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My AC 200 is really making way too much noise (even after a new impellor), I had been considering a biowheel for the office tanks, but also am considering making them planted and with CO2. Right now it's a 30 gallon tank, but I might be getting a 55 or 75.

Substrate is Sand !!!

So ...do I go biowheel or AC and why ?

^_^




[option1]Bio Wheel[/option1]
[option2]Aqua Clear[/option2]
[option3]Other [/option3]

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]


biowheels make anything possible. . . . no mini cycles

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]
I certainly don't have a heavily planted tank (though I'd love to!), but the plants grow well with the biowheel. I have modified it somewhat so that there isn't as much surface agitation (sponge over the outflow) because it was blowing my betta girls around the tank.

Also agreeing with the non-mini-cycling aspect and such. I love my biowheel.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

[vote]Other [/vote]
How planted are we talking here?

For an all-out heavily planted tank w/ CO2 supplementation, I'd have to suggest a canister filter to minimize the surface aggitation. That and you can direct the outflow of the canister to your CO2 reactor, if you have a setup like that.

Otherwise, for a low tech planted tank I'd say go with the Bio-wheel filter.

[span class="edited"][Edited by EdgarFanCLS 2004-07-26 09:47][/span]

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]
Bio wheels are awesome, quiet and last a long time.

________________________________________
The calming qualities of a good aquarium are irrefutable

[vote]Other [/vote]
I agree with canister if it's going to be a high-tech planted with co2 injection. Easier to power co2 reactor with a canister. You'd lose your co2 with a biowheel...perhaps not with the AC, but then you'd have to find other means with which to dissolve the co2.

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]
I have a 280 on my 30 gallon tank and the plants are just doing great.(4 daughter plants on 1 java fern). I dont know how it would work with a co2 system but my plants sure are healthy(ancharis, melon sword, 5 java fern(1 with 4 daughters), moss ball, 2aponogetons. What kind of sponge do you use Kitten?

clownloachfan -

I went out and bought the cheapest filter sponge I could find (don't even know what filter it's from, it's just gray sponge). I put a rubberband around the outflow and wedged a strip of sponge between the rubberband and the filter. The sponge is about 1/2" thick by 1/2" and wide enough to cover the entire outflow.

It just disburses the water so that it doesn't break the surface so hard. My betta girls are much happier now that they're not pushed around the surface of the water.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

[vote]Other [/vote]
If you might get a larger tank laterm, a Fluval, Rena, Ehiem, Via aqua are good filters and morew suitable for plants than HOB filters.

Since you are using CO2, the biowheel will serve no function. Plants will produce larger amounts of O2 which can saturate the water with more O2 than any filter or amount of aeration can possibily supply.

The other issue is that the plants will remove NH4 and NO3, so the cycling is never an issue in any plant tank, there is no cycle except at a trace level.

The canister filters are nice because they require low mainteance, have nice sparay bars, last for ever, can control surface movements, mechanically filter well.

For smaller tanks, these are the planted tank's best choice. Large tanks are better off with Bag filters and sumps.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]
I have a Biowheel in my 29g planted, and it works great. If you want to get CO2, don't get a Biowheel...it will let the CO2 out...

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]
i used to keep a biowheel on my fairly heavily planted tank before i got rid of it for a whisper3 filter instead. the powerhead for the biowheels is powering my pressurized co2 now, but i had no problems with biowheels on my tank

---

"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

[vote]Bio Wheel[/vote]
Gotta Bio-wheel on my 29 planted (also have a powerhead )
And I'm trimming my Tiger Lotus and all of my other plants all of the time, so I must be doing something right -

EDIT: Um - why? Because they do a good job and help prevent mini-cycles ... my plants are happy I know that doesn't mean anything



[span class="edited"][Edited by ceridwen 2004-07-28 17:32][/span]