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just wondering what are the benifits of the Bio wheel filter system instead of a regular filter system... Also what are some brands of high quality economy priced filter systems.... I got my 29 gallon as a kit and am not statisfied with the filter system.

The main benefit of a Bio-Wheel filter is that the bacteria have an ideal place to develop. Plus, when changing the filter cartridge on a filter with a wheel, you will not be effecting the bacteria colony as greatly as you would be with a normal filter.

Having used a few different kinds of filters in the past, I will now only buy filters with Bio-Wheels. Penguin filters are the best choice, IMO. Excellent quality, great price, high flow ratings, and of course the Bio-Wheels.

For your 29 gallon, I'd recommend a Penguin 170. But, continue to use the filter you have now in addition to the new filter.

Last edited by T/A at 31-Oct-2004 19:08

I have an emperor 400 on my 75 gallon, its a great filter . But i also use an aqua clear (20-50 gallon) on my 29 gallon and the water is crystal clear. But in the long run i think the bio wheel is nice.

FYI, Emperor, Penguin, and millenium, are all Marineland products.

IMO, you cannot beat the Emperors. For everything, from quietness, to the spray bar over the biowheels, to the double filter capicity, ect ect ect. And, so much so, that the Emperor far out beats the Penguins, that Marineland has now changed the entire design of the Penguin line, and it looks just like the Emperors, lol.

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There is always a bigger fish...

In addition to the products made by Marineland, you should consider an AquaClear filter manufactured by Hagen. The price is good but more importantly the continued cost of operating the filter is virtually $0.

Primary biologic and mechanical filtration is the sponge within the unit. You do not need to replace the sponge. I have had units for over three years that are being used with the original sponge. In addition, the new units come with cramic rings that are placed on top of the sponge to provide additional bio-filtration.

Maintenance for the unit is a weekly cleaning of the sponge is a rinse in waste water from your aquarium. I rinse and thoroughly squeeze the sponge when I siphon my tank. I also rinse the bio-media under the same siphon. Since I have planted aquaria, mulm from the plants will be drawn to the siphon tube, it is a good idea to check the tube and thoroughly clean it whenever necessary.

Once a month, I completely break down the filter to scrub the container, impeller and intak tubes with a tube brush. I clean the impeller well with a tube brush.

I find that the units have a reasonable or low initial cost, minimal ongoing maintenance expense and are very easy to maintain.

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"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
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