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Penguin BIO-Wheel 100 Power Filter - up to 20 Gallon |  | Brand: AQUARIA INC (MARINELAND)
Category: Kitchen
List Price: $25.99
Buy New: $13.99
as of 9/9/2010 00:33 UTC details
You Save: $12.00 (46%)
New (18) from $13.99
Seller: MarineAndReef
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 31499
Media: Misc.
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Size: Filter is 5" x 5" x 7.5" high.
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 5.5 x 8.2
MPN: PF0100B
UPC: 047431503601
EAN: 0047431503601
ASIN: B0007ZS230
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Filter has a 3 year warranty on performance. | | • | Filter is 5" x 5" x 7.5" high. | | • | Good up to a 20 gallon tank. |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Join the millions of other demanding aquarists that have chosen Penguin filters with complete, 3-stage aquarium filtration to keep their aquarium clear, clean, and healthy. These Bio Wheel Aquarium filters are one of the best aquarium power filters for any aquarist. Check out these fantastic improvements to the already efficient Penguin line. A larger Bio-wheel means more area for nitrifying bacteria to grow, keeping your aquarium totally free of harmful ammonia and nitrites. Increased flow rates maintain optimum water circulation and insure proper Bio-wheel rotation. Adjustable mid-level intake strainer allows you to take aquarium water from mid-tank for complete circulation. The Penguin's all-new cover design and sealed motor dramatically reduces water noise while still maintaining optimum oxygenation. All Penguin filters use the handy Rite-Size filtration media cartridges so changing the filter is a snap. Penguin filter cartridges take care of all mechanical and chemical filtration in your aquarium and are extremely easy to replace. For complete, easy aquarium filtration for your aquarium, nothing works like a Penguin filter.
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| Customer Reviews:
 I'm not crazy about it August 5, 2010
kevin ray
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have many years experience with two different models of Whisper's HOB filters. I have always been pleased with them. A couple of years ago when setting up a 10g tank for my daughter I decided to try a bio wheel 100. It works and I am still using it, but I have been kind of disappointed for several reasons.
I dislike several things about the replacement cartridges. First, they are expensive. Second, because they are sealed one-piece units you have to throw the whole thing away when servicing the filter. I much prefer the Whisper system employing a reusable plastic frame over which you slide replacement filter sleeves. Less waste, less trash in the landfill. Also being sealed, you have no options on the use of carbon or other media in these cartridges. Personally I am not a fan of using carbon in my aquariums. I don't hate it, but I think it is unnecessary. On the Whisper filters I simply left it out. I guess I could cut a slice in the Penguin cartridges and try to shake out the carbon, but that is a hassle. On the other hand, for people who are big fans of carbon, there is no option to add additional carbon (or any other type of chemical media) in these cartridges. On the Whisper cartridges there is room to add double, or even triple, the normal amount of carbon if you wish. No such option on these. What you get is what you get. Third, the cartridges are overly complicated and too easy to insert incorrectly. There are eight possible orientations that you could try to insert the cartridge into the filter, and only one is right. It is relatively easy to figure out, but my 12 year old daughter has gotten it wrong several times. There is no reason for it to be so complicated or finicky.
The filter is also much more finicky than the Whispers are about priming and restarting after being serviced. It seems that the impeller is very easily air-locked. It is common for mine to grind and growl for 2 or 3 minutes before purging itself of air and pumping again. And this is with the tank and filter both completely full of water. Not a big deal, but it seems a design weakness to me.
Lastly are issues with the bio-wheel itself. Initially I thought this seemed like a good idea, but the more I looked at it and thought about it the more I came to think that its many cynics might be right; this thing is probably 90% gimmick. I admit that it does a great job of exposing beneficial bacteria to both water and air (when it is actually turning - more on this below) but I have a hard time believing that it has anywhere near the surface area needed to truly be an effective biological filter. That does not make it bad, just useless.
As to the bio-wheel turning, this is a never ending issue. And from reading on the web I see that I am far from alone. It seems that the maximum flow rate the filter can produce under ideal conditions is extremely close to the minimum flow rate required to turn the wheel. I would guess that only about a 10% reduction in flow rate is required to stall the wheel. And this reduction can be caused by: a slightly dirty cartridge, a slightly dirty inlet tube, a slightly dirty impeller, a slightly low tank level (maybe only as much as 1" low). Also affecting the turning is the cleanliness of the friction points on the wheel and/or housing. This model has no kind of "bearings", it is just plastic rubbing on plastic. But if either part gets a bit dirty, or has a bit of mineral build up on it, the wheel stalls.
It's not a terrible product, but if I buy another HOB filter, it won't be a bio-wheel.
Filtration is average for HOB filter; noise level is high February 27, 2010
Clint Vislay
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I purchased this without doing much shopping around and I regret it. I'm running it in a 20 gal aquarium I recently pulled out of storage and am disappointed. The filtration is about average (and adequate for my tank) for this type of filter, but, compared to the two other hang on the back filters I've had this one is much too loud.
It's the impeller and it makes a rattling noise. I've taken it out and cleaned it, and let it run for 48 hours, and then stopped it and reseated it, hoping to get it to quiet down, but to no avail. I've had it running for 4 days now and haven't even put any fish in because I don't want to stress them out from the noise and vibrations. I don't think I'll return it, but it's looking more like a waste of money every day.
 updated review January 13, 2010
JJ (United States)
this thing is noisy (from the impeller). Its installed correctly and I went through the troubleshooting
section even though its pretty basic on how to install everything. I have older bio wheel filters and they seem
to have cut corners in the quality lately. I emailed the company to see if they will send me a replacement
impeller and they do not even bother to reply. Time to go to a company that makes better products and cares about the consumer..
UPDATE-
I rec'd a new impeller from the seller few months ago and it has been very quiet. Keeping the tank crystal clear and all of the
parameters are within normal limits.
 great July 25, 2007
rob v (michigan)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
the filter works much better then my old whisper
its was a little loud at first but eventually got quiet.
The Best $20 I Ever Spent! March 31, 2005
Scott Baret (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I got my fish tank in 1998 and had an older BioWheel filter. However it was pretty much DOA when I got it as the wheel didn't turn. I instead settled for an underground filter. However, the cartridge on that went bad last year (it always does every few months) and I forgot to replace it.
A few weeks ago I went to my Uncle's house. He's always been into fish tanks and I saw how clear his water was compared to mine. Being that I hadn't cleaned my tank in a while I figured I should revamp it when I got home. I thought maybe my filter needed replaced.
Upon my return home I cleaned the tank and bought this filter for $20 at Petsmart (Amazon is great but the $31 seems a bit high for this compared to what I got it for). It only took a few hours and my water suddenly looked as good as my Uncle's.
I also fixed the old filter, but this one works better. Sometimes I leave both of them on to provide extra oxygen. This filter has easy to change cartridges that need replaced about once a month or so. They'll probably set you back a bit, but based on this filter's performance so far I will definitely keep up the maintence.
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