Possible to slow down Biowheel in Penguin 200?

[JPA]

I recently purchased and installed a new Penguin 200 filter in my 38 gallon tank. I'm not all that thrilled with how loud it is (even with the tank topped off).

The noise seems to mostly be coming from the Biowheel, which is running at an incredible rate. Does anyone have any advice on how to SLOW down the biowheel? It should be just as effective if its not spinning as quickly, but would provide me with a lot of sound relief. I read a post that referred to "spray adjustments" on their filter, but I have no idea what that actually is.

Thanks! Let me know if you need any more information!

 

[mfdrookie516]

welcome to aa i had the same filter, and i HATED it. generally, if you can drop the water level down a bit, the wheel wont spin as fast. mine would barely spin if the water level was at the bottom of the "'ramp" or lower. try lowering it down about an inch from the very top of the tank, just about the trim line or a bit lower.

 

[JPA]

Thanks for the welcome mfdrookie.

Unfortunately, the filter is even louder if I lower the water level in the tank (then it sounds like a waterfall). I filled the tank as high as it could go just to get where I am now.

I am thinking that there must be something you could jam into the biowheel holders that might slow it down, I just have no idea what it could be.

 

[mfdrookie516]

to be honest with you, if you can, take it back. They are junk imo. I guess if you keep it, you could maybe put a piece of duct tape over the little pin on each side of the wheel, just a tiny piece, so that it would be a tad bigger? Honestly, for hob filters, aquaclear are the only way to go. i just prefer canisters over anything

 

[JPA]

Really? Because I was always told that you NEED a biowheel

 

[mfdrookie516]

no, i dont have a biowheel in any of my tanks, nor do about 90% of the people on here. Thats probably just some sales pitch the lfs started making to sell more filters. All you need is some sort of mechanical and biological filtration. The cartridge in an hob serves as both. In my canisters, i have sponges and bio-rings. the sponges get the gunk, the rings house the bacteria

 

[JPA]

Hmmm....In that case, I wonder if my original and quieter filter might work out. It is an Aqueon filter (but I have no other info on it - it came with the tank and without any packaging).

What are your thoughts on Aqueon filters?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I dont have any experience with them. Ive used aqua-tech filters from walmart (very quiet and cheap), tetra whisper filters (JUNK), penguin (JUNK), and fluval canisters. If you already have it, why not try it and see. Just make sure its adequate for the tank. You want a filter rated for around 50-60g (or more... i run two filters rated for 60g in my 55g)in that tank

 

[dkpate]

Now, I just got an AC, and it is THE loudest filter I have! My bio-wheels are WAY quieter than that one.....

 

[JPA]

I took mfdookie's advice and put a small piece of tape over the spokes of the biowheel. It still turns, but not at a much slower speed. Thanks for the help!

And if anyone thinks this is a bad idea also, let me know. But as far as I can figure out, the biowheel is still touching the water, so it's doing its job.

 

[melosu58]

I have one on my goldfish tank. The longer it runs the slower it gets. In a few weeks I`m sure it will slow down once the nitrifying bacteria gets on it.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I have one on my goldfish tank. The longer it runs the slower it gets. In a few weeks I`m sure it will slow down once the nitrifying bacteria gets on it.

and i thought you only had a reef tank.

 

[BigJim]

I really like my Penguin 200 until it sucked in some sand. It hasn't been the same since.

Stick a piece of filter sponge in the intake tube. That'll slow down the biowheel.

The biowheel isn't necessary for the filter to work, but it is beneficial. Good bacteria operate most efficiently in a high-oxygen environment. The biowheel provides this by rotating them up into the air. If it really bothers you, just take the biowheel out.

 

[dkpate]

Did you pull that little magnetic thing out of the filter Jim? I forgot what it's called. Mine sucked some sand up too, and I took that thing out, cleaned it, and never had another problem.

 

[BigJim]

I emptied the filter and rinsed it free of sand. I pulled out the impeller, disassembled it and cleaned it. I polished the impeller shaft with very fine steel wool. I even replaced the impeller. All that didn't do much good. It would quiet down for a few minutes, then it would start making a horrible squealing sound again.

I finally pulled the bearing off one end of the impeller, stuck the rubber bearing cap back where it belonged, and ran the filter with only one bearing. It helped, but the filter was still louder than it was.

The Penguin has since been replaced with an AC70. I couldn't bring myself to drop another $13 on a new impeller for a $35 filter.

 

[Falcon]

I have a Biowheel and it is very quiet. Second what the poster above said about it getting quieter over time. Mine is whisper silent and I've had it for some time now.

 

[dkpate]

Mine are silent too. I bet if you got ahold of Marineland Jim, they would replace it. A friend just called them and told him his heaters stopped working, they were all gunked up, and they send him new ones.

 

[Hellathafish]

I've used the Marineland filters and I currently have an Aqueon filter on our 46 bowfront.

I didn't/don't have a problem with the noise on the Marinelands, however after about a year it quit working, in the time it took to send it back to Marineland and get a replacement I had to purchase another one so my fish would live. Hence the Aqueon. The Aqueon is still on the bowfront and we have no problems, it's quiet and whenever we have power surges it reprimes itself due to the "motor" (can't remember what it's called) being inside the tank.

 

[Blueiz]

The biowheel will get quieter over time. All the new ones I have bought were really loud when they first started but after several weeks they quieted down and didn't make any noise at all. If you don't like it, you can simply take it off the filter and run the filter without it .