marineland penguin bio wheel 350

I have a marineland penguin bio wheel 350. I absolutly love it. I would reccomend it over any filter. I just have one question, how fast should my bio wheels turn? one turns a ton faster than the other and they both get the same amount of water flow. the floor is pretty even. so, how fast should they turn? thanks!

 

Adjust the knobs on the intakes. They will slow down a lot over time.

Beware of sand!

 

what do you mean by knobs on intakes? I don't use sand

 

I use one with sand and it works great. Just be sure to unplug it before you stir up any sand and it'll be fine (for anyone who does use sand.)

But I love that HOB too!

 

He means that if you have a sand substrate, be careful none of it gets into the penguin filter as it will ruin the motor. All HOB filters are vulnerable to sand.

Anyway, Bio-Wheel filters are the BEST bio-filtration money can buy. They are GREAT filters. Over time, the bio-wheel will grow lots and lots of good bacteria and they will start to turn from gray to brown. The more brown the BETTER! And you never have to clean a bio-wheel!!! But because of the extra weight of all the good bacteria's colonies the bio-wheels eventually start to slow down. Periodically scrub out the intake tubes and other parks of the filter to make sure you have maximum water flow moving through the unit. As long as the wheel is still moving then you are doing okay!

 

Ok. Mine is starting to turn brown. Lol

 

Yeh - that's what I meant. Also - I was referring to the grey tabs - open them a little and the flow will increase. I have two 350s on my 75. Sand messed up the impeller on one and its really noisy now but still functional.

I still prefer canisters do to them being low-key and quiet. And holding more bb

 

I didnt want to invest in a canister plus I have no where to put one. I have three filters on my 46
I have currently
a marineland penguin bio-wheel 350
a aqua clear 20
a aqua clear 30 powerhead with quick filter

 

The penguin biowheels are not that great, and here's why. The water that spins the wheel has already run through the filter, meaning that there is a minimal amount of ammonia, if any, left in the water, so the bacteria colony they can sustain is not that big. The emperors, on the other hand, have a second pump that delivers unfiltered water to the spraybars - straight from the intake. That means that the water has a full concentration of ammonia, which will support a larger and more stable bacteria colony. That also means that they are more prone to gunking and require more maintenance.

 

The penguin biowheels are not that great, and here's why. The water that spins the wheel has already run through the filter, meaning that there is a minimal amount of ammonia, if any, left in the water, so the bacteria colony they can sustain is not that big. The emperors, on the other hand, have a second pump that delivers unfiltered water to the spraybars - straight from the intake. That means that the water has a full concentration of ammonia, which will support a larger and more stable bacteria colony. That also means that they are more prone to gunking and require more maintenance.

Very interesting read in your post. I have been using three penguins in our tanks and have nothing but good things to say about them…BUT this new information that you have provided certainly is food for thought. If I go without the UG filter in the rebuilt 44 (as I mentioned in another post) I will be looking to augment the Marineland Magnum 350 canister. Thank you for the info

 

I'm not saying it's not a good filter. I'm just pointing out how they work, and what that means for their respective wheels. For the same reason, I always recommend making carbon the last stage of filtration. Aside from making it easier to change, it keeps the bacteria stronger in the permanent medias. Once water enters the filter (and even before that), ammonia is being stripped from the water all along the way until it leaves the filter, or there is no more. Preferably the latter

 

I've never ran an emperor yet have always had the penguins. That is an interesting point though Jaysee.

 

ive truely never thought of that.

 

I have both a penguin and an emperor. I have had my emperor for about 10 years and it is still humming along. I think both filters are good solid filters that do a great job. Though the emperor's construction is a bit more heavier duty and seems to be made to last forever. The only other real difference is that the emperor has the spray bar that shoots water onto the biowheel and the penguin does not. But honestly, that is just one less part for me to have to scrub out every month. The holes on my spray bar sometimes get clogged up and then my wheel almost comes to a complete stop. I certainly do not miss having to deal with that issue on my penguin.