If you have a Marineland Penguin or Emperor, you are probably wondering what are the best filter media types to use for these power filters.
You can check out this guide at Aquarium Blueprints below if you are having a hard time deciding.
What’s Included with Marineland Penguin/Emperor Power Filters
The Marineland Penguin, Marineland Penguin Pro, Marineland Emperor and Marineland Emperor Pro all come with the Marineland Penguin Rite-Size Cartridge and Bio Wheel.
The Marineland Penguin Rite-Size Cartridge provides both mechanical and chemical filtration while the Bio Wheel is used for biological filtration. The cartridges have to be replaced regularly to keep your water clean. The bio wheel don’t need to be replaced unless it stops functioning.
Best Biological Filtration
Marineland Ceramic Rings
Although the Marineland Penguin, Marineland Penguin Pro, Marineland Emperor and Marineland Emperor Pro come with Bio Wheels, there have been some reports about those parts breaking. Thus, we don’t consider the wheels to be reliable.
For the best and most reliable biological filtration, we recommend adding the Marineland Ceramic Rings to any open space in your power filter.
These rings have porous surface area, which will provide plenty of space for beneficial bacteria to grow. The bacteria will help consume ammonia and nitrites, both of which are toxic nitrogen compounds that come from fish wastes and other decomposing organic matter in your aquarium.
The Marineland Ceramic Rings require rinsing if they are covered in wastes as the debris could clog the pores and prevent oxygen from reaching the beneficial bacteria. We recommend using the tank water you plan on throwing out during a water change to clean the dirty rings.
You can purchase this filter media on Amazon with the following link:
- Marineland Ceramic Rings(#CommissionsEarned)
Best Mechanical Filtration
Marineland Penguin Rite-Size Cartridge
The best mechanic filtration is the default cartridge that comes with your filter. The poly fiber on these are built to capture small particles from the water in your fish tank.
Marineland recommends replacing the cartridges monthly. We suggest doing it sooner if you notice any decline in water flow due to the clogged poly fiber.
The cartridge comes in different sizes. You can take a look what size fits your Marinelane Power Filter Model below.
- Cartridge A: Penguin 100
- Cartridge B: Penguin Pro 125, Penguin 150 and Penguin Pro 175
- Cartridge C: Penguin 200, Penguin Pro 275, Penguin 350 and Penguin Pro 375
- Cartridge E: Emperor 400 and Emperor Pro 450
If you are interested, you can purchase the cartridges on Amazon with the following links:
- Marineland Penguin Rite-Size A, B and C Cartridges(#CommissionsEarned)
- Marineland Penguin Rite-Size E Cartridges(#CommissionsEarned)
Marineland Penguin Micron Filter
If you have the Marineland Penguin Pro 275, Penguin Pro 375 or Emperor Pro 450, then you might want to check out the Micron Filter as well. This product is designed to filter out the small particles if you have an extremely dirty fish tank.
Marineland recommends removing the Micron Filter after 24 hours or if you begin to notice a decrease in water flow.
The filter media can be found on Amazon via the following links:
- Marineland Penguin Micron Filter for Penguin Pro 275 and Penguin Pro 375(#CommissionsEarned)
- Marineland Penguin Micron Filter for Emperor Pro 450(#CommissionsEarned)
Best Chemical Filtration For Removing Odors, Discolorations & Other Compounds:
Marineland Black Diamond Carbon
If you have any strange smells and/or discoloration in your tank water, then you might want to get the Marineland Black Diamond Carbon. This filter media have microscopic pores that will help remove odors in addition to heavy metals, medications and other compounds.
Carbon is already included with the aforementioned Marineland Penguin Rite-Size Cartridges. Marineland suggest replacing the cartridges every month (or sooner if you have an especially dirty fish tank).
Of course, you can add extra carbon to the empty spaces of your power filter if you need more chemical filtration. For those interested in doing so, you can purchase more of the media on Amazon via the following link:
- Marineland Black Diamond Carbon(#CommissionsEarned)
Best Chemical Filtration For Removing Ammonia
Marineland Ammonia Reducing Resin
As we stated above, ammonia is a nitrogen compound that comes from fish wastes and other decomposing organic matter. If you biological filtration is not strong enough to handle it, ammonia can be very toxic to your pet fish.
If you noticed spikes in ammonia when you test the water in your fish tank, then you might want to consider getting the Marineland Ammonia Reducing Resin. This product will absorb the compound faster than zeolite, which is another ammonia-filtering media.
The resin will start out as blue. As it absorbs ammonia, it will turn to amber. Once that happens, you should replace the product if you are still having ammonia issues.
You can purchase the product, if you are interested, with the following link:
- Marineland Ammonia Reducing Resin(#CommissionsEarned)
Recap
Below is a brief recap of the filter media types we recommend getting for the Marineland Penguin, Marineland Penguin Pro, Marineland Emperor and Marineland Emperor Pro.
- Best Biological Filtration: Marineland Ceramic Rings
- Best Mechanical Filtration: Marineland Penguin Rite-Size Cartridge and Marineland Penguin Micron Filter
- Best Chemical Filtration For Removing Odors, Discolorations & Other Compounds: Marineland Black Diamond Carbon
- Best Chemical Filtration For Removing Ammonia: Marineland Ammonia Reducing Resin
