Odd filter observation

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C

CLDarnell

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 21, 2010
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Omaha
Hello...

I have a 29g with two Penguin Biowheel 150s. Of course, when new, both biowheels turned pretty fast, but soon both started getting pretty slow. I know that's ok...as long as they are turning, the bio remains wet.

I have a 20 I wanted to cycle. I used one of the 150s from the 29 to help jump start it. Right away, the biowheel was turning fast. I wasn't sure what was going on, but was happy to know I have good flow through the filter.

Just now, I checked the 29 since it is running one filter short. I was surprised to see that biowheel also turning fast!

Could it be that having the two filters close together (its a 29, there isn't much room lol) that they are starving each other at the intakes?

I didn't rinse any cartridges, wheels, etc. I simply moved one filter. Both went from maybe 15 rpm to probably close to 45 rpm.

Just thought it was odd...
 
Agreed...

I tried them with my canister filter on the 150 g tank. I spent several dollars getting fittings, tube, etc to hook them up. It took me pretty much a whole afternoon by the time I ran to the hardware store, LFS, etc.

I ran them for about 15 minutes and decided to take them back off.

I do like them on my small tanks. Its easy to see when the cartridge needs changed lol :)
 
Again, agreed :) I have two AC110s on the 150 tank. They are the best HOB filters by far.
 
CLDarnell;4674676; said:
Again, agreed :) I have two AC110s on the 150 tank. They are the best HOB filters by far.
Click to expand...

They're pretty good... I've had some problems with the impeller on the smaller models acting up. I've switched all my tanks over to canisters and sponge filters.
 
I have also found low water level will cause the impeller to work harder, making the wheel turn slower.

Also, Those cartridges re pricey, and they come with carbon in them...Do yourself a favor and start making your own media. Get a sheet of that blue filter media, and a sheet of polyfill, both less than $10 for a 24x16" sheet, cut to the cartridge size and reuse those. Besides, the factory ones seem to fall apart if reused (cleaned) more than 2 or 3 times...
 
aclockworkorange;4674619; said:
Could be that bio wheel based filters kind of suck and always have this problem... ;)
Click to expand...

Maybe for you.
I`ve run them for quite awhile with no problems.
As much as the AC guys love their filters, the Emp. crowd will stand behind theirs.
OP, when was the last time you gave these filters a cleaning?
Every few months any filter will get a grunge build up in the filter body, lift tubes, and spillways.
Not that much hassle to pull it off of the tank and give it thorough cleaning, or at least blasting some water around it to clear the grunge out..
Would guess in the moving of the filters some gunk got dislodged allowing the wheels to turn easier.
 
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