[harriw]

On the back of my 72G bowfront I currently have an emperor 400 hanging on one side and an HOT magnum hanging on the other. I'd like to get a second emperor 400 (I like this filter very much) to hang opposite my existing emp. to double my mechanical (and bio) filtration as my fish population increases. I generally use my HOT magnum as a water polisher, but run it full time. My problem is that I don't think I can fit an emp. 400 and the HOT magnum one side (between the edge of the tank and the center brace). Has anyone found any tricks for getting either one of these filters to straddle their tank's center brace, or found any other way of packing HOB's into confined spaces?

Thanks!

 

[F8LBITEva]

You could get a canister filter and sneak the tubes on opposite corners of the tank and the filter itself will be down below the tank. It would be alot quieter too.

 

[Heyguy74]

I would also go with a canister.

 

[Cich of it all]

If you really want to have two emp400's, ditch that P.O.S. HOT Mag. The emp is a much better filter than the HOT Mag; having two of them will be better than what you have now. For water polishing, just use some poly-fil in one of the emps.

That, or do what these other guys are saying and get a canister. Then I would run the single Emp 400 along with the canister. I happen to know where you can get an Eheim 2217 for only $15 more than a new Emp would cost you anyway. (Pssst, see my ads) Then you could sell the Mag for $30 and come out ahead! :thumb:

 

[harriw]

Thanks for the feedback.

I've thought about a canister, but would prefer not to go that route for a few reasons. First, I do have a vortex diatom XL that I use occasionally, and if this is at all representative of canister filters, I'm concerned about leakage, possibility of draining the tank due to leakage, etc. I also have 2 very young kids, and worry about them tampering with a canister (resulting in the realization of my first concern). I also like the flow pattern produced by the emp 400, and a second one would compliment my UGJ system quite well (making either side of the tank a mirror image, just as my UGJ system currently is). I suppose I could do something similar with a canister spraybar... Finally, I can get a used emp 400 for a fraction of the cost of a canister, and as I said, I've been very pleased with my existing emp 400.

That being said, I like my HOT mag also. It has its limitations of course, but I'm not sure I want to give up that extra 250 GPH. I know I'd be replacing with 400, but the idea is to get as much filtration as possible, and I'd like to have my cake and eat it too, if possible :wink:

I think I can fit all three if I do the following:

The HOT mag mounts to the tank via a one-piece metal rod that is bent such that it hanges over the lip of the rear of the tank, and has adjustable depth on each side. What if I cut this bar in the middle, twisted the two halves apart, set the filter to straddle the center crossbar, then brought the two halves back together again to hold the filter in place. Think this would work? If I had to shave down the width of the crossbar a bit to allow the intake/output tubes to clear, would this significantly weaken the tank? Anyone see any reason why this wouldn't work/why I shouldn't do this?

Thanks again!

-Bill

 

[Fish_Fanatic]

I would ditch the HOT filter like everyone else was saying. The only time i ever had a leak with a canister is when i forgot to put the o ring seal back in it. Other than that its bulletproof for leaks. Also you can put the filter in a rubermaid container so when you have to do some maintenance no water gets on your floor. Another handy thing about canister filters are you get more types of filtration and at the same time will boost your gph. You can also look at putting valves into your lines that can shut off the siphon in the lines for easy maintenance. So before you decide quickly on an emperor i would weigh out the pros and cons of both. The emperor is a good filter even if you still decide to go that route.

 

[lotsofish]

Why don't you get an Emperor 280. I know its not as much filtration as the 400 but it doesn't take as much room.

 

[pancakeloach]

I can understand your worries about kids + canister! IME, although no human intervention was ever definitively proved, there was a good 15+ gallons of water on the floor (out of a 20 gallon tank) and the poor horse-face loaches were never the same again, due to a latch on a Fluval coming undone. However, if you can block off the canister with safety latches on stand doors (if your stand is enclosed, if not DIY?) then you should be fine for curious little ones. Any kid old enough to get a safety latch open is old enough to understand that it's NOT okay to play with the stuff under the fish tank!

As for the HOT, you might be able to cut the wires and get it to work - although I'd be a little leery of the wires not being able to support the filter once cut. I wouldn't mess with the center brace, it's needed and probably very hard to fix if you've already got water in the tank. :?

 

[partsrep]

Get a canister or two Emperor 280's

 

[harriw]

Hey folks,

Thanks for all the input. I'm still un-decided on what direction to go in, but I have some time to figure it out while I build up my stock list. For now I'm well filtered between the emp 400 and HOT mag.

For anyone interested, however, you CAN mount the HOT Mag across the center brace (at least on my tank). It turns out that the wire mounting bracket is easily removable - slide it out, put the filter in place, and re-install the wire mount beneath the tank brace - no cutting needed. Intake and exhaust just barely fit on either side of the brace.

-Bill