Rated 2 out of 5 by
conman from
i think they are junk This will make my third one in a single month.. They have made awful sounds and slow stop pumping water and eventually quit Date published: 2015-01-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by
ProfessorGauss from
Description of Penguin 350 Filter I just received my Penguin 350 and hooked it up, and it runs great. It is quiet, which is amazing considering the large rate of water that flows through this filter. I wanted to let everyone know a little bit about this pump, since I couldn't find out too many details before I bought it. First of all, there are two filtration chambers, one on the left and one on the right. Each filter element consists of two squares of fibrous plastic material with what feels like activated carbon in between. They tell you to rinse them before installation, but very little dirt washes out when you do this.They recommend changing them every 2 weeks. Next, there is a single intake, which is a long tube that enters the impeller inlet in the center of the unit. The unit is self-priming: you just pour water into the filter box and turn it on; the impeller draws the air out of the inlet tube and starts the siphon automatically. From the center of the unit, the impeller pumps water into the left and right chambers, where it passes through a filter element and then spills under a "bio-wheel." Each bio-wheel is an inert, stiff plastic, corrugated cylinder, which forms a substrate for the growth of beneficial bacteria for removing certain metabolic by-products. The wheels spin fast and silently. The directions say that if too much bio-mass builds up, to rinse the excess off in chlorine-free water, but that they should never need to be replaced. After passing under/past a bio-wheel, the water descends down a chute on the inside of your aquarium. At the bottom of each chute, the water is deflected so that it mostly skims across the surface of the aquarium, away from the filter. This way, even though there is a strong flow, it doesn't produce a powerful current that the fish need to fight. The inlet tube also includes a mid-level intake, which is a set of holes a few inches below the top of the water that can be uncovered with a valve, to allow some of the water to enter from an upper level. If the valve is closed, all of the water is drawn into the filter from the bottom of the tube, which has a large strainer. Hope this helps! (And, yes, I am an engineer -- and proud of it!) Date published: 2015-01-08
Rated 4 out of 5 by
Amillimillz from
I like this product. Good filter, long lasting, easy to clean, cleans the water very efficiently. Date published: 2015-01-07
Rated 1 out of 5 by
Sunchyme from
Penguin 350 My only complaint with this filter system is the grinding noise from the impeller. I've taken the thing apart, rinsed, flushed etc. and it still makes the noise. The only way to get it to stop is by pulling the filter tube housing up some - this in turn slows down the filter flow going back into the tank. I'm very frustrated. Date published: 2015-01-05
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Daniel123456789 from
Best hang on the back filters on the market! I have two Penguin 100 filters for a year and they are great! The water is always clear and I always get comments on how clear my water is from other aquarists. The only issue is, since one of these tanks is in my bedroom, if the water drops too low, there is a huge splashing noise. To combat this noise, weekly water changes keep my tank quiet. Date published: 2015-01-01
Rated 1 out of 5 by
sadfishie from
Poor quality Filter came in.my 123 dollar aquarium.kit.. worked poorly for.an hour and quit. Never cleared my water..Many complaints with this system Date published: 2014-12-16
Rated 2 out of 5 by
Rachel from
Quality with this product is inconsistant I'm currently very frustrated with my Penguin BIO-Wheel filter. I purchased a new 25 gallon tank about a month and a half ago and the Bio-Wheel 150 was included with the tank. Initially I was extremely impressed with this filter--the noise level was almost entirely silent, the option for two filter cartridges is very helpful for my goldfish, and the Bio-Wheel itself is great to have. Unfortunately, within 2 weeks of installing the filter it became quite noisy and began to sputter intermittently. I've tried everything I can think of--my water level is as high as it can be and has stayed that way since I first filled my tank. I thought maybe the aquarium sand in my tank had clogged the motor somehow, so I disassembled the machine very gently, rinsed everything off and re-installed it with no luck re-gaining my quiet filter. Today the filter is not even functioning at all. I don't know if I dislodged something important when I was cleaning it, or if my specific filter happens to be faulty, or what. But I'm so sad that something which ought to have lasted me years with the proper treatment has become dysfunctional after such a painfully short amount of time. Now I have to decide whether to trust this company and product again and hope I actually receive the quality that I'm paying for. Date published: 2014-12-12
Rated 2 out of 5 by
OscarMike from
Very noisy filters I purchased the Penguin 350 and 200 filters for my 60 gallon aquarium. Both of these filters are ridiculously loud, at night I can hear them from my bedroom, which is very annoying. I have replaced the impellers on both of the filters to see if that would solve the problem, but it did not. These are expensive filters and they are not worth the money, the much cheaper Top Fin filters that I have on my other aquarium are much much quieter. Also, the filters are not very compatible with the Marineand aquarium that I bought. The filter housing covering the Bio Wheels is jammed up against the light housing which has to be resolved by lifting the light housing off of its mount just to turn it off or on. Date published: 2014-12-08
Rated 4 out of 5 by
Novice from
Recommendation I like the system thus far it is efficient, quiet and easy to maintain. Date published: 2014-11-23
Rated 4 out of 5 by
Nativefishkeeper from
BEST FILTER I HAVE EVER USED!!!!!!!! It is great filter and it keeps my tank clean for months but it's pretty noisy but it's fine with me because it's not in my room great filter I would recommend it for any tanks between 30-55 Date published: 2014-10-16
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Johnnygeep from
After 10 years the impeller has finally started to rattle I have had a 350 on my tank for ten years and it has started to make a rattleing noise. Inspecting the impeller shows the housing the shaft goes through is worn. I don't think you can get much better than that. I'm going to replace the impeller and keep my 350. Date published: 2014-10-02
Rated 5 out of 5 by
LoriQ from
Great Filter! I bought the 100B filter for my 10 gallon aquarium. In a short time of installing it my tank was more clear than it ever has! No problems with noise. The only problem I had was the intake tube was too long. I just cut the extension tube to shorten it. No big deal. Next year I will be purchasing the 37 gallon Marineland kit as I love Matineland Products! Date published: 2014-08-24
Rated 1 out of 5 by
JMF0585 from
Product Failed Customer Service No Answer I bought the Penguin 200 about 2 to 3 weeks ago. Did a water change filled the tank and filter and nothing. Unplugged the filter waited 5min plugged it back in and again nothing. I took the filter off the tank and inspected everything to which nothing seems wrong, except it wont turn on. I sent an email to Marineland explaining the situation and received no reply. This is a shame as I personally have always had great success using Marineland products while others advise not to. I now see why. Guess i will be buying a non Marineland LED for my tank. Sorry to say. Date published: 2014-08-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Jamie97 from
Silent filter! When I bought my Marineland 55 gallon starter kit I got the 350 and it is very quiet compared to other filters I have had I also have a 200 and it is silent also! Date published: 2014-08-04
Rated 4 out of 5 by
Dylan from
Gets the job done. This filter pumps out water a lot, has decent filter cartridges, has the amazing biowheel, has a handy mid-level intake strainer, and can reach down far with the extension tube. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because it is also a very noisy filter, so I don't recommend putting it in a tartan that is in your bedroom, but I do recommend it in general. Date published: 2014-07-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by
CichlidLover92 from
AMAZING filter for my 20 gallon!! This filter works great for my 20 gallon. I have the Penguin 150 and my water is CONSTANTLY crystal clear! I've never had problems with it and it's been lasting me for almost 5 years now! Very good product! I would DEFINATELY recommend this to a friend! Date published: 2014-07-15
Rated 1 out of 5 by
felipevsu from
Extermely noisy I just bought a penguin 100 and this filter just started to vibrate, I checked the impeller but the whole thing is in the right place and clean. I really waste my money in this fancy filter. Date published: 2014-04-26
Rated 3 out of 5 by
Jaiifish from
These things are hit & miss NOW So this is my my second penguin 350. My first was thru amazon Seems to be operating fine. This one through pet smart in store. (was bought for me) This particular one runs to loud & i don't know why. To my eyes nothings bent, magnet surface is smooth. Propeller seated as well. Its like an obnoxious hum & buzz.. huh I like the idea of these things. but it would be nice if they weren't so dang loud. Lets see how good you guys customer service is. Date published: 2014-04-24
Rated 5 out of 5 by
JARRETT from
AMAZING FILTERS I own 2 of these...one for a 20 gallon tropical tank and a 10 gallon African Cichlid fry tank...keeps water crystal clear...added a pack of bio stones to the fry filter and only have to clean every 6 weeks...WOULD DEFINATELY RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE...CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THE PENGUIN 350 WHEN WE GET OUR NEW 60 GALLON FOR OUR CICHLIDS!!!! Date published: 2014-03-30
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Fishgirl703 from
Product does its job I wrote a previous review for the filter media, but it probably belongs here lol Anyways, the filter is really good. I'm impressed with it and have tried other filters and was not satisfied. While it might be more expensive then other filters, it's def worth the money. It makes my 10 gal look super clean. And the bio wheel is really a big help b/c that means i won't have to add any beneficial bacterial supplement ever again. Will warn you though, bio wheel may stop spinning but thats fine because water still runs threw the bacterial supplement that is on the bio wheel. You can replace if you want but it would be a waste of money and there wouldn't be any supplement on the new bio wheel. Date published: 2014-03-12
Rated 4 out of 5 by
BTracker from
Ok, a bit noisy Daughter bought a Marineland 20 gallon starter kit. Very nice kit for the money. But the impeller is a bit noisy. It was set up today we will wait a and see for a week if the noise goes away. Date published: 2014-03-10
Rated 2 out of 5 by
JayDragon from
Good filter, but SO LOUD I don't know how the people in other reviews got lucky enough to not have noisy filters, but I nearly cried for the first 24 hours I had my 100. You could hear the thing across my house, on a different floor! I looked up the problem online and found many other people with a similar problem and found that some were able to solve the issue by lubricating the inpellar with Stress Coat and making sure to place it back into its place completely straight. I did this with no luck. Thank goodness my father is incredibly handy and was able to use a thin razor blade to shave off a teeny tiny bit around where the inpellar is inserted so that it could no longer hit the sides as it spins. This fixed the problem, but I don't think I should have to do minor surgery to make a filter run without excessive noise, voiding the warranty in the process. I'm happy with how the filter runs now, but my goodness, I don't think I'll ever purchase this filter again. Date published: 2014-03-04
Rated 1 out of 5 by
RDahn1 from
penguin 200 Not pleased at ALL. I purchased on for my 30 gallon tank and followed instructions to a T and when I went to plug it in , nothing happened and itssmelled burnt so I returned it for an exact product and the impeller on that one would run for 30-45 mins and then shut off , I'd have to adjust it and it would kick back on. Today I purchaseed a new tetra brand filter and would like my money back for this penguin filter. Date published: 2014-02-09
Rated 3 out of 5 by
Lance2014 from
Bio- Wheel Stinks I have a penguin 200 power filter. I have had it about 6-7 months. I had just a standered filter before. But I wanted to get something I thought would keep my tank cleaner. I liked the double filter cartridge system it offered and thought the bio wheel would be a big improvement. I change the cartridges about every 2 months and by themselves does a good job keeping my tank clean. The cost at my local Petsmart is about $10 for a 3 pack. But the bio-wheel is a joke. It worked the first month I had the filter then quit. Then after about a month just setting there it started working again for about a week. I went to my local pet store to try and get a replacement. But they said Marineland did not sell replacements due to patent rightsor something to that effect. So it just sets in the power filter doing nothing. It will spin for about a minute if I start it by hand. It has set not working for about 4 1/2 - 5 months. So if your looking for a bio filter look at something else. I believe this one is a waste of good money. Date published: 2014-02-09
Rated 4 out of 5 by
BillC from
Impeller worn out Two years ago I purchased a Penguin 350B HOB power filter. The filter has worked flawlessly until about two months ago. At that time the impeller began to make a rattling noise. After receiving a new impeller I carefully examined the new and old impeller. While holding each impeller by the two rubber bushings in one hand and spinning the impeller with the other hand I could definitely feel a slight wobble in the old impeller while the new one spun very smoothly. I carefully examined the metal shaft of the old impeller with a micrometer. There was no apparent wear in the shaft therefore obviously the plastic piece which contains the magnet and fins had worn to some extent and was causing the rattle. I replaced the old impeller with the new one and the pump was again very quiet. I am writing this review to caution owners of the Penguin and Emperor models HOB filters that as part of normal maintenance the impeller may begin rattling after 2 or 3 years and require replacement. As a side point after searching many sites on the internet I determined that the lowest cost for the Penguin 350B impeller was (believe it or not) the manufacture, Marineland at $11.97. Most mail order suppliers were between $15 and $20. Date published: 2014-01-16
Rated 4 out of 5 by
allnicknamesiwanttaken from
Functions as intended 95% of time Purchased a Penguin 350 under the duress of another brand's failure. Function very well except at times, one or more of the biofilters stop spinning and must have either the shafts cleaned or the part where the shaft rides in the housing cleaned or both. Regardless of filter brands, it is never a perfect world. I wish they would provide/develop a pre-filter screen to trap larger "stuff" before filter. However, if I was in the filter business, I would want the consumer to buy new filters (ie: ink jet cartridges). Never the less, a system of washable pre filter screen(s) would be nice. May just buy new filters rather than wash dirty ones to manage cost. Date published: 2014-01-12
Rated 1 out of 5 by
echodreamz from
Junk product From day 1 it has always been a little noisy, not crazy over the top, but noisy. My Tetra EX70 and Aqueon filters are dead silent. The fun started quickly, the impeller would randomly stall / jam, it would begin to make the most horrendous rattling noise my ears have ever heard, Cleaning the unit does no go, the whole product is just junk. I have a 30G tank that has a Chinese made / brand filter on it I got from ebay for $15 that has been running for 10 months, no jamming, no noise, just works. Why cant this product just work? Date published: 2014-01-10
Rated 5 out of 5 by
Fishlover123 from
Beautiful filter I have a 50 gallon aquarium and recently just purchased this filter. My old filter was a millenium 3000 and it was starting to die. This filter is quite and it is easy to maintain. Ever sense I purchased this it has made the water crystal clear and it is and is safe for my live plants. The mechanical filtration is eliminating all of the debris and dust from the water and the bio wheel is working because my tank has never looked this healthy and clean before. This has to be one of the best filters that marineland makes. Date published: 2014-01-06
Rated 2 out of 5 by
BriBri85 from
Penguin 200 - Too Noisy! Not the best fine particulate filtration I have quickly learned that this filter is extremely LOUD! I have been running it for about a month now and at first it was just normally loud but last week the impeller started rattling. I took it apart and lubed it up with some petroleum jelly and that fixed it until my canister filter comes in the mail. But even with normal operation this filters motor and impeller make too much noise in my bedroom for my wife to sleep. Maybe fine if in your living room. It also disperses tiny bubbles constantly and slightly clouds the water. I have tried to adjust water height but that doesn't seem to work. I am still cycling my 29g tank and some cloudiness is expected but it doesn't seem to do a very good job with filtering the smaller particles which also are contributing to a cloudy tank and extreme Nitrite levels. I am now doing 50% water changes every day to keep my 5 Guppies alive and probably starving them slightly to keep from overfeeding. I am using conditioner and stability additives as well and I never wash anything under tap water. Anyways I think if your serious about your fish you should shell out the extra dough and get a quality, silent, canister filter. Date published: 2013-12-16
Rated 1 out of 5 by
asilva93 from
product worked for about 2 months then stopped working. product worked for about 2 months then stopped working. bought another one I figured it was just a bad one and about a month and a half later it stops working this time killing a few of some very exotic and experience fish. Not Happy! Date published: 2013-11-26