Okay so instead of just constantly whining about the threads where people argue their opinions about these three filters, I've decided to be a little more productive and write an overall analysis of their pros and cons based upon my own experiences and the general commentary I have read on this and other forums about each product.
Naturally this is not meant to be a definitive final verdict - I'm posting it here to encourage people to add whatever they wish; that way we can build a good knowledge base. Hopefully we can do this with other hardware as well.
No discussions of preferences here - please stick to just adding various pros and cons about the units and nothing more. Okay? In other words don't just say, "I like Penguins and Whispers are crap." *crazysmil Mention things you have liked and disliked or have experienced with the various units.
Marineland Penguin / Emperor
Pros – Biowheel filtration provides for massive amounts of beneficial bacteria. There have even been reports of people jump-cycling whole new tanks simply with the addition of an old biowheel. Ease of setup and cleaning. Dependable. Somewhat higher flow rates than comparable models from other brands. Slot(s) for the addition of extra media of choice to allow expandability. Tight fitting cartridges discourage by-pass. Somewhat soft plastic resists cracking. Black color is easy to blend into the background, and doesn’t show a lot of dirt. Intake grates are soft and close fitting, discouraging long finned and weak fish from being sucked in and injured.
Cons – Expensive: both filter and cartridges. Difficult to customize. Complaints about noise compared to other filters. Complaints about biowheels stopping. Jury still out on whether biowheels are for real or just a silly gimmick. Difficult to repair due to motor being in a factory sealed housing. Cleaning can be cumbersome since the unit cannot be fully disassembled. No adjustability in flow rates except for the Emperor models; however this is not a constant sort of flow rate adjustment – it’s a “feeding” setting which simply turns down the main pump and allows for only the biowheels to continue running. You wouldn’t do well to leave it like this for more than a few minutes.
Hagen Aquaclear
Pros – Moderately priced. Widely available due to deserved popularity. Very easy to customize when it comes to types of media and media arrangement. Inexpensive to maintain and operate. Known to be extremely dependable and durable. Easy to repair since motor and impellor housing are removable. Ease of cleaning as unit can be fully disassembled. Adjustable flow rate. Clear plastic makes it easy to hide in the aquarium. Moderately quiet.
Cons – The way the media is placed in the unit is unorthodox and some people find it cumbersome to install. There is also a high by-pass rate due to the way in which the media is fitted into the unit. The clear plastic is very hard and can crack, as well as show a lot of dirt and grime. Intake grates are hard and wide-set, inviting potential trouble for bettas and weak fish. There are reports of the impellor housing being especially sensitive to the introduction of foreign matter, which can result in mechanical noises and sometimes cause motor burnout.
Tetra Whisper
Pros – Least expensive of the three. Widely available due to deserved popularity. Media is inexpensive and can be slightly customized due to the fact that it’s in a pouch form and you can add whatever you wish between the layers of floss. Tight fitting cartridge discourages by-pass. Fully adjustable flow rate. Moderately quiet. Easy to clean and repair since it can be fully disassembled. Somewhat soft plastic resists cracking. Black color is easy to blend into the background, and doesn’t show a lot of dirt.
Cons – Known to be the least durable and dependable of the three. There are many reports of these units just coming to a stop and never working again. There seems to be a small degree of quality control issues with this product, so some units’ parts can be ill-fitted and therefore quite noisy. Low flow rates compared to the others, so they tend to be less desirable for larger tanks and messier fish.
Naturally this is not meant to be a definitive final verdict - I'm posting it here to encourage people to add whatever they wish; that way we can build a good knowledge base. Hopefully we can do this with other hardware as well.
No discussions of preferences here - please stick to just adding various pros and cons about the units and nothing more. Okay? In other words don't just say, "I like Penguins and Whispers are crap." *crazysmil Mention things you have liked and disliked or have experienced with the various units.
Marineland Penguin / Emperor
Pros – Biowheel filtration provides for massive amounts of beneficial bacteria. There have even been reports of people jump-cycling whole new tanks simply with the addition of an old biowheel. Ease of setup and cleaning. Dependable. Somewhat higher flow rates than comparable models from other brands. Slot(s) for the addition of extra media of choice to allow expandability. Tight fitting cartridges discourage by-pass. Somewhat soft plastic resists cracking. Black color is easy to blend into the background, and doesn’t show a lot of dirt. Intake grates are soft and close fitting, discouraging long finned and weak fish from being sucked in and injured.
Cons – Expensive: both filter and cartridges. Difficult to customize. Complaints about noise compared to other filters. Complaints about biowheels stopping. Jury still out on whether biowheels are for real or just a silly gimmick. Difficult to repair due to motor being in a factory sealed housing. Cleaning can be cumbersome since the unit cannot be fully disassembled. No adjustability in flow rates except for the Emperor models; however this is not a constant sort of flow rate adjustment – it’s a “feeding” setting which simply turns down the main pump and allows for only the biowheels to continue running. You wouldn’t do well to leave it like this for more than a few minutes.
Hagen Aquaclear
Pros – Moderately priced. Widely available due to deserved popularity. Very easy to customize when it comes to types of media and media arrangement. Inexpensive to maintain and operate. Known to be extremely dependable and durable. Easy to repair since motor and impellor housing are removable. Ease of cleaning as unit can be fully disassembled. Adjustable flow rate. Clear plastic makes it easy to hide in the aquarium. Moderately quiet.
Cons – The way the media is placed in the unit is unorthodox and some people find it cumbersome to install. There is also a high by-pass rate due to the way in which the media is fitted into the unit. The clear plastic is very hard and can crack, as well as show a lot of dirt and grime. Intake grates are hard and wide-set, inviting potential trouble for bettas and weak fish. There are reports of the impellor housing being especially sensitive to the introduction of foreign matter, which can result in mechanical noises and sometimes cause motor burnout.
Tetra Whisper
Pros – Least expensive of the three. Widely available due to deserved popularity. Media is inexpensive and can be slightly customized due to the fact that it’s in a pouch form and you can add whatever you wish between the layers of floss. Tight fitting cartridge discourages by-pass. Fully adjustable flow rate. Moderately quiet. Easy to clean and repair since it can be fully disassembled. Somewhat soft plastic resists cracking. Black color is easy to blend into the background, and doesn’t show a lot of dirt.
Cons – Known to be the least durable and dependable of the three. There are many reports of these units just coming to a stop and never working again. There seems to be a small degree of quality control issues with this product, so some units’ parts can be ill-fitted and therefore quite noisy. Low flow rates compared to the others, so they tend to be less desirable for larger tanks and messier fish.
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