I'm not liking this Penguin Biowheel

[LeslieG]

I set up my 29G aquarium on November 14th (almost a month ago) with a Penguin Biowheel 200. From the start, the biowheel has been very noisy, extremely splashy. The tank is in my bedroom and the noise is keeping me awake. (On days when I can coax it to a pleasant bubbling brook sound, it's awesome and helps me sleep. But a loud, pounding splash like last night is not good, nor is a cyclical slow-fast-slow-fast splash.)

It's definitely loud splashing from the wheel, because when I remove the wheel it is absolutely silent. The baffle I made to reduce the flow helped with the problem of splashing water out of the aquarium. The water level is up high, so its splash from the wheel, not waterfall.

I can decrease the splashing slightly (sometimes) by removing a bit of water, but I like the water level above the black aquarium rim (I don't want to see a line of light above the water), and lately, even that won't quiet the wheel. It also started turning unevenly one night - that was really bad. (I don't get along with tick-tock clocks, either.)

The wheel is seated properly. No snails or grit in the slots for the wheel. I've only had the little beast for a month. The night it started rotating unevenly (fast-slow-fast-slow), i took the wheel out and rinsed it in room temperature water, and did the same for the filters, and it started rotating correctly again.

I feel like I gave it a good try. If it's this sensitive to water level, this erratic with noise/splashing, and starts spinning unevenly so easily, then I really should have gotten that Aquaclear.

I'm torn between returning it and getting an Aquaclear 50, or tossing the wheel and adding sponge & ceramics to increase the filtration. The 200 because it has an extra media slot, which I'm using already with a modified media cartridge (stuffed extra ammo-carb in there). I like the quietness of the Penguin when the wheel is off. Returns are a hassle, and the Aquaclear is more expensive ... would there be much difference between a modified penguin 200 and an aquaclear 50? The flow rate is supposed to be exactly the same.

Leslie

 

[Bob]

I used to really like the biowheels, but they just keep getting louder and louder the longer you have them. The only hob's i use now are the aqueons. I love these things, they move a lot of water and have a ton of room in them. And since i make my own media that's a big perk for me.

 

[Betty]

I used to use the Penguins and mine usually quieted down with time. When they were new, they turned fast and splashed a lot, but as they got broken in and bacteria and whatever else built up on the wheel, it slowed down and didn't make much noise. My Aquaclears are noisy!

 

[pbmax]

As far as HOBs go I like the Aqueons too. They're quieter and auto-priming since the motor's in the water - that's a huge convenience factor in the long run.

I found the aquaclears loud as well, though I did find the design more maintenance-friendly.

My one biowheel filter (built into a 5g eclipse) always got stuck and stopped moving.

Now I use canisters on my display tanks and sponge filters / HMFs (Swiss Tropicals) on everything else. I much prefer the latter due to ease of maintenance and simplicity, but they're admittedly not as pretty (especially not the cubefilters that dominate my 10g tanks).

 

[Paintguy]

I still like the couple of Aqueon hobs that I have, but they are zip tied where the motor tab broke off and one is worn out enough that when the power goes out.. I have to push a stick up from the bottom to kick the prop going. Massive water flow and you can get after market filters that you can clean a few times to make them last longer. The stock ones are super fine and do not last long at all.

The main thing is peace of mind...with the motor inside the tank there are no seals to leak. I would say they can be a little noisy if you don't have them sitting just right or the tank water is low for splashing.

 

[justin case]

All the bio-wheels I'd has experience with have quieted with age a well. But it takes a few months. And they seam to do a great job filtering after you get them seasoned.

 

[Sleeves]

I have 2 AC HOBs they are a bit noisy, but the quality and performance outways the noise.

 

[LeslieG]

Actually, it has quieted down to a pleasant trickling sound. I pulled the wheel out and soaked it for a week, then tried it again, and the noise is better.

 

[popss]

not a bio wheel fan, AC 110, and AC70ies. They are good bio filters. I just do not like them, they are problematic in my experience.

 

[xicaque]

I got a 280 Marineland new that came out of the box noise. The noise was the impeller not the biowheel. Found a vid in utub that said to use a dab of vaseline. No mo noise.