geekrockgirl85 said:i personally prefer the penguins. the filtration efficiency is better (water cannot bypass the floss and chemical media as it can in the aquaclear) and the biowheel requires no maintenance. you never have to touch yucky stuff with the penguin either... you just take out the filter insert and
1. hold it by the hard plastic part and rinse it.
2. replace it completely.
i know plenty of people who swear by the hagens, and i'm certainly not saying they're bad filters. Compared to the penguins, they're cheaper to run and perhaps a bit more customizable, but they don't do as good a job at polishing the water.
Not in my expierence. I have a penguine and the water does bypass the floss when the cartridge needs to be replaced (doesn't take long and I have a sponge over the intake of the filter). I am cheap and don't like to buy a bunch of cartridges. I don't believe the bio wheel hype myself. It may help a little, but I have not seen much of a difference since I started using it.