View Full Version : Question on an emperor 280
CoreyMac
10-13-2006, 2:13 PM
I just purchased an Emperor 280 filter. I have a 20G long tank (tank is cycled 14 times an hour with this filter). Somewhere I read that this filter is fine for a 20, but when I get it home I find that the strainer basket sits directly above my gravel. Is this okay?
Star_Rider
10-13-2006, 2:55 PM
should be fine..just watch to make sure you don't suck up any gravel.
mostlycichlids
10-13-2006, 4:13 PM
You can also cut an inch or so off of the intake tube if its too long then just put your strainer back on the rough end.
mechanic
10-13-2006, 4:19 PM
You can also cut an inch or so off of the intake tube if its too long then just put your strainer back on the rough end.
Good post!
Incidently, You might find your fish looking stressed from having to constantly "Swim Away" from the strong water current.If so, you can adjust
the water flow slower with that adjustment tab on the rear right side of the media box.
I had to crank the water flow back a few notches when I had a 280 on one of my 20 longs.
HTH
Eric
CoreyMac
10-13-2006, 5:59 PM
Good post!
Incidently, You might find your fish looking stressed from having to constantly "Swim Away" from the strong water current.If so, you can adjust
the water flow slower with that adjustment tab on the rear right side of the media box.
I had to crank the water flow back a few notches when I had a 280 on one of my 20 longs.
HTH
Eric
That's what I was looking for. Thanks!
CoreyMac
10-14-2006, 2:10 PM
Anyone with a newer 280? Mine does not have this water flow adjustment switch. Does anyone elses have this?
fishieperson321
10-15-2006, 6:46 PM
The new models don't have a flow control. The mid level strainer is now used to disperse the flow. What a great improvement (NOT!). :joke:
CoreyMac
10-15-2006, 8:22 PM
The new models don't have a flow control. The mid level strainer is now used to disperse the flow. What a great improvement (NOT!). :joke:
Well that does me no good. I don't have room for that strainer. GREAT.
fishieperson321
10-16-2006, 6:37 AM
Use a fine tooth saw to cut the tube to be size appropriate. I did for my Penguin 150.
CoreyMac
10-16-2006, 11:18 AM
How is this mid-level strainer going to decrease the flow coming out of the filter?
fishieperson321
10-16-2006, 3:58 PM
It doesn't. It just decreases the flow in the bottom strainer so that all of the water pull isn't in the bottom of the tank. The same reason for the Penguin BIO-Wheel series. :rant2: A flow control is handy!! ;)
CoreyMac
10-16-2006, 4:16 PM
Problem solved. One Emperor 280 out, one AC in.
fishieperson321
10-16-2006, 7:56 PM
Before you go buy an AC, I want you to know that if you have a power outage, the filter almost NEVER reprimes so you will end up with a burned out motor. This has happened not only to me but other people also. If you buy any other filter I would suggest a Penguin or a Whisper. Penguins have a BIO-Wheel and a 3 year warranty. :thm: Whispers have a 2 year warranty. Emperors have a 5 year warranty. :thm: :dance: Also, the neat thing about a BIO-Wheel is that the bacteria isn't taking the oxygen from the tank to live so it leaves your fish with far more oxygen. Any submerged bio filter is taking oxygen from the tank, not the air, so your fish may be deprived of oxygen. That is what happened to my aunt. This caused her fish to duy and when the petstore tested her water they said that there was very little oxygen in the water, not even enough for a fish to live. Please think about it before you switch! Don't you want what is best and healthiest for your fish? If so, I suggest a Marineland filter all the way. AquaClears backsiphon, so you may think that you are saving money now, but when the motor burns out you will be spending more money. ;)
CoreyMac
10-17-2006, 1:08 AM
I am not concerned with money. The emperor 280's output was too high. I will check out the penguin tomorrow. Thanks for the information.
I just have to say that maybe I'm the oddity, but when I cut power to my 10g aquarium with a new ac20 on it the filter doesn't drain out. My 4 year old turned it off one night and in the morning I just flipped the switch and it ran just fine. Now if I drain water from the aquarium (water changes) then I have to reprime the filter, but I've never seen the water drain out of it just from not having power.
hmilstead
10-19-2006, 8:28 PM
You can also cut the flow by attaching a small piece of filter floss to the bottom of your filter. I have a Penguin 150 on my 10 gallon and the flow was way too fast for my Betta. I cut up a piece of filter from my Whisper package (minus the carbon) and attached it with a band. It cut the flow quite nicely and... happy Betta. I definately love the Penguin and have a 200 on my 55 gallon along with a Whisper 60. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have put two Pengiuns on the 55 instead of the Whisper.
CoreyMac
10-21-2006, 10:56 PM
Update : Today our power went out. After a few hours when it kicked back on the AC was flowing before the whisper was. Maybe they have this issue worked out.
ercnan
10-22-2006, 9:47 AM
Of all the AC's I've had, I've never had one that would not restart after a power outage as long as the tank was full.
As stated previously, during a water change when the tank level is down, yes, but why would that be a concern anyway? Hardly any brand HOB would restart in that instance. During a power outage the tank should be at it's running level, so the back (outside) portion of the filter is below the tank level. Kind of hard to get a back siphon this way.
Rbishop
10-22-2006, 9:57 AM
Also, the neat thing about a BIO-Wheel is that the bacteria isn't taking the oxygen from the tank to live so it leaves your fish with far more oxygen. Any submerged bio filter is taking oxygen from the tank, not the air, so your fish may be deprived of oxygen.
I would disagree with this. If you follow that theory, all that bio media in millions of canister filters are currently suffocating millions of fish. There had to be other issues involved. The bacteria need the oxygen but the load is nothing compared to the needs of the fish.
fishieperson321
10-22-2006, 10:13 AM
I got that from the Drs. Foster & Smith catalog. You have a point, tho. I never really thought about it. :dive:
mechanic
10-23-2006, 6:58 AM
Update : Today our power went out. After a few hours when it kicked back on the AC was flowing before the whisper was. Maybe they have this issue worked out.
Thats good to hear.
I would try and keep a eye on it just in case though.
Maybe its something to do with the age of the filter?
My aquaclears have a few years or more on them.
The first time I noticed I might have a problem with them restarting
was when turning them back on after a water change.
Just something to keep in mind.
Good luck.
Eric
CoreyMac
10-23-2006, 9:16 AM
Thats good to hear.
I would try and keep a eye on it just in case though.
Maybe its something to do with the age of the filter?
My aquaclears have a few years or more on them.
The first time I noticed I might have a problem with them restarting
was when turning them back on after a water change.
Just something to keep in mind.
Good luck.
Eric
I do appreciate your input and I will absolutely keep an eye on that. Just letting you know that for round 1 it passed the test.