Penguin Bio-wheel filter

[skiltrip]

I currently have a Whisper 60 power filter. I am thinking of replacing it with the Penguin 330 Bio-wheel Filter. Has anyone had experience with these bio-wheel filters? How is it working for you?

- kip

 

[subopposite]

http/www.bigalsonline.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi

Here is a link to Big Als Online. They have all sorts of filters. I linked you to the Emperor 400. I hear emperor is better than Penguin. Emperor makes a 280 and a 400 and both have a bio wheel or two. I haven't used a Penguin because I got the Emperor instead. I think they are made by the same company but the Emp. is the next model up. Someone should verify this though. Anyhow, the Emp. goes from $33.00 - $40.00 at big al's plus reasonable shipping depending on where you live. This link also sells Penguin too, so you can check them out there also. Good luck.

 

[Xenity7]

Emperor and Penguin filters are made by the same company. The Emperor is just a larger version with a stronger powerhead.

 

[skiltrip]

which size/brand would you recommend for a 37 gallon tank? and will i see a huge improvement over my Whisper 60 power filter?

- kip

 

[Great Lakes]

If you can afford the 330 penguin, go for it. It would be a great filter for a 37 gallon. I had one in a 29, and it didn't seem to be overkill, though it will handle a larger tank.

 

[skiltrip]

Great Lakes,

do you still have the filter? I am curious about the measurement of it. Specifically, how wide it is, from end to end. and how deep from the back of the tank. for example, from the edge of the back of the tank, how far forward does it go?

- kip

 

[Tanked]

The penguin 330 is the exact same size as a regent 30-60 that you can get at walmart. they are the same thing except the regent has no bio-wheel. I have a emp. 400, 2 emp 280's, and 2 penguin mini's. all great filters with bio-wheels. the main difference between the penguin and the emperor is the emperor has a spray bar to drive the bio-wheel and has cartridges to put whatever media type you want in addition to the standard carbon cartridges. I don't use the carbon ones, just stuff the back of the filter with floss and I fill the changeable ones with floss as well. The penguins are just regents with bio-wheels (nothing wrong with them, great filters) the emperor series are the true performers but do carry a higher price.


hth

Richard

 

[skiltrip]

I posted an addition to this post in the Aquarium Chat forum by accident, i should have put it here. But would it be worth upgrading to the Penguin 330 from the Whisper 60 that I have now? I think the price on the Whisper 60 is higher than the Penguin 300 is. Which is better?

- Kip

 

[Tanked]

the penguin will out perform the whisper in getting rid of ammonia and nitrites. no touching the bio-wheel with any current technologies. the penguin is a bit noisier though. you can hear a contant hum of the motor. I still say emperor!!! it is a penguin on steroids!!!

 

[cichlid_freak]

IMHO, there is little difference between the Emperor and the Penguin series. Both have bio-wheels, both stay damp, and have a good amount oxygen available to effectivly increase the colony size in the same amount of space. The only difference I can see is with a spraybar, you have a more consitent spin to the bio-wheel. The only problem I have had with my penguin is that the filter floss I use sometimes hangs over the edge(never into the tank, just on the outlets) and ocassionally twists around the bio-wheel, thus increasing friction and slowing or stoping the spin.

Just curious, if you have filter floss running outside of the removable media containers in the back (the penguin 330 has them too) then how do you keep it out of the impeller compartment, and still force the water flow through the filter media? Right now, I have it stuffed into the removable cartrige, but have to make sure it is below the overspill (between the media area and the impeller) to keep it from stopping the impeller and possibly burning it up.

 

[Tanked]

I use scissors and cut the piece to the size of the inside of the media cartridge. I traced the cartridge onto a piece of posterbaord and use that as a template for cutting my floss pieces. as far as behind the cartridge goes I just stuff it in there and have never had a problem. the emperors use 2 seperate cartridges. and the back area is nowhere near the impellar. I thought the penguins only used the one cartridge. maybe I'm wrong....

 

[BlueJeanGirlNC]

The penguin 330 is the exact same size as a regent 30-60 that you can get at walmart.  they are the same thing except the regent has no bio-wheel.  I have a emp. 400, 2 emp 280's, and 2 penguin mini's.  all great filters with bio-wheels.  the main difference between the penguin and the emperor is the emperor has a spray bar to drive the bio-wheel and has cartridges to put whatever media type you want in addition to the standard carbon cartridges.  I don't use the carbon ones, just stuff the back of the filter with floss and I fill the changeable ones with floss as well.  The penguins are just regents with bio-wheels (nothing wrong with them, great filters) the emperor series are the true performers but do carry a higher price.


hth

Richard

Just as an aside to this discussion on Penguins, Emperors, etc., PetSmart.com currently carries the Penguin 330 bio wheel for $24.99. In their regular stores here in town, this filter is priced at $46.99. If you take the printed page of their website with this filter on it priced at $24.99, they'll sell it to you for the website price. I have 2 of these currently and am buying 2 more when I buy my next tank this week (I just have to remember to take the printed web page with me to work one day).

I've had nothing but good luck with them in my 125 gallon that is currently home to 3 Texas cichlids, 3 Jack Dempseys and 2 feeder fish that refuse to be eaten (still alive after 4 weeks).

Hope this is helpful.

Wendy

 

[smb]

Great info, Wendy! I never thought about something like that.

 

[Lateral Line]

A biowheel is placed into the return flow to the tank.

I have never had a BioWheel filter. I just read the pinned article at the top of the forum and have a basic question, it says this BioWheel thing should be placed at the tank return. Surely, if you have a properly sized and functioning canister, by the time the water gets to the Wheel, the jobs done. So why have this extra stage? Surely it will be starved of nutrient for the bacteria.

 

[Inker]

With the bio-wheel filter, can you just change the cartridge as ya go? Meaning, will the new cartridge just re-start the cycling?

I have the Penguin bio-wheel 125 for my 29 gallon tank.

Or will the bio-wheel hold sufficiant goods to keep the tank from going off course.