From: howardr@col.hp.com (Howard Rebel)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Review: WDF 3000 wet/dry power filter
Date: 21 Dec 1992 15:13:01 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: hplsdum.col.hp.com

It looks like this filter is an effort by the maker to cash in on the
wet/dry craze.  I have my doubts that this filter really functions as a
wet/dry due to the media selected.  This is not to say that the sponge
will not function as a bio filter because it will, but not as a wet/dry
bio filter.

PLai@cup.portal.com (Patrick L Faith) writes:
> Review: Second Nature WDF 3000 Wet/Dry Power Filter
> ...
>
> Pluses: this has to better than Marinelands powerwheel.
> Minuses: what doesn't work better than the powerwheel.

As far as I can tell the Marineland powerwheel biocontactors will
not ship till January.  How can you make this statement.  I recall
that the penguin 300's with biowheels had some problems but it was
my understanding that the new powerwheels were supposed to fix
them.  In theory I am a fan of biocontactors as they are
one of the few bio filters that will not trap solid wastes and thus
require cleaning. 

If anyone has had any experiance with the new powerwheels please post
regarding any problems.  If you have had problems with the biowheel
equiped filters and think that the problems with them will still be
present in the new powerwheels speak up too.  I am planning on replacing
my sponge bio filters with powerwheels and would like to hear from 
you.

> Pluses: Wet/Dry area seems to work perty good.
How can you tell.
> Minuses: Not much room for the Wet/Dry area.
>
> Pluses: Variable flow controls
> Minuses: only the lowest control settings allow correct water
>          flow through the filter - and even then I had to raise
>          the siphon to allow to flow back the secondary route
>          due to overflow of the wet/dry area.
>
> Pluses: Overall design is well thought out and solid.
> Pluses: Easy to install.
> Minuses: unlike standard wet/dry medium, it uses a foam substance
>          which needs to be squezed out in the tank water form time
>          to time ( they give you a bag to put tank water[that wont
>          kill the bacteria] in and wash out the sponge when it starts
>          to channel to much.
> 
I looked the unit over at my local pet shop.  I could not get too
cranked up about this being a wet/dry filter.  I guessed what you
noted regarding the low flow rate.  I question the use of
a sponge in general.  A wet dry requires some (perhaps small) flow
of air around the media, I doubt if there is enough air flow within 
a wet sponge to call this a wet dry filter.  Perhaps I am wrong.

> Overall I like the thing, though I might replace the wet/dry medium
> with some of those small ceramic ovals you uses for canister filters.
> Standard wet/dry bio balls would be way to big, though a small amount
> of biobale might work. I'd think the wet/dray area is around 15 square
> inches - so it's very important not to waist any space.

You do not like the sponge either.

> The
> unit has a standard drip plate over the wet/dry area which works perty good.
> I'm using the unit on a 35 gallon tank with 3 15 watt. tubes, 3 angel fish
> 2 guppies (for now), and a splattering of plants.  I would not feel
> comfortable using this filter on my prize discus tank - where I use a
> standard wet/dry system with 3 gallons of biobale.

> PLai



-- 
Howard Rebel hpcsos.col.hp.com 

Xref: sparky alt.aquaria:6314 rec.aquaria:9688