penguin 350

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smokeythebair

smokeythebair

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Nov 17, 2010
1,249
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PA
I have a 55g tank up and running for almost a year now but the filter i got didn't come with the bio wheels. To buy new ones its almost 25bucks when i can get a new filter for 39.00 on sale. I was wondering would it be over kill to run two penguin 350 filters for a well stocked 55g tank? I just get worried when i rinse my filters that im going to take to much bb and start a mini cycle. i put two little sponges behind the c filters for safety to grab more bb. I never had problems yet with ammonia or water quality.
 
i dont imagine

my filters include:
2 rena xp3
4 emps 400
2 penguin 350
2 penguin 200
4 elite stringrays
2 Zoomed 501 canisters
4 sponge airpump filters
1 marina tiny thing

I have 7 heaters running in total as well, largest being 400W ( I believe)

My power bill is rarely over $100
There is also a dishwasher, fridge, stove, etc (basics for a two bedroom apartment)
Also, I pay around 10 cents a kwh where I live.
 
sweet thanks alot for your help. I wanted to add another filter but i didn't want it to be over kill if its not needed. But i think it will be alot better with a well stocked 55g to have two filters. I love the penguin 350 i just wish mine came with the bio wheels.
 
it will cost double what your current filter needs to run on electricity. personally I dumped my 350's for the emp 400's and don't regret it for a heartbeat. The bio-capacity of the 400's compared to the 350's is alot better, and the filter media is alot easier to personalize. I'de get a 400 and leave the old 350 running for a month or so until the 400 can gett seeded well. then pull the 350 off. the 400 will cost abit more. but You'll run into issues with water dilution before you'll run outta bio-capacity on a 55 with a single 400.

the 400/280 has a spray bar as well to make sure the bio-wheels are constantly moveing unlike the penguin line. personally I use the gray refillable plastic media bins to add extra bio- ceramics to back-up my wheels. and I buy filter floss instead of the carbon cartridges on my set-up. Just like the penguins it has twin media resivoures on each side. So it's a fairly interchangable set-up.
 
I too would buy a emp 400 over a penguin 350. I also use the grey carts for biomedia like matrix.
however, I would still have two filters on the tank just in case one runs into an error or something. Plus having extra mechanical/biological filtration does not hurt.
 
ty for all the advice. I think i might just get the penguin 350 because it is on sale for 39.99. That way i won't have to worry about bb and the tank will be clean and worry free. I just get worried rinsing my filters when i only have two small sponges and no bio wheels.
 
I would toss the penguin and spend a little more and get a sunsun 304b or 404b. If you are going to stick with a HOB get an aquaclear AC110, the media capacity makes the emperors look sad. Also IMO bio wheels are very poor biomedia when compared to the other options out there. I had an emperor 400 and a whisper 60 and they could not keep up on my 55. The sunsun has no problem though. I still have an emperor 400 in my closet, paypal me $25 for shipping and you can have it.
 
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