We purchased the Emperor 400 Power Filter for our 55-gallon Oceanic Systems aquarium after doing quite a bit of research.

The major determining factor was our tank. We have an Oceanic Systems tank and little did we know when we got it that the lip around the top is non-standard. What that means is the "wood" molding is thicker than normal, and the more readily available filters will not fit on it.

The people who gave us the aquarium did so after their budget power filter (which was unlevel due to this thick trim) leaked behind the tank and ruined their floors.

The "experts" at the aquarium stores all said the same thing... "We recommend wedging something between the filter body and the glass to level the filter." I thought, "That is ridiculous. Oceanic Systems is a well-recognized tank manufacturer; surely there's a filter option made to fit it." Turns out I was right!

The Emperor 400, so named because of its 400 gallon per hour flow rate, is capable of handling filtration for aquaria up to 80 gallons, and has a wide-body stance and a thicker "U" so it straddles the thick trim of the Oceanic Systems tank easily. We've been using the filter for over 9 months with no leakage problems!

An effective filtration process for aquaria requires each of the three types of filtration: mechanical, chemical and biological.

- Mechanical filtration involves removing large particles through some form of screening process.
- Chemical filtration uses a chemical process to remove harmful matter like ammonia from the water.
- Biological filtration is the reproduction of nature’s own cleansing processes using beneficial bacteria.

The Emperor 400 is capable of providing all three types of filtration.

- Mechanical filtration is provided by the twin carbon filters, which are baffled to provide a larger additional surface area.
- Chemical filtration can be brought about by adding the required additional media to the two Refillable Media containers to customize the process to your tank’s specific needs.
- Biological filtration is accomplished with two rotating Bio-Wheels, which promote wet/dry biological filtration.

Our one concern over purchasing the Emperor was that we had seen reports that the series was considerably louder than the Whisper brands. Not feeling we had a choice, we took a chance. Honestly, unless we are actively listening to make sure the filter is operating, we don't notice the sound at all.

We are very pleased with the Emperor 400 Power Filter and would recommend it to anyone, but for those of you who own or are considering purchasing an Oceanic Systems aquarium, this filter series is vital!

Recommended: Yes