emperor 400 vs. penguin filter

[rcdude1990]

wich is better?
they both have bio wheels and are big in size
i want to place them in my 50g SW tank
i really dont want a sump because i dont like the way it looks
are these good filters for a bigginer?
WHAT IM LOOKIN TO PUT IN THE TANK:
FOWLR
60LBS OF LR
AND PEACEFUL FISH (A LIST WOULD B NICE)
AND AN ANENOME

 

[fedukeford]

the best filter would be a fluval 404 (its not a hang on but works w/o a sump) and a skimmer, for the anemone you'll need metal halide lighting, so why not go full reef?

 

[rcdude1990]

i might go reef wen i get som expiernce lol
it looks like a good filter the fluval but is it loud?
this tank is goin to b in my bed room

 

[fedukeford]

mine 55 is im my bedroom to, the loudest part is my skimmer when my water level gets to low, so no the fluval is very quiet

 

[rcdude1990]

i jus went on a local fish store website and someone said that the fluval broke, and the hose is very cheapply made?
also he said that it spang a leak and put over 40 gallons of water on his carpet
i think i might go wit the emperor i heard a lot of good things about on this site
also for protien skimmers
do they need to always b on?
are they loud?

 

[fedukeford]

well the emperors are nitrate traps so you may have some problems, ive had my fluval for 5 months, and the guy who sold it to me had it for a year are there are no problems w/ it, its best if the protien skimmers are on all the time, and no they arent loud (at least the one i have) as long as you keep the water in you tank high enough

 

[rcdude1990]

wat about an overflow box?
how do those work?

 

[fedukeford]

and overflow box is pretty much instead of buying a pre-drilled tank, it takes water from the display tank, and pumps it to a sump ( a smaller tank underneath the main tank) in which you can put protien smimmers in, and make a media tray instead of getting a filter, you could also have a refugium in the sump which would hold plants to help lower nitrates

 

[sonicboom1]

Get a aqua C remora hang on skimmer and a fluval canister filter.
Then if you want an anenome you need the proper lighting and flow.

 

[macsmith77]

I have an Emperor 400 on my 55 gal tank, and while my bio load is still light, it has been performing flawlessly. I put charcoal in the extra baskets and am also running a remora c, and so far all tests are 0. I think with your amount of LR (roughly the same as me) and proper protein skimming with a reasonable stocking plan you should be fine. 45 bucks and easy maintainennance are strong motivators. I will be getting a new filtration plan when I get a bigger tank, but for this, I think the Emperor is plenty. Save your money, I believe many are brainwashed into canisters when they are not needed. The only advantage I see is the aesthetic one.

 

[gen1dustin]

The Fluval 404 or new 405 which is an enhanced & errors taken out version of the 404 is awesome. Quiet & eficient. Who cares if the hoses are cheaply made???? Buy new ones, & come on it probally wasn't because the hoses were cheap it was probally because the way they go onto the canister its like little screw things hard to explain easy to put on, but I could see where someone could have a leak if not done right. aNY hob FILTER IS PROBALLY GOING TO BE A BIT LOUDER THAN A CANISTER FILTER. Also your choices aren't limited to the Fluval. The Rena FilStar is said to be good, The Marineland Magnums are good, which they also have a hang on tank canister. The Ehiem are said to be awesome & the UniMax Pro comes with a UV sterilizer.
Back on the subject of Emperor vs Penguin. The Emperor 400, which is the biggest Emperor has a flow rate of 400 GPH, on the other hand the biggest Penguin which is the 350, only has a flow rate of 350 GPH. Since your using it for SW I say don't skimp just get the Emperor 400 if your only chosing out of the two.
Oh yeah & if anyone has ever kept large Central & South American cichlids on a 75g+ tank you'll quickly see why a canister is better. If you were keeping a tank full of guppies in 75g get a HOB. Of course that is on FW terms.