I don't like bio wheel filters myself because I have planted tanks and they create surface agitation which releases CO2.
If you NEVER plan to try a DIY Co2 setup they are ok though. I have one on my eclipse and it works very well. (I dose flourish excel instead of DIY CO2). They can also make some noise untill they wear in.
I personaly like Canister filters.
Theres no perfect way to determin if the current will be to strong or not, but with something like an aquaclear HOB you can definately get a larger filter than needed and simply put a sponge under the outlet.
With a canister you can direct the output into a corner of the tank or against a wall etc. With a Bio Wheel options depend more on design and where the wheel is located.
I'm a big fan of over filtering liek I said I have a filter made for a 50 gallon tank on my 10 gallon and I still have to clean it all the time...
marineland is JUST a brand name, nothing to do with marine only.
The Wheel is ONLY a place to house the beneficial bacteria that convert amonia into Nitrite and from Nitrite into Nitrate (Read up on what cycling is). All filters house these bacteria but by exposing them to the air I guess they work more efficiently plus the constant motion in the water allows them to feed (same as directing water through filter media). You don't want to clean or replace the bio wheel other than to make sure it is spinning constantly. So no it does not actualy REMOVE them it just CHANGES them into Nitrate, the same as any other filter. but it preserves beneficial bacteria you would be throwing away using Carbon cartridges. I don't use carbon in any of my tanks I simply use sponges and wring them out in a bucket of tank water durring water changes. It costs less and does not mess with the bacteria conony much. (same idea as having a bio wheel)
Using 2 filters is good because if one breaks the other will hopefully continue working, other than that I'd say just get a big one and save money.
Yes the bacteria will grow faster on the new filter if you leave the old one in there for a month or longer. I use ceramic rings in my canister) if I need to setup a quarantine tank I take them out of the canister and put them in the Q-tank next to the intake on my small whisper filter (espcialy if it has new media in it) This helps it to cycle very quickly.
Your other option is to fit the media from the eheim into the the new filter.
I doubt the "stick thing" (intake) is any shorter the filter just gets larger...They usualy come with an extentions for them in the box
If you NEVER plan to try a DIY Co2 setup they are ok though. I have one on my eclipse and it works very well. (I dose flourish excel instead of DIY CO2). They can also make some noise untill they wear in.
I personaly like Canister filters.
Theres no perfect way to determin if the current will be to strong or not, but with something like an aquaclear HOB you can definately get a larger filter than needed and simply put a sponge under the outlet.
With a canister you can direct the output into a corner of the tank or against a wall etc. With a Bio Wheel options depend more on design and where the wheel is located.
I'm a big fan of over filtering liek I said I have a filter made for a 50 gallon tank on my 10 gallon and I still have to clean it all the time...
marineland is JUST a brand name, nothing to do with marine only.
The Wheel is ONLY a place to house the beneficial bacteria that convert amonia into Nitrite and from Nitrite into Nitrate (Read up on what cycling is). All filters house these bacteria but by exposing them to the air I guess they work more efficiently plus the constant motion in the water allows them to feed (same as directing water through filter media). You don't want to clean or replace the bio wheel other than to make sure it is spinning constantly. So no it does not actualy REMOVE them it just CHANGES them into Nitrate, the same as any other filter. but it preserves beneficial bacteria you would be throwing away using Carbon cartridges. I don't use carbon in any of my tanks I simply use sponges and wring them out in a bucket of tank water durring water changes. It costs less and does not mess with the bacteria conony much. (same idea as having a bio wheel)
Using 2 filters is good because if one breaks the other will hopefully continue working, other than that I'd say just get a big one and save money.
Yes the bacteria will grow faster on the new filter if you leave the old one in there for a month or longer. I use ceramic rings in my canister) if I need to setup a quarantine tank I take them out of the canister and put them in the Q-tank next to the intake on my small whisper filter (espcialy if it has new media in it) This helps it to cycle very quickly.
Your other option is to fit the media from the eheim into the the new filter.
I doubt the "stick thing" (intake) is any shorter the filter just gets larger...They usualy come with an extentions for them in the box
Last edited: