Aqua Clear or Marineland?

[boulderman1]

for my 90 gallon aquarium i'm having trouble deciding which is better the aquaclear hang-ons or the emperor/penguin hang-ons, any help appreciated

thanks

[Rbishop]

How about 2 Mag 350 canisters?

[boulderman1]

umm, because i need some biological filtration

[Native American]

I've got a pair of Mag 350 canisters on my 100gal, each with a biowheel.

One pulls from the water column through a sponge (more bio media area), the other through the gravel via a hookup to 4 UGF plates.

It is a bit of a complex setup, though.

v/r, N-A

[watermelon]

for my 90 gallon aquarium i'm having trouble deciding which is better the aquaclear hang-ons or the emperor/penguin hang-ons, any help appreciated

thanks


I have a penguin bio wheel power filter and an aquaclear power filter...i dont use the aquaclear power filter..I like the penguin because it has the bio wheel in it that suppose to carry the good bacteria...But anyway, they are my secondary filters that I use for my tanks..My main filter is my undergravel filter with powerheads...

[boulderman1]

so which bio-media is better? the one in the aqua clear or the bio-wheel?

[Rbishop]

Question still stands...what makes you think a canister doesn't provide biological filtration?

[icecubez189]

do a combonation of canister filter and a HOB. Both Aquaclear and Marineland are great manufacturers of power filters, so you can't go wrong with either. I prefer Marineland.

with a tank that big, your going to need some with more power and filtration that just HOB's. adding a canister will definately help.

[boulderman1]

Question still stands...what makes you think a canister doesn't provide biological filtration?

some canisters provide great biological filtration, magnum 350's DO NOT provide bio filtration, they only have a fiber filter media and charcoal

[Rbishop]

You can put something in the media basket besides carbon. I do. Have ceramics in about half of mine.

[boulderman1]

You can put something in the media basket besides carbon. I do. Have ceramics in about half of mine.

but then you lose out on the clarifying and odor reducing properties of carbon, i'd just rather get something that has all three types of filtration built in without having to modify

[Rbishop]

Okay, but I don't modify at all. The 4- 75s and the 5- 90s all have two Mags on each. One with nothing but floss and carbon, the other with ceramic and whatever else I need/want. IMO, on large tanks, the multiple basket filters, don't allow enough room for any one media when you put several types in them. And I dislike all those parts. :o

[TwoTankAmin]

-Magnums are capable of having bio-wheels attached. {I run 2 HOTS and use a 3rd one as tank vac/spot polisher.}
-AquaClears running floss and sponges are good inexpensive to run filters. (I throw away the bio junk they now include.) {I run 20 AquaClears}
-Emps/Pemgs you have to replace the carts so they cost year after year. {I run 1 Emp 400.}
-Carbon is for removing meds or tanins and is not needed otherwise. A well maintained tank does not smell..

[Rbishop]

Carbon is also used for removing undesirable organics and discoloration from your replacement water, that no amount of water changes will do for you.

[fishieperson321]

I prefer United Pet Groups Marineland Division Penguin BIO Wheel and the Tetra Division Whisper Powe Filters. The Penguin is quieter and provides better bio filtration.

[H3D]

boulderman1 what kind of fish will you be keeping in the 90 gallon?

[boulderman1]

i don't have a complete list yet but so far i'm looking at angels, balas, clown loaches, various tetras, maybe some rainbows etc.

[H3D]

i don't have a complete list yet but so far i'm looking at angels, balas, clown loaches, various tetras, maybe some rainbows etc.

There are some serious flaws with the proposed list, but first I'll answer your question. If you plan on keeping clown loaches you are going to need some serious filtration. I suggest 2 Penguin Emperor 400's. Second there is no way you can house bala sharks in a 90 gallon aquarium long term so you should not even consider getting them. The clown loaches will be OK in there for about 3-5 years, but they will eventually need to be housed in a 180 gallon or larger. If you do not intend on ever buying a tank this large then you should not get them. Clown loaches do best with fast moving tank mates which may be very disruptive to angels so they may not be the best choice either. If you would like any suggestions for some different companions for the clown loaches I would be happy to help.

[boulderman1]

what's the difference between emperors and penguins?

[H3D]

Emperors are the same type of filter, but with higher flow rates and more features.

[boulderman1]

right, i knew that, what are the extra features?

[H3D]

They have larger media containers, two water pumps, and a spray bar which can be used to lower flow rate when feeding.

[fishieperson321]

They have larger media containers, two water pumps, and a spray bar which can be used to lower flow rate when feeding.
And a 45% larger filter cartridge!!! :dive2: :read:

[mechanic]

I much prefer the Marineland filters to Aquaclear.
Just like the Aquaclear you can rinse and reuse the
filter cartridges.
I like the bio-wheel from the perspective
that when changing rinsing the media you don't lose alot of your bio-filter.
Most importantly to me however is the fact that no matter how frequently I clean the Aquaclear motor the darn things always fail to restart when there is a power outage.This results in the motor burning out when I don't happen to be home when it happens.
Eric

[fishieperson321]

I much prefer the Marineland filters to Aquaclear.
Just like the Aquaclear you can rinse and reuse the
filter cartridges.
I like the bio-wheel from the perspective
that when changing rinsing the media you don't lose alot of your bio-filter.
Most importantly to me however is the fact that no matter how frequently I clean the Aquaclear motor the darn things always fail to restart when there is a power outage.This results in the motor burning out when I don't happen to be home when it happens.
Eric
I agree completely. I have had a couple of AquaCleas that have burned out due to power failure and me not being home.

[boulderman1]

ok, thanks, that answers part of my problem, i've decided to get an emperor over the aquaclear despite the fact that they cost more, but now there's another question, do i do one emperor, two emperors or maybe an emperor and something else, what's the best combo for a 90 gallon (mainly community-type aquarium)?

thanks

[H3D]

I would just go with two of them.

[fishieperson321]

You could go with an Emperor 400 and a Penguin 350. They both have biowheels. I personally would go with 2 Emperor 400s. Penguins are cheaper and if you have a tight budget, I would go with 2 Penguin 350s which would equal 700 gph or the water in your tank would be cycled 7.8 times an hour. Two Emperor 400s pump 800 gph all together and that would mean that your tank would be cycled through the filter at 8.9 times an hour. I have a Penguin Bio Wheel 150 on my 20 gallon tall tank with two fantails. People say that you have to have 10 times filtration for goldies but in my opinion if you have a bio wheel which is the best filtration for a power filter (biologically), you don't need a large filter. My tank gets cycled 7.5 times an hour. :dive2: ;)

[jm1212]

ive got two Penguin 350s on my 90 gallon along with a UG filter, and they keep the water crystal clear