Formaldehyde?

On the topic of preservation, an artist whom immediately springs to mind is Damien Hirst,

an artist whom both intrigues and sickens me.
Same as applies to my earlier post of Pickled and Preserved, Hirsts animal based artworks should on morals make my blood boil, his attitude towards life is foul, setting up greenhouses to gas butterflies, paying ridiculous amounts of money for someone to kill a shark, putting the whole life cycle of a fly in a box, in a gallery, inviting the viewer to watch it as it perishes.
And he does sicken me, incredibly, but I cannot help but be intrigued, perhaps even to the extent of being attracted.
But this is off topic,

 

I am looking for a way to preserve.

Damien Hirst uses formaldehyde solution.
Although I still don't understand how this enables his pieces to float?
This could be out of complete ignorance.
But as far as I can gather formaldehyde is a liquid solution.

But what am I to use?
I need some form of clear solution that preferably is denser than water, something that preferably could set? I shall try some vegetarian gelatine? Although not particularly accurate or honest,,