000 for that tank since none of the smaller models worked. Used it 3 times and then realized it's still easier to stick my arm in there and wipe the tank walls with a soft rag. So don't feel bad. The thing sits in it's nice wooden case collecting dust.

So why do you find it easier to get inside? Because it takes a while to get full coverage because of the size of the magnet?

Jon M just curious but what kind of fish do you keep and do you have live plants?

In the tank I'm buying the magnet for or just in general?

 

[pacu mom]

I recently bought a small mag float and tried to use it once. I didn't like it. Back to my car wash brush. Very soft bristles with a protective rubberized bumper, so there is no danger of scratching/damaging the acrylic. The bristles can get up into the tank seam areas and remove any buildup there.




For the big tank (which I hope to have running in the next couple of months) I got a brush with extendable handle. It can reach all the walls of the tank.

 

[ken31cay]

So why do you find it easier to get inside? Because it takes a while to get full coverage because of the size of the magnet?

Because of the thickness of the acrylic, it takes considerable effort to drag the magnets not to mention the movement is jerky and awkward. As mentioned in a post above, there is also a tendency for sand to get in between the acrylic & the magnet once you are working near the bottom.

 

[duanes]

I always put a soft cloth between the outside surface and tank, to (hopefully) mitigate any scratches, and change it out often, just in case some grain of sand or grit worked in.
The cloth also helps clean dust off the outside.