# Your experience with Marineland Emperor 280 Bio-Wheel filter



## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Big Al's has it for $19.99 (regular $44.99) during boxing week sale. I am wondering if you could share your experience with this filter, particularly in its ease of use and cost of replacement cartridge. It would be nice if I can cut my own filter floss and tuck it into the filter. Thanks.

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/Emperor-Bio-Wheel-Power-Filter_9490945_102.html?tc=fish


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## vinjo (Dec 8, 2010)

I use the penguin 200 Bio-Wheel filter. It looks roughly the same. The emperor 280 seems to have a bit more power doing 250gph as opposed to mine which does 200gph. The 280 also has 2 pumps as is said in the description.

I'm going to assume they're relatively the same.

Mine is queit enough in my bedroom running on a 35G. I liked it a lot (until I got an eheim2217 canister filter... now I really know the true meaning of silent.).

With all HOB filters, need to be careful of sandsubstrate getting sucked up and causing a grinding noise which could ruin the impeller. (If you don't use sand you're probably safe).

My tank is overstocked and totally fine with just my penguin 200. I took the biowheel out due to the noise it created and never had a problem.

For that price you can't go wrong.

As far as replacement cartriges. I usually wait 15-30 days before replacing, I'll usually wash mine off good and reuse (I'll slit the floss sometimes and remove the carbon so that the chemicals don't leach back into the water.... most people say carbon filtration is really not required unless you have a specific problem you need to take care of). 

Honestly, I'm weening off marineland products since I believe these "replacement" products are akin to a monthly fee. It adds up overtime. You can certainly make your own modifications to the filter (such as add your own filtration material in the back... ) however if you were going that route I would suggest an AquaClear (AC) unit. I believe most people who mod use those.

I intend to start SW this year and I'll be purchasing an AC110 and mod the back with Macro Algae.

oh one last thing about the Marinelands. Like the Tetra Whisper models, when they are in too long and start to get clogged up, the water will route over the front where the intake pipe is, bypassing the filter material area. This is a huge design error in my books and another reason I want to stay away from HOBs. I don't know if this is an issue with the AC's.


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

I love the Emperor 280. 
I had one on a 46 gallon setup I just sold and it ran for over 4 years without a problem. I cleaned it approximately every 3 months and I like that when you replace the cartidge every month you're not throwing away the biological filter because the bio-wheel is the biological part of this filter.
Hands down the best HOB filter I've ever used and I've probably tried them all.
--
Paul


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thank you both for sharing your experience. For $19.99 it can't go wrong.

It comes with one filter cartridge and a media holder (for lack of better vocabulary). The media holder can hold filter floss that I can cut to fit. I bought a bag of filter floss (12"x120" sheet) for $8, it will last over a year on weekly change.


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## PanzerFodder (Oct 15, 2010)

I was in BA North York today and had a look at one, looks like you are getting a lot of filter for $19.99 and I nearly bought one just to keep as a spare in case one of the AquaClears goes wrong.

The thing that put me off was that the filter inserts are expensive so the longturm running costs of one of these will be more than for the Aquaclear 70 that I have now.
I also think that as far as HOB filters go, you have far more filter media options with the aquaclear style, but thats just IMO.

I do have a marineland penguin 100 on a 10G tank ATM, it's years old and still working like new, the Emperor 280 as it's the dulux verion of the penguin HOB's, and at $19.99 I don't think that you can go wrong really if you like this style of filter. 


Cheer's...PanzerFodder...


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

I bought an AC70 for $19.99 at BA during 2009's boxing week sales. Was hoping they would have it again but not. The AC70 is running great.

And yes, the 280's replacement cartridge is expensive, that almost put me off. I decided to go for it, with filter floss DYI.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

max88 said:


> I bought an AC70 for $19.99 at BA during 2009's boxing week sales. Was hoping they would have it again but not. The AC70 is running great.
> 
> And yes, the 280's replacement cartridge is expensive, that almost put me off. I decided to go for it, with filter floss DYI.


I have a few bio wheel filters and I never use the cartridge they provide and they are all still in their packages.  I replace it by putting a bag of carbon then a bit of filter floss then another sponge on top. Reasoning for the sponge on top of the filter floss is so none of the little piece of floss gets caught on the biowheel which has happen to me and end up stopping the wheel. Just my experience with them.


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

In my opinion, it's noiser than the AC 70

and 

I HATE it! < I brought a 280 too!


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

Damn! I ran mine, it sounded like snowplow.
I am returning it!


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

You need to adjust the spraybar so that the bio-wheel moves very slowly. There is a knob on the left hand side end of the spraybar that you turn. 
And they get quieter as they age.

I don't thihnk you can return it after its been used.
--
Paul


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

I will try to return it, if BA's refuses, no biggie.

It was running without cartridge/wheel. Check it out on youtube. Turn down your speaker volume.


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## vinjo (Dec 8, 2010)

You should still have a warranty on it and they should have no problem replacing the impeller. Happened to me a couple of months ago.


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## max88 (Aug 6, 2009)

The unit was checked at BA's. The impeller is damaged. Got a whole new unit. The staff was helpful.

The new one was run at home, not like snowplow, but noisier than AC70.


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