penguin/emperor filters

why take out the carbon? it is already there and you already paid for it and the filter padding. i understand that many people have this thing against carbon. and although i disagree, i understand not adding any if that is the method you prefer and are successful with. but why would you destroy this filter cartridge that you paid your hard earned money on? i can get them for just over cost, so i buy new bio bags for my whispers. although i do rinse them off to get them to last more than one go round in the filter, mainly in the turtle tank that happens to use 2 of the XL bio-bags. every filter company gets good oney from filter cartridge sales, not just marineland. and if they have come out with such a good filter and sell it for so cheap, maybe they deserve it.
 
reptileguy,

I don't destroy a perfectly good new cartridge. I rebuild them as I described only AFTER I have used and washed it so many times that the blue filter material is literally falling apart. So I am making excellent use of something that has already served much more than its useful life.

I have nothing against carbon, but prefer to add my own to the filter media baskets in times that I need it. Most of the time I have the media baskets full of Seachem Matrix for additional biological filtration.

When I discovered how quick and easy (and CHEAP) it was to rebuild by filter cartridges, I stopped buying new ones. Right now I still have a few original cartridges in my filters, but they will be the last ones I ever buy for the Emperors.
 
okay, it sounded like you take them out of the box and hack them up, and i was hoping this was what you meant.
 
reptileguy2727 said:
why take out the carbon? it is already there and you already paid for it and the filter padding. i understand that many people have this thing against carbon. and although i disagree, i understand not adding any if that is the method you prefer and are successful with. but why would you destroy this filter cartridge that you paid your hard earned money on? i can get them for just over cost, so i buy new bio bags for my whispers. although i do rinse them off to get them to last more than one go round in the filter, mainly in the turtle tank that happens to use 2 of the XL bio-bags. every filter company gets good oney from filter cartridge sales, not just marineland. and if they have come out with such a good filter and sell it for so cheap, maybe they deserve it.
Click to expand...


I use my cartridges first, then rebuild it with my own materials.
 
ok im in the process of buying either the penguin or the emperor what is the difference and which one will be better for my oscars. :help:
 
I recently bought an Emperor 400 for my 55g. It's a decent filter. I'll use the flimsy little floss/carbon cartridges until they fall apart. After that, I'll probably stop using them all together and only use the plastic carbon cartridges that go in the second slot. You can fill these up with filter wool/padding instead of carbon, etc. By doing away with the replacement cartridges, you'll also gain a bit more space in the filter to add something else, if you'd like....such as, filter sponges(AC 300 sponges work well) or a baggy of crushed coral, peat, Purigen, or whatever you might want to use for your particular setup.
Canisters, on the other hand, offer many more possibilities/options, hold far more media, are extremely quiet, and generally are more efficient, reliable and are generally very well made(esp. Eheims) as compared to most power filters.
 
Should definetly carry them, especially the new penguins which are great.
BTW, about the media thing. I got a penguin 150B and it has an extra slot for anotehr cartridge. Does anyone know if the refillable media baskets meant for the penguin 350 and emperors works on this?
Antoher option is I head people use the whisper triad bio-foam inserts in it. This actually seems like a good idea since sponges offer pretty reliable bio filtration (just exttra in case) and it comes in a plastic frame. I just want to know details like exactly which whisper size fits which penguin?
Third, iv heard walmart aquatech filters are identical to the penguins, w/o the bio-wheel. Their cartridges work in the penguin (as Iv heard). again, anyone do this, and if you do do you know specfiically which size goes where?
 
Have never used penguin but I do have an emperor 400. The emperor I have had for probably at least 10 years or so and never once had a problem with it. In fact it is still running on my tank. I also have a fluval that is only about 7 years old and I have replaced parts on it more than once. So really every filter has pros and cons. IMO the emperor can't be beat for the price. I would buy another one if I needed to.
 
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