# media for Emperor 400



## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

I recently opened up my Marineland Emperor 400 out of the box and was surprised that it did not come with any media for the media container.

1. What is a good media to use for best biological filtration?
2. Do bio balls come in such a small size as to fit the container?
3. What about ceramic rings?

Thanks in advance


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## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

From what I understand Seachem Matrix is one of the best for biological filtration.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

bio balls wouldn't fit, you might be able to find small enough rings, just look around, and yeah i hear things about seachem matrix as well


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

Thanks guys, I guess I will go with this FABulous stuff seachem matrix  It's ashame though that the emperor 400 is'nt slightly deeper towards the back side...meaning you need the space to run the water through :?


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

you dont need bio media for an emp 400 they have bio-wheels on them. you should pack it with all the mechanical media you can and let the bio-wheels do their job


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

sorry...i bought some extra grey media containers and in the first slots i have scotch-brite green scrubbers cut to fit and in the second i have them packed with filter floss. the bio-wheels pack enough bacteria to handle anything you can throw in there


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

go for bio if you want bio, but yes those things are great for more mechanical which is very important, in fact if you use that you won't really have to buy more cartridges


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

cj it sounds like you are unfamiliar with the emp 400...with these filters you dont use media for bio because they have b-i-o-w-h-e-e-l-s. and regarding the cartridges you only buy them once...they come with a set already but there is extra slots for other cartridges. we're not talkin the blue carbon cartridges that are costly and useless unless your removing meds but the grey empty ones thatyou pack with *mechanical media *


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

steelers fan you're just a jerk aren't you? i am very familiar with marineland, i own penguins, i am buying an emperor tomorrow, the fact of the matter is that people can do whatever the heck they want in their tanks as long as it's not going to harm the fish

if they want extra bio media they can have extra bio media, if you use the media tray for bio media then you have to buy those blue floss and carbon filled cartridges for your mechanical media

i was supporting their choice to have extra bio media, i know what the bio wheels are for t-h-a-n-k-y-o-u-v-e-r-y-m-u-c-h, then i offered an opinion on what else to do with the media trays and how it helps save some cash, unlike some people who rather just call people lay-persons and make then feel stupid


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

*under no circumstances *do you need to buy those blue floss carbon filled cartridges unless you are removing meds


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

and what if they have two filters, what if they already have a filter packed with floss

and they want the emperor to be all about bio media, with rings and balls and the wheel and the whole shebang

and i use carbon, just because i like to, i don't find it useless, but i just prefer to have things the way i like it and no one is ever going to convince me that i should not have carbon because my fish are bright beautiful and healthy, and some of my rocks have algea and my friends love it because it looks good and natural


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

> and what if they have two filters, what if they already have a filter packed with floss
> 
> and they want the emperor to be all about bio media, with rings and balls and the wheel and the whole shebang
> 
> and i use carbon, just because i like to, i don't find it useless, but i just prefer to have things the way i like it and no one is ever going to convince me that i should not have carbon because my fish are bright beautiful and healthy, and some of my rocks have algea and my friends love it because it looks good and natural


 :thumb:


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

so you're saying if they decide to use the provided tray for bio media then they don't need the premade catridges for mechanical? what would they use for mechanical? (me myself i use the plastic frame and fill it with fresh carbon and attach a new floss pad, but you have to buy a few of them first)


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## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

opcorn:


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

whatever you do i'm sure is fine...sorry to come off the wrong way


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i'm kind of rough with some subjects, like fish stocking and ding things for the well being of the fish, the point is, it's important to have biological and mechanical filtration

the bio wheels are designed to create a lot of surface area to air to water contact for optimal growth of beneficial bacteria

the trays are cool because you can bascially put anyhting that can fit inside it

if you choose to add even more bio media (which yes isn't truely needed but it's really up to you) then you need to find a way to add mechanical filtration as well and since that's what most people use those trays for, you will probably have to find additional trays to use bulk floss and cut to fit, or you'll have to buy the expensive premade cartridges that also contain carbon (see my above post on how to reuse them) or maybe even glue the floss dirrectly to the included tray (using a hot glue gun because the glue is non toxic and will come off easily when you want it to) i don't know but everyone is always coming up with new interesting stuff to improve their aquariums, good luck!


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

thanks guys I am certainly learning alot...thought extra biological media was the way to go...I hadn't thought that I need alot of mechanical filtration as well


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

steelers fan said:


> sorry...i bought some extra grey media containers and in the first slots i have scotch-brite green scrubbers cut to fit and in the second i have them packed with filter floss. the bio-wheels pack enough bacteria to handle anything you can throw in there


http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=166738
For the gray clamshells I have some very thin open cell foam just sandwiched between them.


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## natalie559 (Dec 6, 2007)

I use these clamp shells, http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... 71&pcatid= 13371

but I put to the side the insert that came with it that has carbon for a time I need the carbon. I fill it with poly quilt batting. I also fill one of the gray inserts with quilt batting and the other gray insert I put in plastic pot scrubbers for extra bio. The quilt batting works great and you can buy a roll for very cheap at walmart or joannes.

Another option other than the clamp shells could be to cut away the old blue stuff on your plastic insert, use the quilt batting and secure it to the plastic insert with rubber bands or panty hose.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

mechanical is important for cleanliness, and it's cheaper to buy large rolls of floss and cut it to put into the tray rather than buying the pre-cut pre-made cartridges


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

thank you bulldogg7 for that url to that thread, just what I was looking for :thumb:


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

*Strohs58 wrote*


> From what I understand Seachem Matrix is one of the best for biological filtration.


Seachem matrix looks to be excellent stuff but will only work in canister filters because the granularity is quite course, large as a centimeter I would estimate, it wouldn't work with the media containters. But I am confused what media can be used in the media containers, activated carbon would fit...does anyone know what else?

Thanks


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## mnguyen (Aug 13, 2009)

I dont understand? Why couldn't you use it in the media basket of the emp400? I use ceramic rings, 8 in each slot of the basket. I've read people also use the matrix or batting for extra mechanical filtering.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

mnguyen said:


> I dont understand? Why couldn't you use it in the media basket of the emp400? I use ceramic rings, 8 in each slot of the basket. I've read people also use the matrix or batting for extra mechanical filtering.


 Some of the Matrix is 1 centimeter in diameter, but ceramic rings might be the way to go...I think you would only be able to get one layer of matrix in the media basket, so I will be using a filter media bag...


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## mnguyen (Aug 13, 2009)

I dont understand? Why couldn't you use it in the media basket of the emp400? I use ceramic rings, 8 in each slot of the basket. I've read people also use the matrix or batting for extra mechanical filtering.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

The seachem matrix will fit in the media containers but its hard to close the media container because the individual grains are so big and irregular


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