Penguin BIO-WHEEL 330
- Thread starter jf228
- Start date
Hmmm....well, filter media is anything that you stick in a filter to either mechanically, chemically and/or biologically pass water through to remove impurities.
The 330 is a great filter. I gather you have a basic understanding of how it was put together, and you have it operating. I'm also assuming you have the blue filter cartridges in there as well as the biowheels. Guess what? Those blue cartridges and the biowheels are FILTER MEDIA!
But...that's not what you're asking. You're more curious about those two baskets that hang off the back. That's what the instructions are saying to fill with filter media of your choice. The baskets are little extra storage areas for people who may want to put extra filter floss (mechaincal) media, or carbon (chemical) media, or bioballs/sponges/stars/dohickies (biological) media.
Those baskets are primarily DIY. Marineland does sell a bulk carbon called "Black Diamond" and their ammonia-carb blend called "White Diamond" that you can buy filter media bags for, fill up, and stick it in those baskets, but that crap is expensive as all hell and not worth it. I tried to fit the AquaClear 150 Ammrid pillows in the baskets once, and it didn't work. Then I bought knee-highs from Eckards, filled those with cheap bulk carbon media, and used that for awhile. The best thing for those baskets is probably just to buy floss and stick that in there. Floss will help with a bit more mechanical/biological filtration. Or to find a sponge you could cut and fit into it. Some of the Fluval sponges might be tailored that way, and it would enhance biological filtration as well.
And if I were you, I would not try to run a 55 gallon tank on one Penguine 330 alone. Get yourself another one ($49 at Petco, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than the $75 I bought mine for!) and run both, one on each side of the tank. You'll be much more pleased with the water clarity results.
~~Colesea
The 330 is a great filter. I gather you have a basic understanding of how it was put together, and you have it operating. I'm also assuming you have the blue filter cartridges in there as well as the biowheels. Guess what? Those blue cartridges and the biowheels are FILTER MEDIA!
But...that's not what you're asking. You're more curious about those two baskets that hang off the back. That's what the instructions are saying to fill with filter media of your choice. The baskets are little extra storage areas for people who may want to put extra filter floss (mechaincal) media, or carbon (chemical) media, or bioballs/sponges/stars/dohickies (biological) media.
Those baskets are primarily DIY. Marineland does sell a bulk carbon called "Black Diamond" and their ammonia-carb blend called "White Diamond" that you can buy filter media bags for, fill up, and stick it in those baskets, but that crap is expensive as all hell and not worth it. I tried to fit the AquaClear 150 Ammrid pillows in the baskets once, and it didn't work. Then I bought knee-highs from Eckards, filled those with cheap bulk carbon media, and used that for awhile. The best thing for those baskets is probably just to buy floss and stick that in there. Floss will help with a bit more mechanical/biological filtration. Or to find a sponge you could cut and fit into it. Some of the Fluval sponges might be tailored that way, and it would enhance biological filtration as well.
And if I were you, I would not try to run a 55 gallon tank on one Penguine 330 alone. Get yourself another one ($49 at Petco, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than the $75 I bought mine for!) and run both, one on each side of the tank. You'll be much more pleased with the water clarity results.
~~Colesea
