I was thinking of switching my filter from a marineland emperor 280 to a aquaclear 300 or a aquaclear 70. Both are rated at 300 gph but are they any difference in them besides the numbers ? The reason i wanting to swith was that you dont have to replace any cartridges in the aquaclear like you do in the emperor 280.The replacement cartridges are kinda expensive.


Thanks,Russ

Your water won't be as clean looking with aquaclears, since there is almost no mechanical filtration. Your cartridges are good for a few months at least, I change mine only once every 3 months. I'm not sure if you want to put the effort in, but you can also rip off the top blue part if it gets really gross, then stick some cheapy filter floss stuff on top (with a few dabs of silicon glue) and its good to go again

And to answer your question, they are two different names for the same filter.

I looove Aquaclear filters because they are the power filters with the largest space for media and you have the flexibility to use the media of your choice. I have 3 AC150s (two of them have three sponges and the third one has a activated carbon. I have used the same sponges for more than a year now, just some rinsing every other week. I change the carbon every two months, I dump the old carbon and refill the bags with fresh carbon. Just a word of caution... high flow Aquaclears have a BIG problem: if you neglect the sponge rinsing (I mean really neglect like letting it turn to a messy blob), the water will push the filter up (including the lid) and a third of the water in your tank will end up in the floor.

i found the link to the tip of the month for you:

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=14059

this should help you out greatly. personally, i would spend any more money on a new filter when youve got this awesome option for prolonging the use of each cartridge.

hope this helps!

As far as the 70 and the 300 goes in Aquaclear, there is no difference. Aquaclear is re-packaging their filters and re-naming them in the process. I use the Aquaclear 70 on all my tanks and find it to be the most reliable filter I've ever worked with. Hope that helps!


Tim

I have nothing but good things to say about the Aquaclear. I have used the various sizes over the years, and still have my very first one, which "celebrates" his 5. birthday this year. One most of them I haven't changed the sponges in over a year, just weekly good rinsing in old tank water, thats all. I don't use the carbon, except when I wonna get meds out of the tank, and fill the filter up with #1 sponges instead.
Kingyo, as for your problem with overflowing filters, there is a tiny little black plastic part included in the box, that belongs on the underside of the filter, on the side where the outflow is. The part has different angles that fit onto the glass, and wich each angle the filter is in a different level. I always use the leveling part in that way that the filters hangs slidely downward toward the tank, so in a case of excessive water (which hardly ever happens on this end) the water has no other way to go than back into the tank.....