Emporer filter

[lissachele]

Hi all, I took your suggestion and I made my own cartridge for my Emporer 400. I bought the 100% polyester batting at Walmart, it is the high pile which is 1/2 inch thick. Is this the correct one to use? I cut all the blue off and attached this with a rubber band and after a week it seems really thin like it's deteriorating. I'm just wondering if I bought the right stuff and if it's thick enough.

Thanks!
Melissa

[bobalston]

Sounds right to me. The batting will compress some due to the flow of the water and stuff it traps. The key is that it stays in place and the water goes thru it. If so, you have it right!

Bob

[cpr4cpu]

and sometimes you need two or more layers thick.
I personally use as much as I can before the water flow is barely enought o keep the biowheel turning (which isn't a problem with the Emperors with the spray bar)

Just keep experimenting, and as Bob mentions, keep the water flowing through the batting material and not around it.

[Goatlady]

I take 1/2 of the media baskets and put them in the slot toward the back of the filter. Then I take two Aquaclear 300 sponges and insert them ahead of the media basket. This has worked excellent for me and you can reuse the sponges over and over and over again. Just rinse them out and put 'em back in.

[bobalston]

Goatlady - Clarification please:

Do you mean you break apart one of the media baskets and put 1/2 of a basket in the back slot and the AC filter foam in?

Bob

[Goatlady]

I think we are on the same page... I just split the basket and store the half without the handle in my "fish cabinate". I take the AC sponges and put them one on top the other as snug as I can get them to the front wall of the filter, then I slide the 1/2 of the media basket in the rear slot of the fliter and there you have it. I have done this to every Emperor filter I own and I have had excellent results with it.

[nullslashvoid]

Goatlady,

Is there any chance we could see a picture or a diagram on how you set up your Emperor / AC sponge filter?

[Goatlady]

I'll get a picture of it later today and post it here for you.

[blacksmith37]

I am pretty frugal (my wife uses another word) but I bought the plastic holders for Emperor 400/280 and Penguin 300/160 ; I thought they were well worth the price . I have found cutting the polyesther fiberfil with sissors to be a pain . I use a paper cutter and chop out 50 to 100 filters in a few minutes.