Fluval vs Emperor

[Fish Lips]

Can anyone tell me the pros or cons of these two filters? Is there one advantage that puts one ahead of the other?

[targaboy78]

Hi Fish Lips,

Each manufacturer makes may different models of filters.
Could you please include which models you are trying to compare ?

[Fish Lips]

Im buying a 75gal on the weekend, and as my old aquarium was a 10gal with a powehead I have no idea what Im going to need for a larger tank. So far I have considered the Marineland Emperor 400 or the Fluval 404. They seem to be the most widley used. I have no experience with canisters,bio-wheels,skimmers or any type of media let alone sponges and carbon!!

Basically Im looking for a filter that's easy to maintain and can do the work required for a 75 gal freshwater planted tank.

Im open for reccomendations!

[loganj]

If you don't mind having a filter hanging on the back, I think the Emperor is a superior filter. I have used them for years and have never had any trouble with them. The Bio Wheels are great too...very efficient. But...you said this was going to be a planted tank. Will you be adding C02? If so, I think you would be better off with the canister because it will cause less surface disturbance. Anything that churns the surface will cause you to lose the C02 you are trying to keep in there. I also have an old Fluval canister. It has been a good piece of epuip also. So, if you're going to have C02 injection, go with the canister. If not, and you're sure you don't want to add it later, the Emperor would be my choice.
Logan J

[goozy]

If your are planning to get a canister filter you may be able to save some bucks and get a rena filstar xp2 or xp3. I have two 37 gallon tanks. One has a filstar xp2 and the other has an emperor 400. the water in the tank with the xp2 sparkles it's so clear. The emperor does a great job too but the canister rules.

[Hara]

After putting a fluval 304 on my 55 gallon fresh, it made a believer out of me and I bought another 304 for my Discus tank and 2, 404's for the 150 gallon. I have tried many types of filters and like these the best.

[pondmom]

i just purchased "2" 404's for my new 120gal FW tank at a Superior price!!
($89.99)
I have yet to hook them up and get them going.
I've heard wonderful things about them!! (lots or research too)
Good Luck

[loganj]

The reason I mentioned that you might want to go with an Emperor is the ease of maintenance and the Bio Wheels. The Emperor is very easy to maintain...yank out the dirty cartridges and stick the new ones in. It's easy to tear down and clean when it needs it. It is very reliable (no more than the canisters though). It has the bio wheels (which you can add to a canister). The advantage to the bio wheels is you can change cartridges or even tear the filter down and clean it without disturbing the biofilter. Marineland makes a Pro 30 and Pro 60 bio wheel setup that can be plumbed into the return line from any canister if you decide to go with that. You might have noticed that I like bio wheels on FW tanks .
Now, if you don't mind a little extra work when cleaning the filter, by all means, go with a canister. The canister will run longer between cleanings so you don't have to service it as often as a hang on back filter. It will suck every particle of trash out of the water leaving it, as previous posts have said, crystal clear. Another advantage to a canister is that you can put the tank closer to the wall as the only thing back there will be the hoses going to the filter. Each system will provide excellent filtration...it really depends on what you want and how you want to set the tank up. As I said before, if you plan to inject c02 into this tank, go with a canister and don't use the bio wheels. With c02 injection, you want to minimize surface agitation as much as possible to keep the c02 levels up. Yet another advantage to the canister is a greater choice of media...say if you want to use peat moss.
Logan J