Problem with HOB filter

Not knocking your opinion, but as a comparison my ML Penguin 350 has run flawlessly with incredible flow and no noise.

How old is your filter?

 

Had a penguin and an emperor each last about half a year in freshwater, aqueons are a couple years old now. The aqueons can also start themselves when water is low or after a water change, both marineland filters needed help by cupping water into them.

I also don't buy the biowheel marketing. The aqueons seem to do better if anything, and don't have one. A biowheel has very little surface area for bacteria compared to the sand bed.

EDIT: I also had one of the Marineland Eclipse filter canopies before. As soon as the filter cartridge was not flowing like it was new, the water overflowed out of the tank as much as the hood could pull. It's not like it was clogged with sand, and could happen in a week.

 

It's only 3 months old. It doesn't matter what I do, sometimes it's quiet and sometimes it's not. I'm angry I bought it but now feel stuck. My tank is cycled and doing well---I see no way to start over. My tank is in the living room and it's VERY annoying when reading or watching tv. Grrrrr

FWIW, I emailed Marineland and told them that this is a piece of junk as far as I'm concerned.

 

First, I'm new to freshwater as I only started a few months ago, after tearing down my reef tank. Because I ran a sw tank with good equipment, well, all of these freshwater filtration systems seem like junk. I realize a canister would have been the best option but as I've explained to a few people, my knees are getting bad so working under the tank would have been really hard.

If I knew how to switch to an Aqueon without having any type of a cycle I would do it. But, I have 7 espei rasboras and 6 cory cats and I will not put them through the stress and possible death due to ammonia and nitrites.

I'm frustrated.