I just picked up a new Eperor Biowheel 280 today for a good price. (along with a new light, test kit, and other goodies) It is going on a 20 gal tank. I know that this is a good filter and should do nicely, but I've noticed that the impellor is louder than my old filter. Anyone else with this filter notice that it makes some noise? I pulled it apart and cleaned it out to make sure nothing was downt with the impellor. I took it back to the shop and they opened up two others and they all seem to make this noise. The guy told me that I would get used to it and even gave me a free $40 container of carbon for my trouble. My old Regent filter was almost whisper quiet but it was not doing a good enough job. Will I get used to it? Does it quiet down after a while? Should I just accept that this filter is noisier?

Any experiences you have would help.

I am going to buy this filter myself in a few days!!! Could you PLEASE tell me how wide it is so I can see if it will fit on my tank????? However, if it is really noisy, I may go with a 400 instead. I hope some others answer your post to let us both know about this filter!!!! Thanks!!!

If it is one of the "older" 280s, is there a lever on the top where you can supposedly regulate the amount of water the filter pumps. If this is not fully extended, the filter will make grindy noises. If you have one, pull it out all the way.

If your has no lever - that is fine - it may be one of the newer ones. There are not too many "older" models out there. (I like them better than the new ones)

The next thing to check is that the intake tubes are fully seated into the well of the filter box. The filter will work - and work nicely - with the tube not fully seated - but it will make a LOT of noise with the impeller. I have purchased a few filters that had smalle pieces of mold flashing that made it so the tubes would not seat quite right - making it a noisey filter. I carved off the pieces that were sticking out - and all was good.

Finally - these filters do well if your tank is nearly filled to the output level. I usually put the output spill at or just below the water line.

I hope this helps! The 280 is my FAVORITE workhorse filter!

I've got the 280 and I agree, it is a workhorse filter. I'll be upgrading to twin Emperor 400's when these fancy goldfish babies grow larger.... I like the filter a lot, but get disappointed when doing water changes.... I have to turn it off, do the water change, then refill it to prime it again. Do any of you have that problem?

I have to do that with my Aqua-Tech, Sherry. It is a pain, but I am used to it now.

Hehehe.......... I know exactly what you mean

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...showtopic=65535

That was my topic about the exact same filter.
I switched to an Aquaclear 50 and it is silent compared to the other one.
Problem solved

Um..... you are worried about turning it off during water changes and then having to prime it? That is SOP for for filters.

I will admit, there are a few out there that will self-prime in most cases. But I think anytime you are changing water, you should be servicing your filter. This means turning it off, taking out the filter pads and rinsing them, popping out any other pieces and giving them a quick swish to clean the gunk out. Once the water level drops below the intake or below the intake tube joints, the filter will loose prime anyway. It is NEVER a good thing to allow a filter to grind, trying to prime itself. This will dramatically reduce the life of the filter!

Turn off your filters. Clean out the filter box and swipe the tubes. Clean the filter pads. Turn the filter on again to flush out anything you have loosened. Then turn it off and clean the tank's water. When you are all done, prime the filter and plug it in. I then pour quarts of water over the impellor box as it is starting up - preventing any abrasion on the impellor as it starts. They start quickly and easily with no extra noise or damage to the filter.

Daryl you have some really good advice with these! I have three 280s, two on my 40 gallon and one on my 20. I love them, they have worked so well for me and I've really never had any problems with them.

I hope yours ends up working out for you, they really are great filters! :]

Mine is very, very quiet. I heard of someone else who got one that was "loud" before too, and they exchanged it.

My worry, specifically, is what if the electricity goes off in the house? Will the filter lose it's prime then and not pump properly?? I'm not here all day long, so I wouldn't want the filter grinding away, empty after an electrical outage.

My Eclipse tanks self prime. They are a breeze to clean and maintain. I don't have to prime them at all.... After an electrical outage they just start working again.....

In general, as long as the water level does not drop below the intake grate or, in many cases, the joints in the intake tube (they do not necessarily seal), the pump will easily reprime and start again with no help needed. But when you have emptied the filter box and or dropped the level of the water during a water change, such that the intake tube drains, then the filter will need to be primed. That does not happen during a power outage.

Well that takes a load off me... Thanks. I was kind of worried about power outages. Re-priming the filters really isn't that big of a deal, especially since they are really good filters.....

I am in the process of switching out my bio wheels for aqua clears. I could not take the motor noise and the constant waterfall sound. I kept them clean and I fill my tanks to the max to help minimize the waterfall sound. They are just way to noisy for me. When you have five/six larger sized tanks in a small house, I want them to be SILENT. I do not want my visitors to be constantly aware of my multiple tank syndrome by the constant hum and waterfall. I keep them very clean as they should be seen, NOT HEARD!

Another question on the bio wheels please.
I just bought a used Emporer 400, I dont really want to use the bio-wheels without cleaning them.
What can I use?

Biowheels are not expensive to replace if you are really grossed out by a used one. They sell them fairly cheaply at BigAls - or you can do the online price match from Pet S****.

Biowheels can also be disinfected by running them or soaking them in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. I fill a tank with water and add enough crystals to turn the water a bright, fairly dark purple. Then I toss in biowheels, plastic plants, airline hoses, air features, etc. I boil gravel but I PP almost everything else. When done, you can deactivate the purple with some hydrogen peroxide - making it less problematic to empty the purple water.

You can also soak the biowheels in bleach water - I would 1:10 bleach:water and soak for at least 10 minutes - I usually go for longer (read excessive and compulsive! ) When done rinse well and soak in a solution of dechlorinator and water. Rinse well, repeat.