Penguin Bio-Wheel Dead, Need Filter Help

[dcbluemeanie]

Hey guys, got a quick question for you all.  I have been using a Mini Penguin Bio-Wheel on my 10 gallon for a few months now.  Well, its been somewhat temperamental, and this morning decided to stop working completely.  Well, after about a half hour of working on it, I got it going again, but I don't think it will last.  
SO, I am heading out tonight to find a new filter for my 10 gallon and was looking for some suggestions.  I have some $ to spend and want the best!  Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Pooky125]

Sounds like ur biowheel is doing just fine to me.. It isn't supposed to spin continusly, just so long as it spins everyone in a while.. If it stops completely, take it off (holding on the the white edge) and try cleaning around it, sumthing minght be stuck in it.

 

[dcbluemeanie]

It's not the just the wheel.  The motor was completely dead for a while.  It has done this before and I am worried that it will die again when I am not around adversly affecting my tank.

 

[NickM]

Email Marineland with the specifics of what is happening.  Your impeller could just need cleaning.  Thgere are lots of things that could be wrong........you could just need a 5 dollar part instead of a 20 or 30 dollar new filter.  

Nick

 

[Avalon]

I don't think Marineland's biowheels are operated by a motor, but by a spraybar or water current (I'm only familliar with cannisters and commercial systems). You might want to clean the intake tube and impeller assembly of your filter and see if that helps. Even slight blockage (10-15%) of the intake will cause considerably reduced waterflow in the output. After being used for "a few months," it's about that time anyway.

 

[NickM]

They have to have a motor.....how do you think the water gets up the tube and to the spray bar?  The biowheels themselves aren't operated by a motor, they are operated by water movement.    

(Regular Pen. biowheels don't have a spray bar....thats only Emporer biowheels (I'm pretty sure on that because I own both kinds and my Penguin has no spray bar, but my Emporer does))

Nick  

 

[dcbluemeanie]

I got home last night and it was dead again.  I cleaned everything and there is no movement, sound, or any signs of life.  I am going to send it back to the company and see what happens.

 

[confusedfishy]

DC, if you've only been using it a few months as stated above, then you should send it back.  Especially if you have cleaned all parts and it still doesnt work.  Contact company and see what they say.  I have a "chepo" regent on my 10 gal for over 2 years and w/ reg. cleanings it's still going strong.  Your motor is prob. shot.   Good Luck!

 

[Avalon]

No no! I meant (and said) the biowheel itself does not have a motor. I indicated that you should clean the impeller assembly (which is operated by a motor). The biowheel's operation is operated by the water current/flow to turn.

I had a problem with this in a large commercial tank I was setting up. The original biowheel wouldn't turn, or it would get stuck, thus causing improper filtering, and a huge loss of livestock. I called up Marineland and they told me I didn't have it installed properly, and I told them I did (I'm not retarded). I made them ship me a new one or else...(yes, there was an else, and it would not have been good for Marineland! I was working for a huge company, and they weren't too happy). I popped the new one in and it's worked perfectly for almost two years now.

So, yes, you could have a bad wheel (how they are "bad" is a mystery to me), as in my case it does happen. I was just suggesting you might try to clean it up a bit before you are SOL without a filter for lord knows how long!

 

[NickM]

Hmm.....could be they forgot to grease the socket.  Just throwing suggestions.   ??? ??? ???



Nick

 

[aznpanther98]

i had this problem on my whisper 2 the second year  i had it the motor stopped running and i took it out and checked it thing i noticed was that the impeller itself couldn't spin when i say couldn't spin hold the two rubber ends and try and spin it if it don't spin then u need a new one (just speakin from my own expierience) oddly enough i found the impeller last week lol must have threw it into the closet 7years ago and forgot about it lol "i need to clean out my closet" lol any volenteers? but anyways i was curious why it didn't spin and i took it apart and found some hard gunk inside now it sorta spins but gets jammed sometimes
i've also had an expierience when i got a new impeller for my powerhead(tip make sure u check ur bucket for any missing parts b4 u dump it into the toilet lol) anyways it worked fine for a few weeks then turned it off and turned it back on and started to make lots of noise but i also fixed that... sometimes it isn't nesessary to buy a new one especially with a lil tinkerin and close look at is it can be fixed lol

oh yeah forgot to mention that the whisper 2 i had since 91' and it's still running strong and gone through one impeller replacement and several broken uplift tubes lol

 

[theSaj]

I have two Penguin Biowheels, a 170, and a mini-

It seems my mini- has the same problem yours does shutting down for a while than back on...

Is yours a micro by any chance?

 

[Kurty]

:'(  I would toss the sloppy noisy and water evaporating piece of bio wheel out    I think that for a small tank like a 10 gallon the best choice is duetto 50 I've taken the up tube from an under gravel fillter and glued it to the intake of this wonderful self contained completely submersible virtually silent little pump *twirlysmiley*cost 15$ at my LFS