Marineland Penguin Biowheel filters

[Jarrod]

Does anyone else have the issues I am having with one? My issue is the Penguin 150 on my 29 gal tank is ticking me off by the wheel not spinning properly. I know they are prone to stopping intermittently if they need to be cleaned. I have taken the filter off the tank completely, put a fresh new filter pad in it and even gone to the extent of cleaning the little V shaped support clips the wheel rests in. It has always worked well up until very recently. I'm giving SERIOUS consideration to just chucking it it a box and finding another hob filter. I currently use the Biowheels on every tank and this is the only one that is ticking me off. All the other ones have never given me any probs at all. So any ideas anyone?
TIA
George

[tpastrana]

Hello George,
Nice to meet you, I have had the same problem as you on only one of my
Bio-wheels. The only way I got it to work, was to completey take apart the
filter and clean everything. Especially the propellar section. I found that when the propellar wasnt spinning properely or with as much force. It would
slow down the water pressure, the least amount of water pressure the slower the bio-wheel. I found after cleaning that section and not forgetting the little bushings that help it move freely,I have not had that problem again.
Hope that helps.

Teresa

[lhforbes12]

Gerorge,
I only have an Emperor 280, which I no longer use, but since it's a bio-wheel and made by Marineland I'll assume they are they same. If you read the instructions carefully you will note that the wheel is supposed to stop on occasion. It is not meant to spin continuously, but instead to slowly spin and to even stop for short periods, this is why the spraybar is adjustable, so you can control the bio-wheel's spin. I dislike all products by Marineland (long story), so I'm am definately not trying to make excuses for them, but stopping is what it is supposed to do. If your other bio-wheels are rapidly spinning I suggest you adjust them to do what this one is doing.

[Jarrod]

Hi Teresa, Nice to meet you as well. As I said I did clean it completely including the impeller. But I'm going to take it off completely again today and make sure I didn't miss anything....and as they say if all else fails get a get a bigger hammer lmao. But it's just started this so I may have missed something in my cleaning and will tear it apart again to check things out.
Thanks for the input!
George




Hello George,
Nice to meet you, I have had the same problem as you on only one of my
Bio-wheels. The only way I got it to work, was to completey take apart the
filter and clean everything. Especially the propellar section. I found that when the propellar wasnt spinning properely or with as much force. It would
slow down the water pressure, the least amount of water pressure the slower the bio-wheel. I found after cleaning that section and not forgetting the little bushings that help it move freely,I have not had that problem again.
Hope that helps.

Teresa

[Ed13]

Gerorge,
I only have an Emperor 280, which I no longer use, but since it's a bio-wheel and made by Marineland I'll assume they are they same. If you read the instructions carefully you will note that the wheel is supposed to stop on occasion. It is not meant to spin continuously, but instead to slowly spin and to even stop for short periods, this is why the spraybar is adjustable, so you can control the bio-wheel's spin. I dislike all products by Marineland (long story), so I'm am definately not trying to make excuses for them, but stopping is what it is supposed to do. If your other bio-wheels are rapidly spinning I suggest you adjust them to do what this one is doing.


Larry is correct, Like a marineland representative told us once, the slower the wheel spins the better it is, no matter if it stops briefly.

Larry,I've never had any trouble with their products except for a 10 gal that crack in the way home, the tank was traveling in the passenger seat so I know that I was not struck by anything, it just split:confused:
I am curious as to why you dislike Marineland products, if its personal nevermind but if it is performance oriented I'd like to know since I just ordered a whole lot of their products mostly tanks, PM please or post it here if it is something of concerned to all of us!

[tpastrana]

I am sorry guy's, I thought George meant stopped completely. That's what mine did. It did not move at all. Currently they all stop briefly and move slowly. I also do not have flow adjuster's on mine. Sorry George, I re-read your post I misunderstood.

Teresa

[lhforbes12]

Larry is correct, Like a marineland representative told us once, the slower the wheel spins the better it is, no matter if it stops briefly.

Larry,I've never had any trouble with their products except for a 10 gal that crack in the way home, the tank was traveling in the passenger seat so I know that I was not struck by anything, it just split:confused:
I am curious as to why you dislike Marineland products, if its personal nevermind but if it is performance oriented I'd like to know since I just ordered a whole lot of their products mostly tanks, PM please or post it here if it is something of concerned to all of us!

Ed,
I actually posted about this a while back so I just was trying to not repeat post is all. Our 125 is a Perfecto (which like Tetra and Marineland is part of a larger conglomerate United Pets). We set up the 125 with glass canopies (glass tops) which cost us an extra $40. Our stand has a cap (Canopy) so everything is very well protected. The tank had been running for two or three days when I noticed that one of the pieces of glass had broken. Nothing and no one, but me had been near that tank. I did not break the glass, it just broke by itself <shrug> Called Perfecto and they refused to replace it, even though in my opinion it was their fault, not mine. Again the glass is covered by a cap and nothing whatever could have fallen on it. Instead of having even a modicum of customer service they refused to replace it. So now because they were far too stupid to replace a $5 part, they have lost at least $500 a year of recurring business from me. I will NEVER buy a product again from any of those companies. So long story longer, United Pets does NOT stand behind their products, IMO they are in it ONLY for the money period, which is a far cry from the other many outstanding companies that we have available (for tanks: AGA, for Meds/ferts Seachem, AP, Jungle) all of whom care about their customers and contribute to the hobby.

[Squiggy]

I'm the same way about Fords, Larry....Soon as you fall asleep...BAM!...they drive right into a tree all by themselves...:crazy:

[Ed13]

Larry,I've never had any trouble with their products except for a 10 gal that crack in the way home, the tank was traveling in the passenger seat so I know that I was not struck by anything, it just split:confused:



The tank had been running for two or three days when I noticed that one of the pieces of glass had broken. Nothing and no one, but me had been near that tank. I did not break the glass, it just broke by itself <shrug>

Oh boy does anyone else think these two sound alike! I was literally sitting next to the tank when it happen! I also had a client that its 29 Perfecto reef crack in Th middle of the night, when all were sleeping!

That being said, 80% of tanks in the island are probably Perfecto since the AGA cost a whole lot more and are controlled by two suppliers, one being the biggest pet chain store(all located in malls) with its main store in the biggest shopping mall in the caribbean:mad: So I hear very little stuff like this from a whole lot of Perfecto tanks
No supplier or store here will offer any kind of guarantee on broken glass once you accept the tanks only the seems. A very useful way to test them is to knock on them like you would a door in all of the panes of glass, if the glass is defective it will crack right away, then again the store might hold you responsible for it. I do this test every time I received tanks right in front of the carrier an I won't accept defective ones!

[Jarrod]

Larry it has stopped completely. I have taken it off the tank again and re cleaned everything including taking the impeller out and apart and making sure it was clean as well. In the past when this has happened I would find out the filter pad was grunged up and when I lifted the pad out the wheel would spin fine. This pad I had just cleaned and rinsed off in a container of tank water to keep the bioload safe. Still no luck. I even tried a new pad that I rinsed out in the tank water in the container. Nope it still doesn't spin. I knew it would stop completely now and then but I have never had it just flat refuse to spin like this. When you mentioned the spray bar are you speaking of the on on the U shaped tube that impeller goes into? The reason for me asking that is because I never have changed anything heighth wise or anything else on it prior to this problem.
Thanks Larry I'll triple check it one more time lol
George

[Jarrod]

No problem Teresa... Thanks for the attempt to help anyway.
George

[lhforbes12]

I'm the same way about Fords, Larry....Soon as you fall asleep...BAM!...they drive right into a tree all by themselves...:crazy:

Joe,
Hmmmmm... so far I've only had that problem with Chevy's.

[lhforbes12]

Larry it has stopped completely. I have taken it off the tank again and re cleaned everything including taking the impeller out and apart and making sure it was clean as well. In the past when this has happened I would find out the filter pad was grunged up and when I lifted the pad out the wheel would spin fine. This pad I had just cleaned and rinsed off in a container of tank water to keep the bioload safe. Still no luck. I even tried a new pad that I rinsed out in the tank water in the container. Nope it still doesn't spin. I knew it would stop completely now and then but I have never had it just flat refuse to spin like this. When you mentioned the spray bar are you speaking of the on on the U shaped tube that impeller goes into? The reason for me asking that is because I never have changed anything heighth wise or anything else on it prior to this problem.
Thanks Larry I'll triple check it one more time lol
George

George,
Yep that's the part I'm talking about. Whenever this happened to mine cleaning the spraybar was really all that was needed to get the bio-wheel spinning again. On the Emperor it just unsnaps from the filter, take a small tubing brush to it and get all of the holes clear.

[Jarrod]

Well Larry I think it was successful LOL...I shut the filter down again and pulled the entire intake tube and impeller again. I turned that piece, the spray bar just a bit and reseated it along with the impeller and plugged the filter back in...and lo and behold it worked lol. So I'm assuming that maybe when I had taken apart before I may not have got it in exactly the same postion as before. That's the only thing I can think of. But anyway it's now working! Larry and everyone else that has replied to my OP thank you all!! Now my BP and frustration level has receded to an acceptable level LOL.
Thanks again everyone!!
George

[Tony_S]

There's a few reason's Hagen hasn't changed the design of the Aquaclear Power filters in 30 some odd years...they're simple,they work well, and they work forever....

Chuck yer Biowheel and go buy an Aquaclear!;)

Tony:D

[tony1313]

I agree with Tony, chuck the bio-wheel. They look impressive but are not practicle. You'd be better off with an ac with some other type of media.

Tony

[poconogal]

There's a few reason's Hagen hasn't changed the design of the Aquaclear Power filters in 30 some odd years...they're simple,they work well, and they work forever....

Chuck yer Biowheel and go buy an Aquaclear!;)

Tony:D
I have an Aquaclear 500 (now the 110) that is 13 YEARS old and still going strong. Big media box, filters a lot of water and all I've had to do with it is get one new impelller.

[Tony_S]

I have an Aquaclear 500 (now the 110) that is 13 YEARS old and still going strong. Big media box, filters a lot of water and all I've had to do with it is get one new impelller.

I still have a handmedown from my sister and her earlier days in the hobby...thinking back, it's probably 25+ years old by now....the only new parts it's seen are Impellers.

The simplicity of the media box is one of the nicest things about Ac's IMO. They hold a LARGE amount of media, and the media is nothing more than simple sponge blocks....easy to clean and rarely need to be replaced. No bells, whistles, wheels, goofy cartridges, doohickies or thingamabober's.

I think one of the main reasons Ac's are overlooked and under rated in the Discus hobby IS their simplicity....people tend to think a 'complex';) fish like Discus requires 'complex' filtration. That translates into..Doohickies...that break, get stuck, fall off, get lost, are expensive, don't work, etc.

K.I.S.S.

Tony

[Cosmo]

If I recall correctly, the smaller Marineland bio wheels are turned by the water runner over the chute underneath the wheel, while the Emperors (280 and 400) have spraybars that you adjust to shoot water onto the wheel. I used to love the emperors but they've changes something over the past 10 years and now the thing loses syhpon long before the water line even gets close to the end of the intake tube. That never used to be the case.

Makes WCs a real PITA so I stopped using them, despite the fact that I like the bio wheel concept.

Jim

[crazie.eddie]

The Pengiuns and Emperors are NOT the same. The Emperors are built a little better becuase the biowheel turns by water coming from the spray bar. Compared to the Pengiuns, which turn by the flow of water underneath. The not turning of the wheel is a common issue with the Penguins. I'm surprised they still make/sell them.

Just make sure the water makes in contact with the biowheel.


Larry, too bad about your loss, but I doubt they are going bankrupt due to the loss of their sale to you. :D

[filster]

Hi Everyone Just a comment on the aquaclear. I have run them for years also but if by chance you forget to clean them or the outlet gets blocked for some reason you will have water all over your floor. I also use two of the marineland and the nice thing is if they do block the water overflows into the tank not on your floor

Phil

[tony1313]

"I have run them for years also but if by chance you forget to clean them or the outlet gets blocked for some reason you will have water all over your floor."

Phil,
Are you sure your talking about the same filter (ac500/110). I don't see how they could clog and if the did it is a waterfall type filter and should over-flow back into the tank.

jmo,
Tony

[filster]

Hi Tony

I've ran the 150 200 and 300. Not the five hundred.I'm guessing same design though. When the filter is running properly there is only about an inch of clearance before the water will flow over the back of the filter. Now for some reason your media is really dirty the water can't flow through properly. The water therefore pushes the media up blocking the outlet. Well guess what, the water builds up and flows over the back.This happens because there isn't eneogh height difference between the outflow and the top of the resevoir. It does happen there are lfs here that won't even carry them. Don't get me wrong they are a good filter as long as they are kept clean and not too much media put in them.
Phil

[Cosmo]

ummm... Filster. I'm guessing that what you're describing with a dirty aquaclear clogging up and overflowing the back onto the floor is simply your theory, or, your observations of an experiment you ran on an empty tank to evaluate the ACs performance characteristics.... right?

Just thought I'd clarify that for ya so no one gets the wrong impression and thinks you actually ever let your filter get that dirty :D

Jim

[filster]

Jim I'm new to simply discus so thought I would share my experiece with the aqua clear.I've been told it happens to others too. I was just trying to explain to Tony how it could happen. I guess I'll keep my experiences to myself. I wouldn't want the filter police after me!

[Tony_S]

Jim I'm new to simply discus so thought I would share my experiece with the aqua clear.I've been told it happens to others too. I was just trying to explain to Tony how it could happen. I guess I'll keep my experiences to myself. I wouldn't want the filter police after me!

filster....Jim was just trying to cover your back! LOL! No harm intended..;)

I have to agree with him though....with 15 years of Aquaclear experience behind me, I can tell ya first hand...an aquaclear would have to meet two criteria for that 'overflow' situation to happen. First the filter would have to be sitting unlevel, second...it would have to be filthy beyond belief.

Thinking about it...I honestly don't think Ive ever been in an LFS that didnt stock Aquaclears...strange.

Tony