Noisy penguin 100

P

petitpoisson

AC Members
Aug 15, 2006
16
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0
Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Hi,

I've read a couple of post about the fact that Penguin filters are noisy during their break-in period. The one that I bought 4 days ago is VERY noisy (and it's not the biowheel that makes the noise, because even if I stop it or remove it it doesn't make any difference).

Should I wait a little more or should I return it to the store?

I don't mind the sound of water splashing but this thing does a loud grinding noise (kind of like the sound of an electric can opener, just a little quieter). I have to put the volume of the TV louder to cover that...

Thanks.
 
Salut Petitpoisson,
I have the 150 and when I first plugged it in, it made a similar sound.
I would say more like a "sucking" sound as actually, the pump wasn't able to suck up the water. So I pour in water from the top and the cycling process of the pump started working.
Have you checked inside your filter, how's the water level?
 
You got a defective one if you ask me.

And here is a great story:

We bought an Aquaclear for our ten gallon tank a year or so ago. The thing was making all sorts of messed up noises. Took it back and the guy connected it to a tank in the fishroom. Sure enough, nasty noises. We made an exchange for a Penguin 100.

Took that one home and lo and behold - nasty noises again.

So we go to take it back, and we were of course met with a cold response. The guy then proceeded to take it to the fishroom and connect it to a tank. There it was making the noises. He then insisted that these filters are supposed to make those noises and that this was entirely normal. I tried arguing, informing him that I already own a 125 and that thing does not make these mechanical noises. We were basically told tough doodoo and sent home with a filter that I knew was defective. Something I found rather offensive considering I've been in this game for over 20 years.


So, being the somewhat spiteful SOB that I can be, we went to PetsMart and bought another 100. This one made not a peep. What did I do? Took both filters to the LFS and insisted that he put them side by side. Now we were met with a sudden backdown. "Oh no I believe you...I'll exchange it..." I admittedly enjoyed coming off as a total nut.


So yes...return the darn thing.
 
First check the water level inside the filter since that is really easy to do. If the water level inside the filter is not high enough then the filter is basicaly running dry and sucking air. if that is not the problem, then try taking the filter off of the aquarium and take it apart to check the impeller. It may not be operating corectly if something is stuck in it which can make a terrible noise. If that is not it, then I would just return it for a replacement since at that point it must be defective.

Marinemom
 
The water level is OK and the filter is working correctly as far as filtering the water (and it moves a lot more water than my old aqua-tech 5-15! I think my shrimps where surprised at first with all that current, they were swiming everywhere!)

I checked the impeller and I see nothing wrong with it. But I admit that I did not check in the hole where the impeller goes on the bottom of the unit, I will check to see if there is something stuck in there.

When you return a filter like this, do you return also the used filter media and the bio wheel? If I do that I will lose my bacteria colony???

And I was rather disapointed with the ability of the unit to "prime" itself. If I stop the filter, the water drops to about half the reservoir. If I turn it on after that, it can't pull enough water to work properly if there is a filter cartridge present. I have to remove the cartridge so that the water move more freely and then the pump is able to bring the water to the top. My old aqua-tech and my other filter, an Aquaclear 200 can easyly restart in a couple of seconds after being turned off, they seems to be able to keep more water in their reservoir.

It's kinda dangerous if I the electricity goes out, because if i'm not there I fear that the pump will run dry for hours... My 2 filters are connected to a UPS but I have only 1.5 hours of reserve on the battery.

Thanks!
 
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I would be inclined to say that when you return it you should return everything. The store is supposed to return the defective item to the manufacturer, but I have seen the whole thing put back on the shelf. Now, that is really gross! As far as losing the bacteria colony, there should be bacteria growing on the gravel, the decorations, and the walls of the aquarium, so you will not lose it all.

Marinemom
 
When in proper condition, no HOB filter should empty to a point to where it can't start back up again after a power failure. I often unplug all of mine while doing maintenance and when I plug them back in; they come right back to life.

With HOBs it will sometimes require some noisy "sucking" time to get back up to speed but it will always be functioning again within a minute or so. Otherwise it's malfunctioning. The only time it might not be able to start back up is if the water level in the tank is really low.
 
You should return it. Maybe you should try a Whisper 10 or 20. I personally suggest the 20 because of the larger cartridge with about the same flow rate. I have a Whisper 2 that I have had since the mid 1980s. They last forever, they are easy to clean, and they are silent. Also, I have had trouble with BIO-Wheels stopping, you don't have a BIO-Wheel with Whispers, so you don't have to worry about it stopping. I have to change my cartridges monthly, but I have a heavily stocked tank. I like to give my cartridge a rinse weekly to make sure water flows through. The cartridges clog quickly at first because the filter is removing everything your old one has left behind. What size tank do you have?

Whisper 10 (Formerly Model J) - Up to 10 Gallon Tanks

Whisper 20 (Formerly Model C) - 10-20 Gallon Tanks

Whisper 30 (Formerly Model 1, Triad 1000) - 20-30 Gallon Tanks

Whisper 40 (Formerly Model 2, Triad 2000) - 20-40 Gallon Tanks

Whisper 60 (Formerly Model 3, Triad 3000) - 30-60 Gallon Tanks

If you have a large amount of live plants or fish, consider the next size filter.

The great thing about these filters is that when the Bio-Bag is full, the water overflows into the tank, NOT on the floor. I have had filters spill gallons of water on the floor. *coAQUACLEARugh*

Daniel

Hope this helps!!

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I've never had a problem with biowheels stopping.

Between Aquaclear, Penguin and Whisper it's really all the same. Just comes down to personal choice. Everyone is going to spout off their own opinion. Buy the ones you think is prettiest or comes in your favorite color. Seriously, it matters that little.

They all have in-tank spillover. I have seriously never heard of any of these filters spilling water on the floor.
 
Aqua Clears do. I had my 200 spill about 5 gallons on the floor.

I chose Whisper because it is silent, there are no wheels to stop, they have been around since 1976 (that tells you that they did something right), the Bio-Bags are cheaper than the Marineland cartridges, and the intake tube color. You get all of those features, plus they are cheap. And when you buy the cartridges in 12 packs, you save up to 60% and the money you save quickly pays back the Whisper filter. IMO, that makes it the best filter!!

Daniel
 
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