Marineland Emperor 400

[animalparamedic]

I was unable to get the equip i really wanted when i joined the board so i had to rethink... I have a 38gal hex and was looking at getting an Emperor 400 for a filter (the biowheel kind). Will this work ok alongside a powerhead and protein skimmer for proper filtration of the tank or should I rethink this choice too? I want to go saltwater with the tank, i thought i read that biowheels work frehswater or marine... Help please

 

[roka64]

With the hex, you may have problems with your pH. Biowheels, tend to becomoe nitrAte factories, after time and can be easily replaced with LR rubble. It should work fine, in your situation. I would make sure the ph is kind of facing the surface to keep a stable pH.

 

[Egress]

Another thing to consider is that hex aquariums don't allow for very wide filters, I think the Marineland HOBs tend to be pretty wide, somewhere around 16" for the Emperor 400.

 

[animalparamedic]

Thank you for the idea to measure... turns out my aquarium only has 8 inches of clearance per hex side... Any alternative ideas as the Marineland HOB's do need a lot of space?

Secondly, should i use only one powerhead instead of two or is two still a good?

 

[roka64]

Personally, if you have 1.5-2 Lbs of rock per gallon, you won't even need a filter. You could save the cost on that and ket a nice skimmer. With the hex, I would definitely use 2 phs.

 

[tropicalfish]

You could use a Hagen AquaClear 50, no higher, because of the size. AC 50 isn't gonna be very high for your tank because the tank ratings are a little low, depending on your usage. Also, your tank is very high, so you will need more extension tubes. Alternatively, you can go with a canister filter.
You said 8 inches on each side? mine is about 6-7 inches (10G hex), so that is a tall tank.

 

[animalparamedic]

now that you are mentioning that your hex is only a 10, I should probably measure mine & see what it is... I thought it was a 38gal or close, but it is not that tall... I guess we'll see soon enough. I got this tank at a garage sale awhile ago & have yet to use it.

Personally, if you have 1.5-2 Lbs of rock per gallon, you won't even need a filter. You could save the cost on that and ket a nice skimmer. With the hex, I would definitely use 2 phs.

What kind of LR rubble do you reccommend? You mean as the substrate use LR rubble or add something... I am considering this option seriously and would appreciate further feedback. Thanks

 

[roka64]

LR rubble, is just broken up LR. It adds more surface area on the rock. You can take a piece of LR and break it up. This is for removing the biowheel and adding it there. The substrate can be nothing, CC (I had it, didn't like it), sand or a combo of sand/CC.