Bio-wheel vs. Aqua Clear

[redeft]

I have been using an Aqua Clear and I really like it, but I'll be setting up a new tank for the babies that I'll be keeping. I have an old Penguin Bio-wheel that I used for a very short time years ago that I could use or I'll need to buy a new filter. Does anyone here have experience with the bio-wheels? Do you like it?

I lost the fish that I was originally keeping with the old filter, but I don't think it was the filter's fault and it looks almost new except for a little mineral build up on the out flow. I also have some store credit from my lfs from the babies I sold them. hmm...

(I currently have box/corner filters in with the babies)

[Redcap]

I am running 2 Emperor 400s on my 90 gallon and they are working great.

[joe]

I like biowheels and have used them on my quarantine tanks. However they are not great for handling a large bioload that goldfish produce unless you have several biowheels going on at the same time or you have the large biowheel filter in an understock tank. IMO you will need additional filter to handle a goldfish tank. Additionally you will need to have your old biowheel become established again after not using it for so long. My recommendation to you is that if you go with the biowheel, really monitor your water quality, lots of water changes, and understock the tank I you can provide us with the tank size, how many fish you are planning to keep, we can come up with something that will work for you.

[Cincy Ranchu]

I have 13 of them and they rund forever. Only issue is that when they get older they often to not start back up after a power failure.
BTW, Ken's fish Food has then on sale in many sizes

[runningwater]

I have 10 Aquaclears and love them
Best price on Ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AquaClear-110-Aquarium-Power-Filter-70-110-Gallon-A620-/130506345471?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e62c8cbff

[ryuken168]

I've used all 3 major brands for the last 20 years from Whisper to Aquaclear to Emperors.
By far the Emperor 400 handles can handle a larger fish load than most filters.
The bio-wheel is the best design by using oxygen from the air to help the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter to convert ammonia and nitrites for your cycle with robbing the aqaurium of oxygen.

So bio-wheel all the way.

[redeft]

Thanks everyone for your experiences.

I currently have a 29 gal. with an aqua-clear 200. It had been housing the 2 parent fish as seen in my avatar, but the calico has since perished.

I also intend to keep a 20 gal long tank.

I have 3 tanks going with the last of my babies, they are over-crowded and I need to cull them again soon, maybe sell some more to the lfs, and just keep a few of my favorites. I'm getting real burned out on the constant water changes.

So my plan is to move the one adult into the 20 gal, along with the aqua-clear filter, and set up the penguin170 on the 29 with the babies I'll be keeping. There are about 5 or 6 that we like a lot, but we'll eventually get that number down to 2 or 3.