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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Helper
| Aqua Clear or Whisper power filters?
Is one brand really any better than the other? They seem pretty comparable but I've been told the aqua clear are more quiet and better quality. Anyone used both the can provide some insight?  | 
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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| Yes, one brand really is better -- the Whispers are your basic HOB filter. They work, but most of us eventually replace it with something better.  The recommended HOBs are the AquaClear and the Marineland Penguin/Emperor lines. Both have additional biological filters that the Whispers lack (the only bio filter in the Whispers is the foam on the cartridge, and unless you upgrade to a two-part cartridge, you lose most of the bacteria every time you change the cartridge). The Aqua Clears have a layer of bio filter material that stays put, and the Marinelands have bio-wheels. I prefer the Marineland filters, but you can't go wrong with either brand. | |
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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Mentor
| Actually, the whispers have a permanent foam insert that stays when you change the cartridge, so you do not loose all the bacteria when you change the cartridge. I have whispers on 2 of my 3 tanks and have never had a bit of trouble. Which is not to say there is anything wrong with the aquaclears or the marinelands...all 3 are fine basic filters. | |
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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| I think that depends on the size, maybe -- I had a small whisper, and the only way to get a two-part cartridge was to buy one seperately. But still, I like the extra cleaning the Penguin does in my tank. It's a lot cleaner and clearer since I replaced the whisper. | |
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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| I have used Whispers and Penguins (Bio-Wheel) and, IMO, the Whispers really stink... they dont whisper by any means and it doesnt efficiently clear the water... I wouldnt recommend a Whisper... however I would HIGHLY recommend the Penguin series (I have them on all my tanks now). | |
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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Mentor
| Never had a penguin, but everyone that has seems to like them. | |
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October 28th, 2007
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| | Fish Helper
| Thank you all. I prefer to get the input of those people in the know... the fishlore forum folks. Thanks!  | |
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October 29th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by sgould  Never had a penguin, but everyone that has seems to like them. | I like the job it does on my 10g so much that I got an Emperor 400 for my 56g.
Last edited by jsalemi; October 29th, 2007 at 11:46 AM.
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October 29th, 2007
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| | Fish Helper
| So all of that being said... I'm purchasing new filters is basically the point of the story and I want to add a second filter to my 75g. Should I go with Penguin or AquaClear then? At this point I think I'll just scratch the Whisper. | |
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October 29th, 2007
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| | Moderator
| I have had both whispers and aquaclear. Including Top Fin. Personally I really like the aquaclear, its quieter than the whisper IMO. And I have replaced most of the filters to aquaclear and very happy with them.   ~ kate | |
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October 29th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by zpecialt I'm purchasing new filters is basically the point of the story and I want to add a second filter to my 75g. Should I go with Penguin or AquaClear then? | You really can't go wrong with either one, so read up on both, and decide approach you like better (bio-material vs. bio-wheel). They'd cost about the same online for equivalent size filters.
What kind of filter is the one you have on the tank now? | |
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October 29th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| I've only had an Aqua Clear, so I can't really compare...but I will say that I absolutely adore mine. Fabulous filter. | |
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October 30th, 2007
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by zpecialt Is one brand really any better than the other? They seem pretty comparable but I've been told the aqua clear are more quiet and better quality. Anyone used both the can provide some insight? | I've had both Whispers and Aqua Clears. And if I had to buy a filter again, I'd get another Aqua Clear in a heartbeat. LOVE MY AQUA-CLEARS! They're very quiet, have excellent design (no water can by-pass the filter media), and they have very large filter media box - meaning lots of space for beneficial bacteria (which is, biological filtration), mechanical filtration (sponges), and chemical filtration (carbon). Plus, it's SO EASY to clean! I even like it much better than my canister filter. As for the Whispers ... well, I don't like their design at all. Water bypasses this filter's media all the time. And it's too loud for me. I threw my Whisper out from my 10 gallon tank, and replaced it with a new Aqua Clear | |
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November 19th, 2007
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| | Fish Helper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by theessigs I have used Whispers and Penguins (Bio-Wheel) and, IMO, the Whispers really stink... they dont whisper by any means and it doesnt efficiently clear the water... I wouldnt recommend a Whisper... however I would HIGHLY recommend the Penguin series (I have them on all my tanks now). | What size Penguin filter do you put on your small (2g - 2.5g) tanks? The smallest I've seen filter 10g tanks. I have bettas, and in a small tank that creates a lot of flow. | |
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November 19th, 2007
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| | Fish Keeper
| My little 2 gallon is an Marineland Exporer tank and it has the filter, bio-wheel and lighting all inside the hood. My 2.5 is a QT tank and I run a Marineland Mini (for up to 10 gallons) and would not recommend use with a betta as the water flow would be way to fast...
However, I heard that the Azoo Palm Filter is good for up to 5 gallons and works pretty well, but I havent used it myself. | |
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