Re: Opinions on the Penguin Bio-Wheel Power Filter 330

just picked up one on ebay, 30.00 versus $42 here in my home town....


"Rich" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 1.      Cartridges do not need to be expensive - but eh refillable 'cage'
> you can cut your own fibre fill and choose to add carbon or zeo lite, peat
> or any other item to the fileter
> 2.    If the filter ever got to be so clogged as to stop and require the
2nd
> side to do the job...the cleaning job has gone on far too long.
> 3.    The added baskets are great..for adding anything you would
> like....carbon, medication, those pads to remove phosphates, copper etc.
A
> bonus as there is seldom room in filters to have this option.
> 4.    The water flow is adjustable...there are notches on the intake tube
to
> help guide you.  Simply lift the tube a 'click' at a time to achieve a
> desired slower flow.  (oh yeah...that what those are for!!!!)
> 5.    Never had my impeller clog.  The strainer on the intake tube is
> relatively fine.  I periodically place ont e of those mesh bags over it
and
> lift the tube out to take the big stuff out.  Another way to control the
> flow is not to clean the pipes.
>
> Hell have fun with it....it's a hobby after all.
>
> Rich
>
> "Bob Alston" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Remember that you will be using those expensive, non-reusable cartridges
> > UNLESS you are smart and put reusable foam inside the aux filter baskets
> or
> > attach such foam to such.  I recently learned about doing so, after
YEARS
> of
> > buying the cartridges.
> >
> > --
> > Bob Alston
> >
> > bobalston9   AT  aol  DOT  com
> >
> > "jessejoe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> > >  "RedForeman ©®" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Anyone with a pro or con, ring in....
> > > >
> > > > TIA....
> > >
> > > Pros:
> > >
> > > Moves lots of water, so you get agitation, assuming you want that.
Also,
> > > very effective at clearing up the water when I kick up a lot of dirt
> > > cleaning.
>
> > >
> > > It's double-chambered, meaning that if one of the filter pads starts
to
> > > get clogged, you still have the other one working. That means that at
> > > least one bio-wheel is still moving (even if the other one is drying
out
> > > because you left for the weekend and didn't think to check the fish
> > > first). Also means that not 100% of the flow is by-passing, so you
still
> > > get some mechanical filtering capacity.
> > >
> > > As previously mentioned, has extra chambers to put whatever you may
need
> > > in the filter. Putting in about a kilo of hi-density carbon is no
issue.
> > > Don't ask. Ok, ask. I have retarded (literally) siblings. One of them
> > > thought it'd be fun to dump 2 ounces of ick medicine in the water.
> > > Obviously, a massive water change helped, but dumping a big jar of
> > > carbon in is what probably saved the fish. This mostly just
illustrates
> > > that, in less extreme cases, doing the carbon thing is not a problem.
> > >
> > > Comes with a very long extension tube (1 foot i think) so you can use
it
> > > with a deep tank.
> > >
> > > It is the same filter as what Wal-mart sells as the Regent 40-60, just
> > > that the wally world one lacks biowheels. This means that, if you're
in
> > > the part of the world that Wal Mart thinks it owns, you can pick up
> > > cartridges for it much more cheaply than at pet stores. Hell, I work
at
> > > a pet store, and even with a discount the marineland branded ones are
> > > more expensive than the bulk-packed walmart filters.
> > >
> > > Cons:
> > >
> > > Moves a lot of water. If you have peace-loving gouramies, or delicate
> > > plants, this filter will annoy them. Uproot them, even, in the case of
> > > the plants.
> > >
> > > Something about the impeller design makes it really easy to clog with
> > > plant debris. Of course, I've already admitted that it stinks as a
> > > filter for a planted tank, cuz it stirs them up so much. Also, general
> > > mulm from the tank seems to clog this filter faster than other brand
> > > power filters, or even other Penguins.
> > >
> > > Unlike its big bro the Emporer, it has no separate spray-bar or
whatever
> > > to move the bio-wheels. That means that if the blue filter carts start
> > > to clog, and the water begins to by-pass them instead of going down
the
> > > bio-wheel spillways, the wheels stop turning. Then you have a
dried-out
> > > wheel, and a tank that needs to be cycled again once you fix the clog.
> > >
> > > End brain dump. HTH.
> > >
> > > --jesse joe
> >
> >
>
>