Penguin BIO-Wheel

Well apparently the Bio-wheel people listened to our input. they've done great with this new filter. You have heard me bad mouth these before but they have revamped them.






Previous filters were great until the wheel stopped moving. Well this newer style has a fix. It now just sets in the purple slots and just spins with ease. I haven't had one stop yet and it SPINS FAST. I had one of the older ones before that never spun from the fist day i got it and another would spin stop spin stop spin stop......
with this newer system if it stops moving just pick out the wheel, clean off the purple slots and the pegs on the wheel and it will spin more.



don't remeber the old impellers or motors too well i do remember that the intake tube would slide easily out of the filter if u just pulled up on it. well now this is where they put the impeller. its easy to remove and replace and easy to clean.



another improvement that's been made is quit neat. what you are looking at on the left is the output but that little thing on the right is another output. when the filters are clogged or ready for a change the water will build up and flow out of this path. kind of a little way to tell you that somethings going on and to check it.



there is also a "surface skimmer." That's what they call it anyway. honestly i find this a bad attempt at a surface skimmer. all it does it suck water from two different levels of the tank which is kinda cool but at the same time not a skimmer. the picture isn't real clean and i apologize for that but that grey thing swivels up and down to open up slots in the tube to activate this feature.


in one of my models the 150 you can even put in two filter cartridges. kinda neat. lets you double the time and the effeteness of the cartridges. the cartridges themselves are well designed too. they have filter pads on one side with a black strainer like plate on the other with carbon on the inside of course. holds up well, cleans well, and filters well too. sometimes they can be a little on the expansive side if you don't find thing right place to buy them from.

Overall a great filter. well designed, easy to maintain. the cost of this filter is a little on the high side but you pay for a great filter. every now and then you can catch them on sale for a great price.

Great post!.. I think I have one of the earlier models running... But.. one complaint I have with some hobs are: Is the motor a component of the basic unit or is it replaceable? I hate seeing all-in-one HOBS...

One of my favorite filters. The surface skimmer is just a gimic and I suggest avoiding its use. You're more likely to cycle through the same cleaned water if pulling water in from up high. It's always better to pull water in from as low as possible. I've always had more dependable success when using bio wheel filters vs other designs. Overall a great design, and now they've improved on an already great design. I have some bio wheels that are over ten years old and still working great. The wheels are a little lopsided and don't spin evenly but its been tested that it doesn't matter. All that matters is that it spins.

bill it is a downside that the motor isn't removable but it is an overall good filter.

amp, it spins great now. like i said one of my old ones didn't spin at all.

I've seen people build little internal overflow boxes and stick HOB intakes in them for surface skimming.

Alo.. makes perfect sense!..

I'll be darned!! So THAT'S what that grey thing on the intake is for! LOL...I did not KNOW that.
As with ALL moving/rubber/metal parts on your filters......If you use a tiny bit of petroleum jelly every few months on the brackets they will spin better and wont "gunk" up so fast. Do this to your impellers, as well! I have used these (and others) HOB filters for years without issues!! A little maintenance=gooood!

Good review but I never used one a bio wheel before.