Replacing a Bio-Wheel 125

[lilcam]

GF complains of the loud splash it does when we're sleeping @ night. I like to leave our bedroom door open, but the splash bothers her so I close it. I've tried adding water to make the level higher, but we can still hear it from downstairs.

Are there any other filters I can buy that will cut down on the noise? It's a 20G tank thats been running for over a month now.

 

[gudel]

can you just reduce the output at night? my biowheel 60 is very noisy (more like loud) on my 40g tank.

 

[lilcam]

I can? How would I go about doing that?

 

[gudel]

oh nevermind my sillyness, i thought you have the wheels only. sorry.

 

[SomethingFishy]

Unfortunately the Penguin Bio Wheels are a bit noisy when the tank water is even a little low. Also there is no flow control (a major design flaw in my opinion).

Sounds as if yours is even a bit noisier than mine because filling the tank did not quiet it down enough. Here are you options:

1. Keep the filter and dump the GF (while this will save you countless $$$ it is not a viable option).

2. I have an Aqua Clear filter on one of my tanks and they are quiet as mice. I think they are better in many respects to the BioWheel besides being quieter. You can customize the media depending on your needs and they have a flow control.

Unfortunate I have not had any other filters so you may want to listen to the opinions of others before making a decision.

Good Luck with the tank.

*celebrate

 

[lilcam]

I've read about the aqua clear and will be looking into purchasing it. however, the tank has been running for over a month now and i dont want to disrupt the fishes. what should i do if i wanted to change filter?

 

[SomethingFishy]

You should have enough bacteria in the substrate that a filter change will not cause a problem. The bio-wheel just adds an oxygen rich surface for more bacteria to grow.

 

[lilcam]

whats the difference between the aqua clear and the biowheel? Does it have the padded filter like the marineland brand?

 

[SomethingFishy]

As you are aware the BioWheel has a cartrige filter with the carbon already inserted. And, there is no room in the filter box to add alternative media (i.e., Amrid, Carbon, BioMax etc.) You are basically stuck with the filter pad.

The AC has a filter sponge, carbon package and now they also have BioMax. The BioMax insert is basically ceramic rings for cultivating beneficial bacteria cultures. I have set mine up in a variety of ways with BioMax, Crushed Coral, Extra Sponges, Carbon, or Carbon/Amrid mixtures.

Also the AC water spill is quiet and does not make the splash sounds.

Hope this helps.

 

[lilcam]

Ok, little lost with the AC. I'm heading to the LFS tomorrow and I'll need to know what I will need to purchase with the AC filter unit itself. It's my understanding it doesnt come with anything else.

 

[SomethingFishy]

Actually, the Aqua Clear filters come with everything you need to get started (Sponge, Carbon and now with BioMax) ---- I sound like a comercial

Read the box an ask questions. If you have a good LFS or a Petsmart/Petco with knowledgeable staff they should be able to help you out with all of your questions.

Let us know what you end up with and if you have any questions . . . continue to post here.

Good Luck

*celebrate

 

[DannyJ88]

Heres an idea. LOSE THE GIRLFRIEND AND KEEP THE FISH!!!

 

[Lotus]

If you're changing filters over, you really ought to run both for a couple of weeks or a month to avoid going into a mini cycle. If you can fit the media from the 125 into the new filter, you might get away with not running both.

I find the Eheim Liberty HOBs to be so quiet you don't even hear a hum from them.

 

[Phooka]

Fish don't put out.

SomethingFishy, you're making me wish I had gotten an AC. Oh well. Another day, another tank.

 

[colesea]

Everyone complains about the biowheel noise. I really can't say that I've noticed any difference between the biowheels and any other type of filter out there on the market. Keeping the tank water levels up cuts down on the noise from the outflow just as it does with any HOB filter in any tank. Also, a person must keep in mind that relatively new wheels (IE those without a heavy burden of happy bacteria) are going to spin more rapidly due to their ligher weight, and might generate a bit more noise than a properly cultured biowheel simply because of the speed with which it rotates. Once nicely cultured, I've never heard a peep from one.

But other than that, I've always found the Penguine filters to be very quiet. And it is quite easy to customize the box, nobody ever said you had to use the stupid filter pads that are sold for it.
Then again, I'm also one of those people who like the relaxing sound of a trickling waterfall when I'm going to sleep. Others are just a bit more sound sensitive I guess *shrug*.
~~Cole

 

[catfishmike]

the motor/impeller operation itself is quiet,it's the design of the return that makes them loud.
i always thought that if marineland just made the return more like a whisper or an aquaclear,they would the cadillac of hobs.

 

[itchy armpits]

how about a cannister? i think those are quiet.

 

[wonderboy905]

For the 10 gallon in my room I run a Whisper 10, let me tell you first hand this thing is much quieter than the aqua clear mini I have that came with my tank. Just like the aqua clear, you can control the flow on the whisper making things a bit quieter. Both of them made a bit of a hum but I was able to run an elastic band over both filters and across the bottom part that touches my tank and put a suction cup on the part of the tank where the leveller touches the glass to soften things up a bit and voila, no hum, no vibrations, worked on both filters. The Whisper is still much quieter and the new models have a layer of foam, I've also found you can empty the carbon out of the bio bag and dump something else in it if you please.

So for noise, the Whisper HOB filters (the new models anyway, not the ones without the foam insert and no flow control) get my ringing endorsement! I've spent hundreds making my computer dead quiet so I could sleep and I'm glad my fish tank is equally as quiet.

 

[jclif1995]

eheim makes a nice quiet canister filter. i have the 2026 and there is very little sound and no noise. on the goldie tank i've paired it with an emperor 280, which does make some noise. on the tropical tank, i run nothing but an eheim and it is as quiet as a church mouse.

 

[doctawife]

I haven't heard good things about the Whisper in terms of durabiltiy. I have consistently heard good things about the AquaClear, and I have started hearing good things about the Eheim Liberty filters.

I would get the AC 200 for about $16 at BigAl's (www.bigalsonline.com). Or you could get the AC 150 for $15.50.

Good luck, have fun!