Mag-Racks

The Magnetic Coral Frag Rack

History

As a hobbyist, for those of us who don't have the means to set up a "prop tank" for our coral frags, our only methods of growing and storing frags is to have a frag station inside the tank.  I did not want to put an embarassing white egg-crate shelf superglued to a magentic cleaner in my tank, so I decided to find a more practical way to present my frags. 

In early 2007, with the help of the members of www.SDReefs.com, some spare time and experimenting, I created Mag-Racks as a project designed to fundraise for my reef keeping hobby.  Since then, I have made a few changes with materials and have done my best to perfect the design to make it as safe as it can be for underwater use.  The result is a handmade magnetic frag-rack that provides a simple, "aesthetically functional" solution to display and hold coral frags.  I make Mag-Racks in my spare time as an individual.

Materials Information

Mag-Racks are made by attaching plastic styrene egg-crate to high-grade neodymium rare earth magnets embedded in clear polyester casting resin.  The magnets used outside to hold the Mag-Racks upright are encased in a thin layer of black epoxy, which is also corrosion resistant and waterproof. 

Currently, all second generation Mag-Racks are made with black styrene egg-crate.  Previous versions were made with white styrene egg-crate painted black with Krylon Fusion for Plastics (which is also safe for aquarium use after curing).  In an effort to streamline the design and make it even safer for fish and corals, I have discontinued making Mag-Racks using painted egg-crate and have replaced it with black styrene egg-crate.  All materials used have been tested and cured so that they are safe to use in our reef aquariums.

Magnet Information

CAUTION: Neodymium magnets and Mag-Racks must be handled with care!  Do not allow magnets to slam against each other as this may chip, break, or shatter the magnets on impact.  If handled improperly, magnets can damage computer gear, credit cards, ID cards with magnetic strips, aquariums made of glass or acrylic and other items.  These magnets should NOT be used by people wearing pacemakers or other related devices.  Neodymium magnets are NOT intended for children; please keep out of reach from children.  Place your Mag-Rack or Mag-Clip in a safe part of the tank away from curious hands as magnets can pinch and cause injury! 

Useful Information

  • S/M/L sizes are designed for glass and acrylic tanks 1/4" to 3/8" thick.
  • XL size is designed for glass and acrylic tanks 3/8" to 3/4" thick.
  • Mag-Racks are excellent for holding coral fragments attached to rocks, rubble, plugs to disks.
  • Great for light acclimation of new corals. (Place corals on the Mag-Rack positioned at the bottom of the tank, proceed to raise the Mag-Rack to the desired height slowly over 2 weeks time)
  • Excellent for placing behind aquascaping to "hide" your frags.
  • Can be easily relocated to anywhere in your tank for easier viewing/access.
  • Much more aesthetically presentable and less obtrusive compared to "DIY MagFloat racks"