penguin bio wheel filters?
- Thread starter jkrc07
- Start date
I have a penguin 330 (now known as the penguin 350) on my 25 gallon livebearers tank.It has been going strong for the past seven years. Once the wheel has developed the necessary bacteria needed for the aquarium you should not have to change the wheel unless it breaks or it is defective. How big is the aquarium? Which penguin filter are you considering?
Marinemom
Marinemom
i am using a Penguin 150 for my 20G, so far doing great. the Bio-Wheel never needs to be changed, in fact you shouldn't do it. the point of the bio-wheel is to help culture the bacteria in your tank that controls the ammonia and nitrite levels to develop on the wheel. the spinning action allows the bacteria to make contact with air making them more effective in "cleaning" the water. the wheel only needs changing if it is damaged somehow or doesn't spin correctly due to damage.
Bio wheels
I have 3 of them in various sizes in relation to my tank sizes....I find them excellent filters. And as said in the replies to your original post the wheel only needs to be changed should it get damaged. The only thing I do to mine is to rinse out my filter pads in a bucket of tank water when I do my water changes to clean the gunk off of it. This way you don't kill or disrupt the biofilter and the beneficial bacteria stays alive and present. The only issue I have with them is occasionally one of the wheels stops spinning, this cane be caused by a couple of reasons I have found, 1. the filter pad has plugged up with debris or slipped backwith the water flow thru it and is touching the wheel. Or the filter pad is plugged up with gunk and needs to be cleaned. Or the spindle on the end of the wheel has stuff on it and needs to be wiped off, all very easy fixes. If you find a wheel stopped you can lust lift the media pad up a bit to allow the water to flow freely around it and check the pad for any obstruction.
HTH
DF
HTH
I have 3 of them in various sizes in relation to my tank sizes....I find them excellent filters. And as said in the replies to your original post the wheel only needs to be changed should it get damaged. The only thing I do to mine is to rinse out my filter pads in a bucket of tank water when I do my water changes to clean the gunk off of it. This way you don't kill or disrupt the biofilter and the beneficial bacteria stays alive and present. The only issue I have with them is occasionally one of the wheels stops spinning, this cane be caused by a couple of reasons I have found, 1. the filter pad has plugged up with debris or slipped backwith the water flow thru it and is touching the wheel. Or the filter pad is plugged up with gunk and needs to be cleaned. Or the spindle on the end of the wheel has stuff on it and needs to be wiped off, all very easy fixes. If you find a wheel stopped you can lust lift the media pad up a bit to allow the water to flow freely around it and check the pad for any obstruction.
HTH
DF
HTH
Hey there,
Penguins are great. I have one on my 10 gallon and one on my 55 gallon along with a 2nd Whisper filter. I love the Pengiuns. My wheel had not stopped altogether but slowed down, so last night I figured it was time to clean it anyway. The front filter had shifted a little and was slowing the wheel. Easy to fix. Rinsed that front filter out and put it back in correctly. Replaced the 2nd filter while I was at it because I was a few days late in my filter change schedule (should have been done on Saturday) . There is room for two filters in each Penguin. I have two cartridges in each Pengiun and have a rotating schedule set up where I am changing one filter in each every two weeks. Which means each filter in each penguin is changed every 4 weeks but not at the same time. Works well for me. Might be overkill, but I have very clean tanks. Good luck with your quest for a filter.
Penguins are great. I have one on my 10 gallon and one on my 55 gallon along with a 2nd Whisper filter. I love the Pengiuns. My wheel had not stopped altogether but slowed down, so last night I figured it was time to clean it anyway. The front filter had shifted a little and was slowing the wheel. Easy to fix. Rinsed that front filter out and put it back in correctly. Replaced the 2nd filter while I was at it because I was a few days late in my filter change schedule (should have been done on Saturday) . There is room for two filters in each Penguin. I have two cartridges in each Pengiun and have a rotating schedule set up where I am changing one filter in each every two weeks. Which means each filter in each penguin is changed every 4 weeks but not at the same time. Works well for me. Might be overkill, but I have very clean tanks. Good luck with your quest for a filter.
Running 350B's on the 29 gallon tanks, a 200 on the 20 and a 150 on the 10. Run 4 filters in each of the 350's, 2 in the 200-figgered the extra filtration can't be bad!
I have both ac(aqua clear) and penguin.
both seem to do the job well..I found the ac was easier to get established from new but it was due to a matter of the filter sponges I had that were running..I keep spare sponges in my ac's so when I need seeded material all I have to do is transfer a sponge to the new filter.
I like the concept of the bio wheel but in the few weeks I have had them I have found that I need to keep an eye on the wheels since they can stop spinning.
both filters can have water get around the wheels and sponges. both have good concepts in design.
both are quiet..tho you have to watch the impellars in the even they get debris on them..
both seem to do the job well..I found the ac was easier to get established from new but it was due to a matter of the filter sponges I had that were running..I keep spare sponges in my ac's so when I need seeded material all I have to do is transfer a sponge to the new filter.
I like the concept of the bio wheel but in the few weeks I have had them I have found that I need to keep an eye on the wheels since they can stop spinning.
both filters can have water get around the wheels and sponges. both have good concepts in design.
both are quiet..tho you have to watch the impellars in the even they get debris on them..
