hssea

hi , just need everyone's opinion . my friend is downstate with the new filter that i ordered (its a single cartridge and i want a double). When i ordered it i thought that bio wheel is the way to go, from what i read . now im reading its the aquaclear thats better. She's going to exchange it tomorrow and im still not sure which one i want. Help.

Gargoyle

What size is your tank??

I have used the AquaClears with EXCELLENT amounts of success. A good rule is to get a filter bigger or rated for more than your tank size. Some of them do make a touch of noise at times but a little tape to hold the top down normally gets them to shut up.

I run an AquaClear 70 on my 29 and a 70 on my 40 breeder tank. The breeder tank has a turtle in it so bigger is always better with those guys... LOL!!

Plus a larger filter means more media and better filtration over a longer period of time. The trick to cleaning them is to use the biological insert in your Aquaclear. When its cleaning time take the biological insert out of the filter and place it in your tank to keep it in the tank water and the bacteria alive. Then you can pretty much clean the filter anyway you want to. You could even replace the sponge with a new one without doing much if any harm to your cycle. When your all done cleaning put your filter back, fire it up, and place the biological insert back in the top of the media area replace the top and your good to go..

Thats what I have always done and it has worked out very well for me. That biological insert is a must have regardless of what size you get. Also I only use the carbon when removing medicines or if I detect a foul odor. (foul odors typically mean something is wrong so you should investigate further). your tank after it is established should smell like wet dirt or mud... At least mine always have..

Happy shopping!!

sirdarksol

Pros and cons:
The BioWheel mixes air and water, not to mention the large amount of surface area afforded by the accordion-shaped media, making for excellent bio-filtration. Probably the best out of the HOB filters. The only ones that would have better bio-filtration, while the BioWheel is working properly, would be fluidized sand bed or larger wet/dry filters.
Unfortunately, the BioWheel has a habit of slowing down or even stopping as it gets loaded up, causing it to lose its excellent bio-filtration.
The Aquaclear (and other, similar HOBs like the Whisper) are extremely dependable.

Both types of filter have filter cartridges you can load with whatever media you want. I've got my Marineland loaded with ceramic planting media, so even if the drums stop spinning, I'll still be getting a ton of biological filtration.

COBettaCouple

I think both are good filters and everyone has a personal preference. I think either would be worth getting so she's good to go either way.