# emperor 400 vs aqua clear 110



## hydeyoshi

I have emp 400 but seems like a head to and seems to take long to start up after cleaning.the spray bar clogs quick.just wanted some info on how well are the aqua clear or are there any hob that do a good job cleaning the tank.im will to try a different but if this is as good as it gets.i will just replace the parts like the bio wheel and the motor that I and still makes noise and takes a long time to get water started after. Water changes.thanks in advance.also was on amazon and seen the emperor 400 for 32.99 but aqua is 70 to 80 something are the emperor's not as good.


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## Deeda

I have both filters and I find that the AC 110 is easier to service and takes up less space on the back of the tank. You do need to prime any power filter with water after doing a water change or servicing the filter.


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## CjCichlid

AC110 hands down IMO. I have had both and the Emps don't move nearly the water the AC's do, not to mention mine were always very loud..


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## spotmonster

I agree with all of the above. AC110 is the better filter hands down! You will have to prime any HOB as stated. In my experience the AC110 still starts up easier than the 400.


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## illinois9er

The AC110 is 2x the filter the Emps are. Water displacement isn't even comparable between the two and i like the design of the water filtration on the ACs.


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## chopsteeks

Will pick AC110.

Aside from filtering efficiency, as others have mentioned, from the mechanical standpoint, AC110 is superior.

The bio-wheel will stop working from lack of maintenance or for other reasons.

Bio-wheel has 2 motors vs 1 powerful one for AC110.

You need to continue purchasing filter media for the bio-wheel whereas AC100's sponge and bio-max can be rinsed and cleaned before replacing them.


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## pablo111

chopsteeks said:


> Bio-wheel has 2 motors vs 1 powerful one for AC110.


An emperor 400 has 1 motor. 









Marineland "claims" the unit has dual pumps. Nonsense. The output from the intake pipe is split between flowing through the filter cartridges, and travelling directly into the spraybar. Hence, the spraybar clogs often, because the water traveling to it has not been mechanically filtered.

A large majority of HOB filters are, IMO, a complete joke. Tetra, joke. Marineland. Joke. Aqueon. Joke.

Aquaclears and Fluval C series are the only decent HOB filters as far as I'm concerned.


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## lp85253

while this aquaclear love fest is easy to enjoy,,,I have several(6)....they work great,,,,,,,, several other hob's work fine,also INCLUDING aqueons and marineland....the penguin 350 (I use 2) are a good alternative to the ac70...the aqueon is a good low budget alternative to the emp 400....these filters can all be modified ,with a little creativity to do what the ac's do ..by all means if you have the resources go out and get ac filters,, but if you are "budgeting" try modifying what you have with ac sponges and bonded media...


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## BratmanXj

I've run both...because I have both. I will not run out and replace my Emperor 280s because I've adapted them to be cheap and efficient. They take a little more maintenance than my AC70s but are not problematic.


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## pablo111

Not to trash the Emperor, but, 10% of the water it sucks in gets squirted back into the tank with no mechanical filtration (through the spray bar). That bothers me. Also, why would you want to have to MacGuiver solutions for setting up an off-brand HOB like an aquaclear, when you can just buy an aquaclear? JM2C. I've used em all but I have my preference.


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## CrypticLifeStyle

Been running emps for over a decade never once has the spray bar clogged, never had to replace my media as it dosn't come with any unless your referring to useless carbon cartridges, never used them. Personally i'm not mechanical filtration crazy. What on earth is going on in peoples tanks where you need so much concern on mechanical filtration. If 10 min. a month for maintenance is high maintenance then **** haha. Anyway's, AC's are nice, the only one i'm using these days is on my reef tank as a diy refugium, and i can adjust the flow rate, but the emp's are king for surface agitation for oxygen exchange over any AC which is a plus for me anyways


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## CrypticLifeStyle

Plus a emp is half the price of a ac, and you can use that money, and put it into superior biological media that dosn't come with or offered for the AC. Thats my train of thought anyways, especially being a fan of DIY media


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## pablo111

I spit on any filter that purposely bypasses it's own mechanical filtration 10% of the time. That's all I have to say.  :thumb:


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## lp85253

yes imo,,,two emps equaling 800gph,, and more importantly offering flow at BOTH ends of a tank are a much greater value than one ac110


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## chopsteeks

lp85253 said:


> yes imo,,,two emps equaling 800gph,, and more importantly offering flow at BOTH ends of a tank are a much greater value than one ac110


One nice thing about Emperors, the intake is quite large....kinda like a black hole....picks up a lot of floating debris. I have place bio-max on mine as there is enough room for it.

BTW, agree 2>1. In case there is a filter malfunction specially when you are not around, the 2nd one is a spiffy insurance.


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## pablo111

lp85253 said:


> yes imo,,,two emps equaling 800gph,, and more importantly offering flow at BOTH ends of a tank are a much greater value than one ac110


IMO, you're better off shelling out for two 110's. It's a hobby. We're not talking about buying shoes or something necessary. Fishkeeping is a hobby we do for joy. Why not give your fish the best you can give them? You can fit a **** TON more biomedia in an AC110 vs an Emperor. I don't trust those crummy biowheels to do much of a job in terms of biofiltration. Also, if your power goes out, ACs maintain a certain water level and keep your media wet. Biowheels dry right out in a power failure, meaning if you're not around to dump the biowheels into the tank, your biofilter will die. Emperors are bad news IMO. Im not pulling this out of my rear end. I've owned a 280 and a 400 and I hated them. Ran the 280 for 2 years. The 400 went back after a month. Couldn't stand the noise.


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## lp85253

I agree with everything you say....that being said....sometimes $$$ prevent people from doing what is ''best''. so I am giving the op other options


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## lp85253

the point I am trying to make (without much success ..) is that no matter how you think somebody ought to go about fishkeeping ...it's nice to have other options


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## CrypticLifeStyle

I couldn't find any media capacity on the emperor so i can't comment exactly spec wise, but you hold the 2 next to each other i'm not seeing a difference then gph. The bio-wheel itself while it serve's some purpose it's definitely not something i'd be concerned with having any major impact, especially during a power outage as example given. The AC dosn't have a bio-wheel so it's not really a media wet argument for me, but for both the basket media is wet regardless in each filter. Any magnet driven motor is going to make noise at first regardless of make, and model. All will quiet down with bio-film buildup. The outflow of a emp will always be noisier but thats cause of the outflow design, it's agitating the surface more. If your all concerned about the 10% mechanical filtration loss, all you have to do is pull the spray bars out, and then put them back in so they are spraying into the media basket instead of the bio-wheels issue solved, but unless your cutting down trees and mowing lawns i don't see 10% being a issue cause really if there is some dire need for mechanical filtration it'll be trapped eventually, my only mechanical filtration concern is trapping debris so it isn't getting into the biological media. Is there a spec on it being 10%, it's the first time i've even seen this point ever brought up, just curious.

For me the argument in my head is if your trying to save money 2 emp's filled with matrix, masonry sponge, and filter floss will cost you the same if not cheaper then 2 stock ac110's which for me is giving them the best. If i were to dish out the money for 2 ac110's i might as well just buy a canister filter. I picked up a perfectly working eheim 2028 last fall for $15-, used equipment is a option to if your willing to poach around for it.


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## CrypticLifeStyle

And don't get me wrong i think aquaclears are great filters. I just think emp's get beat on more then they deserve, which was my only interest in this thread


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## dledinger

ACs rock. I have several bio wheels that I picked up cheap, but if I had the money theyd all be switched out for Aquaclears. The 110 is a beast. IMO, its long been the best HOB on the market.


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## Mcxnarf

I have had (2) Emperor 400's running on a 75 gallon Cichlid tank with 26 fish for three years now. Not one problem with the Emperor's. They are work-horses! As far as priming during a water change. I have never had to add water to the chambers after a water change. They just self-prime. Tank is crystal clear. The replacement media is a bit expensive but so are healthy fish!! It's a trade off but I am sold. :fish: :fish:


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## pablo111

A tank can be crystal clear with a $5 sponge filter. The bottom line is that the AC110 provides a higher total media capacity than does the Emperor 400, and that's what matters. Again, IMO.


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## CrypticLifeStyle

Havn't seen anything that says that though, and i've looked. I put them side by side last weekend, and looked to hold the same amount. When i head up to my buddys shop next weekend i'll fill both up, and see how much bio media i can fit in both right up to the outflow line, put it on the live rock digi scale, and see what took the most by weight since it'll be more precise then using a measuring cup of sorts, and take pics. I have 4 liters of matrix i havn't used yet, i'll use that, should be more then enough for the experiment then we shall have our final answer haha


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## Electric Bluez

AC110's will get destroyed by fine sand in no time. And the irritating noise they make I can't stand. Emperors will last longer from my experience.


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## pablo111

Electric Bluez said:


> AC110's will get destroyed by fine sand in no time. And the irritating noise they make I can't stand. Emperors will last longer from my experience.


That's only because Marineland has an inferior pump well design where the walls of the well don't come close to the impeller's magnet.

Don't be stupid with your sand and you won't have problems. I have sand in my tank with 2 AC70s and they never suck any in.


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## smitty814

pablo111 said:


> Electric Bluez said:
> 
> 
> 
> AC110's will get destroyed by fine sand in no time. And the irritating noise they make I can't stand. Emperors will last longer from my experience.
> 
> 
> 
> That's only because Marineland has an inferior pump well design where the walls of the well don't come close to the impeller's magnet.
> 
> Don't be stupid with your sand and you won't have problems. I have sand in my tank with 2 AC70s and they never suck any in.
Click to expand...

Really pablo? Don't be stupid? It's the fish that dig and throw sand into the intake. Sand destroys the impeller magnets on hobs. The only real way to get around that is to put a foam cover on the intake. :fish:


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## pablo111

smitty814 said:


> pablo111 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Electric Bluez said:
> 
> 
> 
> AC110's will get destroyed by fine sand in no time. And the irritating noise they make I can't stand. Emperors will last longer from my experience.
> 
> 
> 
> That's only because Marineland has an inferior pump well design where the walls of the well don't come close to the impeller's magnet.
> 
> Don't be stupid with your sand and you won't have problems. I have sand in my tank with 2 AC70s and they never suck any in.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Really pablo? Don't be stupid? It's the fish that dig and throw sand into the intake. Sand destroys the impeller magnets on hobs. The only real way to get around that is to put a foam cover on the intake. :fish:
Click to expand...

All I mean is don't stir it up to badly. 
IME more sand gets into the filter from not treating the sand properly (pouring in new water too fast, raking the sand for air pockets too aggressively, etc), than it does from fish spitting the sand.
I may have been overzealous in my last post. :?


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## chopsteeks

pablo111 said:


> Electric Bluez said:
> 
> 
> 
> AC110's will get destroyed by fine sand in no time. And the irritating noise they make I can't stand. Emperors will last longer from my experience.
> 
> 
> 
> That's only because Marineland has an inferior pump well design where the walls of the well don't come close to the impeller's magnet.
> 
> Don't be stupid with your sand and you won't have problems. I have sand in my tank with 2 AC70s and they never suck any in.
Click to expand...

Wow, Pablo --- _Don't be stupid with the sand...._

Really, please tell us how to explain to the fish to leave the sand alone, I am all ears !!

I have AC110, AC70, Penguin 350B ---- Guess which ones are having issues with sand ? Sorry to disappoint you Pablo....the Aquaclears !!

Now can you explain how I should setup the AC filters ?


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## smitty814

Maintenance tip......shut down your filters while doing water changes and any sand raking pablo.


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## cprings

I've been running my AC 500s (now 110) for over 10 years and I think once I had to replace an impeller. I keep Intakes always only halfway down. The price is a bit of a concern but they are great filters. I remember when you could get AC 500s for $28.99. That was a deal!


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## pablo111

Now you guys are just ganging up on me.


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## MSullins

Might I just add,, Emperors are trash IMO... Any filter that uses cartridges are trash... They are mediocre filtration. They barely catch any smaller particles and you toss away any bacteria when you replace them..

An aqua clear uses a nice sponge to filter the water, with room for whatever chemical filtration you want... The 110 has a 500 GPH rate and agitates the water more than enough... I have two, and I would take them every day of the week over marineland trash... I have used two marineland filters and every time you turn around its trickling water and you have to break it down constantly to fix it..

But in all.. A good sponge filter hooked up to a good power-head will rock anything in a price to performance comparison...


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## jeffkro

pablo111 said:


> lp85253 said:
> 
> 
> 
> yes imo,,,two emps equaling 800gph,, and more importantly offering flow at BOTH ends of a tank are a much greater value than one ac110
> 
> 
> 
> IMO, you're better off shelling out for two 110's. It's a hobby. We're not talking about buying shoes or something necessary. Fishkeeping is a hobby we do for joy. Why not give your fish the best you can give them? You can fit a #%$& TON more biomedia in an AC110 vs an Emperor. I don't trust those crummy biowheels to do much of a job in terms of biofiltration. Also, if your power goes out, ACs maintain a certain water level and keep your media wet. Biowheels dry right out in a power failure, meaning if you're not around to dump the biowheels into the tank, your biofilter will die. Emperors are bad news IMO. Im not pulling this out of my rear end. I've owned a 280 and a 400 and I hated them. Ran the 280 for 2 years. The 400 went back after a month. Couldn't stand the noise.
Click to expand...

But the best would be a good canister.


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## jeffkro

I have a penguin 200 that I bought the media trays for. I use polyester quilt batting for cheap water polishing and added some bioballs to re-seed the biowheel in case it stops. I can't speak much for its bio capabilities because its on the same tank as a fluval 306 right now, which has insane bio capabilities.


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## Mudkicker

I run both, each has their pros and cons. If I had to choose one it would be the Emperor...I think :wink:


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## dledinger

AC110 all day long.


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## jalz1222

AC is the best for sure, do not waste your money on anything else .
And to make it even better, go to Walmart and buy Morning Glory High Loft Batting "link removed" and add a layer or two on top of the AC sponge it will make your water crystal clear, I have been doing it for years, it's cheap and effective the roll will last you a very very long time


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## Demasoni1

AC 110 is definitely the best all round HOB filter. I have kept ACs on all my smaller tanks and have used most models, never had any problems. Though I prefer to use canisters on larger tanks ( 100 gallon and up).


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## partsrep

I have both AC110 and Emperor 400. I find them both very good, but different by design. The Emperor 400 can handle adequate media in it's media trays and Biowheels do work very well. The Emperor 400 is too loud for my liking with all the water agitation and the splashing during return to the tank. I've chosen to use the AC110 and it's strictly a mechanical and chemical filter on my setup. It still does some bio filtration as any filter will, but the flexibility is why I use it. I run two Eheim Pro II's on a 75G and they are loaded with bio filtration. I don't like to disturb them until they need a thorough cleaning which is usually a few months. In the meantime I can change chemical media at anytime very easily in the AC110. I run sponges, floss, Purigen and sometimes carbon. My tank has been running for nine years like this.


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## dccramer

If your substrate is sand stay away from the Aqua Clear because sand in the filter will destruction the motor. One of my Mbuna spit a mouthful of sand into the intake tube of an AQ 70 and in a couple of minutes the motor ground to a halt.


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## BuckeyeTez

dccramer said:


> If your substrate is sand stay away from the Aqua Clear because sand in the filter will destruction the motor. One of my Mbuna spit a mouthful of sand into the intake tube of an AQ 70 and in a couple of minutes the motor ground to a halt.


I have two and every week when I replace the poly floss in one I have sand on the bottom under the foam brick. Clearly this got there via the intake but if you don't also clean out the propeller and motor casing at least once a month or so, I could see this happening.

I think you're lacking in proper maintenance and it's causing you problems. Qtips clean out the inside really well and it takes less than 2 minutes from removal of the motor to reinstalling it.


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## Vociferus

You could also just run an intake sponge on it to avoid sand.


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## CeeJay

I have both and use a sponge prefilter on both. I have sand in both the tanks they both have been running for three years. I ditched the bio-wheel and would never trust it. The aqua clear 50 has had some start up issues and priming issues but continue to run. The difference for me is the emperor has to have filters bought and the aqua clear uses reusable filter media. That in its self will pay for the filter over several years. The emperor has great customer support and has parts available to repair from lot of different sources. I would be happy with either one but would lean towards the aqua clear. Price would also be a factor.

This is a good subject thanks for starting it.


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## HumbleBilly

Hey guys I know this thread is old.. but I made a voting poll on this topic 

Aquaclear 110 vs Penguin 400
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=419537&p=2934681#p2934681

Please don't feed me to the predator tank for starting up this old thread


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