# Reduce flow rate for Penguin Bio-Wheel 100?



## LuckyCharm (Jan 20, 2014)

Hello Everyone today, I won a nano set from my local aquarium club meeting. 
I am not sure what the brand is it, but it looks like a Marineland to me. 
It looks like it comes with a Bio Wheel 100 filter with it and I want to make it into a shrimp tank. Seems like that filter is a bit too powerful for this small setup. 

Any tips on how to reduce the intake? 
Following are the picture of the setup, if someone can tell me what brand it is  
Thank you !


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## Little Soprano (Mar 13, 2014)

It doesn't look like any Marineland BIOwheel I've seen.... that goes for both Penguins and Emperors. Regardless on my Biowheel 200 I just have 2 of the filter cartridges shoved in there and it's fairly tame after leaves cover up both of the intakes. Just an FYI if you decrease the flow past a certain point, if it is a real Marineland BIOwheel, the biowheel will be useless cause it will freeze :hihi: XD But in all seriousness if you aren't too set on the biowheel, I know mine has quite a bit of depth to it, and it has a LOT of room for filter media. Could load filter sponges (Marineland's blue bonded Rite Size filter pads are easy to cut to size) and put them in there along with Purigen or something. The more you have packed in the media, the more it should slow down the flow. Also one thing I've noticed.... If yours has the mid-tank intake vent, open it, I notice it slowed down my flow a bit, oddly enough.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

For those who would tell us we can never have too much filter? Maybe they never kept shrimp? 

Which if giving you more trouble? Worry about the intake to strong? Easy to slit an Aquaclear type sponge to stick over the intake. Too strong flow at the outlet? I often don't want to cut the actual flow as that does reduce filtering so I work on ways to spread the output so that it come out in more places. This leaves the volume of water the same but reduces velocity. Like a small stream when it comes to a narrow spot? It appears to flow faster but it is still the same amount of water passing. Possible to hang something like plastic under the outflow to divert it some? Letting it fall into a soda bottle bottom so that it doesn't fall straight down ,ay change this part.


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## LuckyCharm (Jan 20, 2014)

Right now there's 2 shrimps in there that came with the setup, looks like they are flying all around the tank lol
Since the filter is rated for up to 20 gallon, it's a over kill for the tank it's on. 
I think the tank holds a little more water than a 5 gallon bucket. 

Based on the input, I think I want get a steel mesh and place it on the putout and have moss there. For that to work, I might have to remove the bio wheel :/


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## Steve002 (Feb 7, 2014)

I'd cut down the intake as the simplest method for reducing the flow. One of the HOB filters used to have an intake pipe that swiveled a bit to offset it from the impeller intake below. That way it cut down on the water coming in. Putting a pre-filter on the intake as suggested above will cut flow down and protect the shrimp at the same time.


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## aja31 (May 25, 2013)

In my betta tank I cut up an aquarium sponge and stuffed it into the intake. Cut the flow in half. Also makes the bio wheel useless though, I added some ceramic bio media instead. 

anything you do to the outlet will still leave you with the same total flow but if you can spread it out enough it may help.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

The big chain stores i think still sell the fluval edge prefilters, and they are $2-3. They work pretty good, it'll slow your flow. I use them on a powerhead in my shrimp tank, and have used them on hob's. Just have to squeeze rinse it off once a week or 2 real quick.


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