penguin vs whisper
- Thread starter william
- Start date
Does your whisper have a biowheel? i dont believe so but please correct me if I am wrong.
I use two Marineland 200s for my smallers tanks and one Marineland 350 for my larger tank. I like the filter and biowheel for filtration. no significant issues with these filters except basic maintenace to remove salt gunk....
I use two Marineland 200s for my smallers tanks and one Marineland 350 for my larger tank. I like the filter and biowheel for filtration. no significant issues with these filters except basic maintenace to remove salt gunk....
Neither buy an aquaclear. I personally find bio wheels to be a waste of time and money, all it is, is another place for bacteria. If you want the water clear keep up water changes and run some carbon.
On a side note, my first HOB filter was a Whisper, 10-12 years ago. Still using it today, all original parts.
On a side note, my first HOB filter was a Whisper, 10-12 years ago. Still using it today, all original parts.
Meh, not a big bifference really. If you subscribe to the "don't throw out filter cart's" then stick with the Penguin because of the bio wheel. That said though... Nitrifying bacteria grow EVERYWHERE they can get oxygenated water, so really it doesn't matter.
Personally I'm not a fan of the Bio wheel (or any filter that specificly encourages growth of bacteria in one spot) only because it's kinda like putting all your eggs in one basket.
The biggest criteria for a filter IMO is how efficiently it removes particulate matter. That means it needs VERY little bypass, that's where the penguin is strongest IMO. Aqua Clears and Fluvals have bypass built right into them. Still use AC's though... What can I say? Their cheap lol!
At the risk of getting flamed here... I bleach my filter sponges about 2 or 3 times a year... Oxidizes out any organics that may not get rinsed out at cleaning time. If a tank is maintained properly the bacteria in the substrate, glass, decorations ect. will pick up any slack. Gotta remember the bacteria eat the fish waste, so there are only as many bacteria in the tank as there is "food" for them. The combined surface area of EVERYTHING else in the tank is in most cases larger than the surface area of your sponge/cart. The only time I'm ever worried about bacteria in a filter is during cycleing and with an overstocked tank. At those times you NEED all the bacteria you can get and it's harder (for a lot of reasons) for the bacteria to "catch up" after a cleaning/change.
Chris
Personally I'm not a fan of the Bio wheel (or any filter that specificly encourages growth of bacteria in one spot) only because it's kinda like putting all your eggs in one basket.
The biggest criteria for a filter IMO is how efficiently it removes particulate matter. That means it needs VERY little bypass, that's where the penguin is strongest IMO. Aqua Clears and Fluvals have bypass built right into them. Still use AC's though... What can I say? Their cheap lol!
At the risk of getting flamed here... I bleach my filter sponges about 2 or 3 times a year... Oxidizes out any organics that may not get rinsed out at cleaning time. If a tank is maintained properly the bacteria in the substrate, glass, decorations ect. will pick up any slack. Gotta remember the bacteria eat the fish waste, so there are only as many bacteria in the tank as there is "food" for them. The combined surface area of EVERYTHING else in the tank is in most cases larger than the surface area of your sponge/cart. The only time I'm ever worried about bacteria in a filter is during cycleing and with an overstocked tank. At those times you NEED all the bacteria you can get and it's harder (for a lot of reasons) for the bacteria to "catch up" after a cleaning/change.
Chris